Ramie's 1st Cuttlefish Journal

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QueenB

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OK SO I'M COMPLETLY ADDICTED!

I bought a new RSM 250 last night. I've been wanting one for a really LONG time. But have been so afraid because of what I want to put in it.
 
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So far so good. Tested the water Parameters again today. I did it yesterday to. No change.

Ph 8.2, Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0, & Nitrates are at 5. ~Temp 77.9~

I'm going to do a water change in a week so I think its OK for now. I wanted to do one today, but don't want to stress them out any further then they already are.

I probably need to stop bitting my nails and relax a bit?

Well I haven't seen them eat, but I have put a tiny squirt of Arcti Pods & Tiggers in there twice today. They don't chase the food, but the one is so curious it swims right up to them and floats there. But I can't see them actually consume them. Hubby and I Can't wait to see them eat.

We set up the Coralife 50 gpd 4 stage Ro/Di unit in the basement tonight. Didn't seem too confusing at first, but when the factory put it together the O rings were off center. When we put it together and turned it on, water sprayed everywhere. We had to take all 3 canisters off and adjust the O rings, and carefully screw the canisters back on. Then it worked just fine. We bought a 32gallon Trash bin for it to drain in, and mix the saltwater with an extra Korlia 4 Powerhead. The water is extremely cold from being connected to the cold output, but it will warm to room temp over a day or 2. Just excited to be able to finally get the water started. Can't wait to actually put everything in the tank and turn it on.

http://www.tonmo.com/forums/album.php?albumid=137

I ordered a RSM Starter kit and it came in with my Ro/Di unit today at my LFS. I had hoped for enough substrate to actully cover at least an inch on the bottom of the tank. But there wasn't enough so I had to order another one. I came home and contacted RSM myself, and they said I needed 4 bags of substrate. I would have to order 2 more starter kits on top of the one I had to order today. The substrate is NOT sold seperatly. and they don't sell starter kits for a RSM 250. HMM So much for going for a complete RSM setup. All this trouble cause I liked the look of the substrate. The substreate is made into tiny little balls. Was kind of attractive looking to me.

http://www.redseamax.com/redseamax/Red_Sea_MAX_Starter_kit.html

I could take the LR & substrate from both my 29g Biocubes. Would I be able to just transfer the substrate LR and all into the RSM 250 without any harm to the Baby Cuttles. Both 29g's were set up for over a year. Would the 65g still need to cycle if I did it that way? I have no problem letting the RSM 250 cycle, but makes me curious if I could actualy do that.

Guess who's watching me through the net. So curious this one. I hope he/she stays like that. Would make for a more intersting experience. This one stays on the front left side day and night, the other stays on the back right side. They swim around a bit during the day, but the majority of the time their in their corners. When I first brought them home, they stayed right next to the last Cuttle egg.

Curious on the timeline for that one to hatch. These 2 were born on Feb 14th. The other unhatched egg is still dark. You can't see the baby inside yet. I don't know what I'm looking for when I hold the flashlight up to it. But I do not see anything moving just yet. I think it might be an egg from a different clutch, or maybe it won't ever hatch. Should I remove it? It's not clouding the water, and doesn't smell. The skin still seems pretty tough like a grape. If anyone has any information to help me figure this out please chime in.

Also curious about nutritional value and dangers on Amphipods? Both my 29's have tons of them everywhere.
 

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You will see different opinions on "upgrading" from established aquariums. I never transfer the water or bottom sand substrate (and replace sand every couple of years in my existing tanks) to minimize nitrates. You will likely get some kind of mini cycle moving the rock. Rock will not be live on the bottom and usually at the back. You will not place it exactly as you had it so you will expose dead areas (the will eventually come to life) and kill live areas just with the new placement. On the other hand if you have a good quantity of rock, the mini-cycle should not last long. I do transfer any corals (softies only, mostly polyps and mushrooms) when I move the rock and feed extra for two weeks then check the water and add the sensative critters. I have yet to see any signs of nitrite or ammonia at the two week mark doing it this way and have not had any fatalities caused by the upgrade.
 
Well day 5 doesn't look so promising. The one that hangs out in front seems to be doing ok, but the one in the back, is floating. When I put some Tiggers and Amphipods in this morning I noticed the one floating. I touched him and he wiggled his fin around his body and swam back down, but then keeps floating back up. I don't think he's gonna make it. Tested my parameters, and everything tested fine. Temp is normal 77.9. Nitrates are at .5. Nitrites 0 PH 8.0 nitrite 0

I haven't seen them eat, but thats all I can think of that could be the problem. I feed them twice a day. Not a lot, but about a small squirt of tiggers and a small bit of amphipods. I haven't taken any photos or done anything else to the tank, so I'm going nuts trying to think of anything else. I know their hard their first few weeks, but guess my hopes got too high. Egg still is unhatched but is softer now. Not as hard as a grape skin. The 2nd hatchling seems fine, he's swimming around in his usual spot. Hope the floater pulls through.

:frown:
 
Well both Babies are gone. :frown: Not sure what happened. Still confused, and going nuts trying to figure out what it was. Tested my waters almost everyday to every other day.

The LFS I go to had 5 of them, and the one staff member there took one hatchling & an egg home and his did the same thing yesterday. He thinks they weren't eating. I'm beginning to think the same thing. I never seen them eat, but I made sure I put in Tiggers & Amphipods at least twice a day. Today I brought home Mysis Shrimp, but it was too late. He also said his egg hasn't hatched yet either.

My egg is starting to deflate. I still don't see anything inside it. Not wanting to chance it I'm gonna let it hatch.

They said they were feeding them Tiggers thats why I bought those and Amphipods. They didn't have Mysis Shrimp at the time.

I've been reading so much on them since I got them. I doubled checked before I went in to actually buy them and bring them home. Even had my LFS test my water for me. As if my testing every day wasn't enough.

So bummed out. Just going nuts wondering if I did something wrong?

My first experience was not as successful as I would have hoped. I'm not gonna buy fresh baby hatchlings like that ever again. They were barely a week when I bought them. Which I should have probably tried to get older ones. Just fell in love with them on site, even though I never wanted a cuttlefish. I wanted an Octopus ever since I was small. But if and when you come face to face with that tiny set of eyes & that cute tentacle mustache, YOU JUST MELT!

Thanks again for your help DWhatley, Lmecher, Cuttlegirl, Captfish, Tonmo himself, and everyone else that helps people like me on this site. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH YOU ARE APPRECIATED TO SOMEONE LIKE ME. The wealth of knowledge on this site is far superior then any site I have ever been to or even heard of. Not forgetting all the tips hints and tricks you give us. I AM PROUD TO NOT ONLY BE A MEMBER BUT NOW A SUPPORTER!

Sorry for such a sad short journal. But it was still a privilege. One I will learn from.

Sincerely
 
Queen B,
Chin up. I won't say you get used to it, you don't. As you have seen from reading, this is not a hobby for the faint of heart. Each experience is different as is each critter (or set of critters) and they all share the delicate, short lived heritage and those of us who make a hobby of keeping cephs learn that an empty tank is worse than going through the losses. It is a new hobby and still in the experimental stage. We have grown in understanding from when the site started (Nancy was REALLY bold taking on Ollie) but there remains a lot to learn before cephs will become mainstream. We see cuttlefish eggs do well for a time and then we see a group that just does not eat and die. It is not clear if they don't eat because they are going to die or if not eating causes the deaths. With my novice experiences with octopus hatchlings, even many of the ones that eat don't survive but a few, living in the same conditions live to be full adults and reproduce. I would probably keep octopuses if they were mainstream but I am sure the unknown is also part of the attraction.
 
What attracted me to Cephs is the oddity. You don't see them too often except when you go to the zoo or see them on TV.

My father used to work on a fishing boat when I was a child, and he brought one home years ago. I don't remember what kind all I remember is watching it in a small tank, and then we went out on a boat and put it back. I think I was about 7 or 8. But it was so memerable to me I can remember it almost like it was yesterday. But over the years I never dreamed it possible for someone like me to actually own one. Till I stumbled onto your photos and video's. I thought they would be as exotic of a pet that you would need some sort of License or Zoo affiliation to own one or breed them. (I'm not interested in breeding by no means)

I thank you so much for the introduction to this amazing world that I'm becoming a part of. Beats the heck out of sitting in front of the TV all the time
 
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