S.Bandensis Eggs - Almondsaz Cuttlefish Journal

[Almondsaz]

Sorry, I thought you were planning to keep the cuttles in the 10g full-time. You plan sounds fine. Breeder nets are great and can certainly be used in the 10g.

 

[Uber Alezz]

Oh, great, I appreciate your help.

And going back to the skimmer, I've personally never used one before and don't really know what to look for in one, but how do you think one like this: http://www.marineandreef.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RDF01033 would work out for my 30g?

 

[Almondsaz]

I hate to say it but I would steer clear of those types of "Skilters" skimmers and filters. If you go on CL you can usually find a sea urchin or a bak pack skimmer and those are much better quality. If you are fortunate to surf the forums and CL or ebay and find a Deltec HOB then all the better. There are lots of sites on skimmers and it is well worth taking the time to do the research. Remember that if the mfg says its good for up to 30 gallons go to the next size, typically skimmers are overrated for how many gallons they work on.

 

[Almondsaz]

So today I separated the cuttles 2 in each net. Provides a bit more space and this way I can keep track of who is feeding a little better.

 

[snowmaker]

Oh, great, I appreciate your help.

And going back to the skimmer, I've personally never used one before and don't really know what to look for in one, but how do you think one like this: http://www.marineandreef.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RDF01033 would work out for my 30g?

I would not use these either. I really like the Aqua-C Remora or Urchin for smallish skimmers.

 

[MAKOOKAM]

Love my remora. Totally worth the price. Never skimp on the skimmer. I learned the hard way.

 

[DWhatley]

If budget does not allow for a high end skimmer, look at the Coralife line. I am using them in two octo tanks and have been pleased. They are easy to maintain and collect a fair amount of gunk.

 

[Almondsaz]

I turned down my chiller to 77.8 and the cuttles seem to be a lot happier. More activity and not just sitting on the bottom.

 

[Uber Alezz]

Don't mean to hijack your thread, but I took your advice and checked out Coralife skimmers and came across this guy

http://www.petsolutions.com/default.aspx?ItemId=96333000&EID=96333000&SID=FROOGLE

I think it looks pretty good, an experience with this model?

 

[Almondsaz]

I have set up several of those, one for a friend who owns a petshop and wanted to use one on a 55. It works just fine. For the first day or so it is a little fussy dialing in the skimmer to the right level. They are nice skimmers. It will take up some room in your tank for the pump and return box. Make sure to use the return box becuase it minimizes the micro bubbles. They are easy to clean which you will really like as they have a quick disconnect collection cup. I like the small one, but haven't had good experience with the larger one - perhaps others have. But again, I really have liked the smaller one with the experience I have had. Congrats! You are almost there.

As an aside, you can read Advanced Aquarist online and one of the featured articles discusses TOC - good timing for your skimmer.

 

[DWhatley]

The small one is the one I have on two aquariums. It may not pull off as much scum (I say may not because it pulls off more than my awful Red Sea Berlin skimmer ever thought about as well as more than lower end models we tried but I have not used the high end units) as some of the high end models but it is consistent, handles the changing depths in my sump without causing overflows, is designed to need minimum top clearance (less than an inch above the top of the cup) and is easy to clean (if only they would put an on off switch on the chord). There is some issue with micro bubbles from the return that takes some fiddling with the provided sponge cup and can be an issue (as with many others) if you are not using a sump but I don't get them in my main tank at all.

An additional feature on this unit is that it can be hung either inside or outside of the sump and I have one set up each way for best space utilization.

 

[Almondsaz]

So today I ordered two books. the first is "cephalopods octopuses and cuttlefish for the home aquarium" by Colin Dunlop and Nancy King and the second is "Culturing Live Foods: A Step-by-Step Guide for Culturing One's Own Food for the Home Aquarium"by Michael Helweg. I get the tomorrow and hope they are good. I am confident the cephalopods book is a good one, lots of great reviews and the live food I am hoping to get some good tips from.

 

[DWhatley]

I bought and have not opened the second. It is still on my reading list but my initial reason for purchasing is was for the hatchlings that I did not have.

 

[Almondsaz]

Glad I wasn't the only one drawn to the book. I am hoping that the first is as good as I think it is. I looked at quite a few and this seems to be the best, exactly what I am looking for, but need to give it a read. Can't wait to get them. By the way, my cuttles are growing leaps and bounds. While I feed them mysid, they also have a ready supply of amphipods in the net as well that hide in the creases and come out at night. They are four little porkers for sure.

 

[DWhatley]

The first seems to be a one of a kind for cephs. In fact you might even recognized some of the photographers and this was such a great review:

Over 37+ years of marriage, my husband and I have kept a number of unusual pets, along with the typical dogs and cats. For each of these (both the unusual and for each breed of the typical) we have purchased untold numbers of books about each animal. Most have been read once and never reviewed again because the information was too basic, found to be just plain incorrect or lacked an appropriate index to locate information when needed. The prospective and current cephalopod keeper will find this book pleasingly different. Octopuses and Cuttlefishes for the Home Aquarium stays on topic, has a 12 page index and provides solid guidelines for successfully choosing and keeping a cephalopod at home.

Opening the book, one of the first things the reader notices is the display of on topic photographs at the turn of every page. It is quite clear that the pictures are of multiple environments and depict actual aquarium pets, a welcomed accomplishment from both the publisher and the authors. The type is clear without being geriatric, the layout and subtopic headings make skimming for specific information quick and easy while the sidebars provide interesting suggestions or observations based upon personal experiences.

The content is a must for anyone contemplating keeping an octopus or cuttlefish. In December of 2006, with the help of [...], we added our first octopus to an aquarium designed and setup 8 months prior for this inhabitant. At that time there were no books and few on-line guides. Today keeping a cephalopod has become an interest to a fast growing number of marine enthusiasts but until this publishing, short, hard to find magazine articles have been the only publications giving a hint on successful aquarium environments and containing very little about care or what to expect during the animal's lifetime. Nancy and Colin discuss the entire captive life cycle from housing design, choosing a species, obtaining, acclimating, housing, feeding and egg laying to dying, providing aquarist with a clear understanding of the requirements for raising a cephalopod as well as sighting which animals to avoid and why they are unsuitable for aquarium life.

The book is an enjoyable and informative cover-to-cover read. Don't stop reading once you reach the appendix! It is full of interesting suggestions and factoids for enriching a cephalopod experience.