S.Bandensis Eggs - Almondsaz Cuttlefish Journal

[Almondsaz]

I did see it and it was almost as if it just burst out. The egg didn't immediately deflate. At first, in my experience, it appears as if layers of the egg casing start to sluff away and it becomes a bit more translucent. Then it just all of a sudden burst and the little cuttle came out. I am trying to recall but I tried to look at the egg sack and think that the burst occurred near the attach point. Not right on it but about 1/3 of the way from the attach point to the opposite part of the egg. I hope you get to see it as well. If you do, please post your experience.

 

[DWhatley]

... and have a camera at the ready

 

[Almondsaz]

Good point D. I wish I had just left the camera next to the tank so that if on the odd chance I got the opportunity I could try to photograph it. It happens quite fast...hope you have good reflexes

 

[Almondsaz]

So last night I had a major inking event. I thought I would try small pieces of krill on a skewer. I started to lower in the tank and "swim" past the cuttles to get them excited about eating. Wrong.....I must have startled the one and he/she inked from one end of the intank fuge to the other. I took the feeding baster and sucked it out. Can't believe the consistency of the ink when it is shot into the water. Got it all cleaned out, amazing how much they can put out.

 

[Uber Alezz]

I'll start leaving my ipod next to the tank and see if I can actually film the whole ordeal, assuming I'm lucky enough to even be there in the first place.

 

[Almondsaz]

It's official. I am a feeding junkie. I love to watch the cuttles eat. They certainly seem to conserve their energy when it comes to amphipods. The wait for them to calm down from being added and then they pick them off one by one. It is the neatest thing to watch - their feeder tentacles come out so fast.

 

[Almondsaz]

So this morning I got up to check the cuttles and two had ventured outside the intank fuge. I thought that the macro in the holes would be enough....it wasn't. I caught them both and put them back and filled the holes with floss. I was a bit unnerved when I saw them, but oddly enough they just hung around the intank fuge.

 

[MAKOOKAM]

Sneaky little monkeys.

 

[Almondsaz]

They are now back in the breeder net. Ordered some grass shrimp from Paul and they should be here by Thursday. He is such a great guy and a pleasure to deal with.

 

[Uber Alezz]

How big are your cuttles now? It's been like 5 weeks so far, right?

How big were they when you moved them on to ghost shrimp?

 

[Almondsaz]

The oldest is 38 days (5.4 weeks) and the youngest is 31 days (4.2 weeks). I haven't moved them yet, when I receive the grass shrimp later this week, that will be the first time that they have had them. They have been on mysid and amphipods up til now. They are a little over an inch today.

 

[Almondsaz]

I am astonished how quick these guys are growing. Since I have started them on the grass shrimp they seem to have grown 1/2 inch. One is showing incredible coloration changes in the reds and greens. The others seem to stay in the cream/brown and black. They are amazing to watch. I can't believe how fast they catch the shrimp and also how quick they eat them.

 

[Almondsaz]

So, I let three of the four out into the big world and I think they are doing fine with it. I am stressing over the weir and the powerheads but they are doing just fine. I will be anxious to see how they do by the end of the day.


Now all four are in the tank and they seem to be really loving it. They instantly took to their cave and continue to stay together. I let the 200 grass shrimp loose in the tank and they can hunt at will. They have already eaten....the trick is going to be transitioning from grass shrimp to frozen mysid.

 

[MAKOOKAM]

Thats awesome. How big is the tank?

 

[Almondsaz]

The tank is a 125, 6 foot long and the only inhabitants are 4 green chromis and a shrimp gobie.....cuc and lots of grass shrimp and amphipods.