WC bandensis eggs!

[sorseress]

They are sooo tiny and cute!

 

[cuttlegirl]

And so hungry!!! I already ordered my second shipment of mysids...

 

[sorseress]

Well that's great! It might get expensive, but at least they're eating well, which seems to me to be a very good indication that they are adjusting well.

 

[cuttlegirl]

In an effort to wean my cuttles off expensive live food (hubby... "you're spending $35 a week on cuttlefish food!?!"). I offered Scrunchy a defrosted frozen mysid. She grabbed it, tasted it and spit it out in disgust. Will try again next week.

 

[Illithid]

I found this about culturing mysids -supposedly inexpensively.

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/mysidshrimp/

 

[Paradox]

I used to only feed 15 cuttles live marin shrimp....

I dont even want to think of how much $$$ that was!!!

If you wean your guys onto frozen...Id be interested in how you do it...
I have really tried to, but it be nice to have the option to not always use live foods.

 

[cuttlegirl]

I've done it with Sepia officinalis, so I am hoping that I will be successful with S. bandensis... I was actually encouraged that Scrunchy grabbed the frozen mysid, that is usually the hardest part... I am going to keep offering when she is hungry before offering live food. Maybe someday I will convince her it is not sooo bad tasting. I used Scrunchy as my "guinea pig" because she eats the mysid within a minute of me putting it in the breeder tank with her. The other two are more shy and cautious about letting me watch them eat.

 

[Thales]

I found this about culturing mysids -supposedly inexpensively.

http://www.reed-mariculture.com/mysidshrimp/

Culture Area:

Using a rearing area with 80 - 100 square feet of floor space, establish three 30 gallon aquariums and ten 10 gallon tanks with synthetic seawater (at a salinity of 21 to 22 ppt) and air-driven biological filters. It helps to pre-establish the bacteria in the filters by running them in the sump of another marine system for three to four weeks prior to this time. An Artemia system capable of hatching from 8 to 10 grams of cysts (dry weight) per day is also required.

 

[cuttlegirl]

Yeah, I read that... I am already offering them newly hatched Artemia, but I think the mysids are being cannabalistic...

 

[cuttlegirl]

I'm so excited! Scrunchy ate a frozen mysid! Actually, two... I offered her a frozen one with the eyes still attached this morning. She grabbed it and started munching right away. Then about a minute later, she grabbed the second one. The other two cuttles still push the frozen mysids away in disgust... As my daughter says, Scrunchy will eat anything... She is always hungry.

 

[cuttlegirl]

Cuddly ate a frozen mysid this morning! Now I only have shy Baby A to work on... I am still going to offer live food, but at least I can spend a little less $$$ on live food...

 

[cuttlegirl]

I think they're getting bigger... hard to tell, still need really good eyesight to see any features, like tentacles, eyes...

Today I gave Scrunchy a frozen mysid, which she took readily. About five minutes later, I added a live mysid to her tank. She spit out the frozen one in disgust and grabbed the live one. Guess she knows what she wants.

 

[Paradox]

Very cool!

Are you keeping them inseperate containers...? Im assuming you are, because you able to distinguish between whos who..=)

mine all look alike!

 

[cuttlegirl]

Scrunchy is alone. Cuddly and Baby A are together. I have four net breeders, but I have two filled with mysids because I had to separate the mysids because they were eating each other, even though I was offering live brine and some liquid plankton. Baby A is much shyer than Cuddly and won't eat in front of me...

 

[DHyslop]

How big are the mysis they're eating? I might have a job soon so I'm seriously thinking about this again