Bought my live Cuttlefish today (He's eating)!!

[Tuner_dude]

So I went to ERI International today to restock the fish selection for my LFS. Well in a few a tanks off in the anemone section, not in the same tanks as the anemones, just in the same section, they had eight cuttlefish in great health. After finding some of the smallest damsels I could, I feed and observed each one. To my surpise, they all ate, and look really heathly. No problem with their eyes, stomachs and body tissue all looked in great shape.

I talked with the manager there and I asked how long they have had them in stock. I thought they just got them in, since 99.9% of the time they die during shipping, I thought they might die that night. However he said they have had them for a week and all were eating just fine.

I decited to net two out, they both went from a black rock and black background tank into a white box. They both preceded to ink a little (naturally) and change pigment to match their surroundings.

I am very surprised to find a live cuttlefish that survived a summer shipment since the death rate is so high. Moreover, the fact they had eight of them in and were all eating and had been doing so for a week astonished me. Maybe it was to good to be true, we will see. Mine is going into a 100 gallon. I ll take pics when I get him settled in.

Oh by the way, he was only $24.99 wholesale!

 

[Tuner_dude]

Oh BTW, he is 2-3 inches right now.

I have two frogfish (wartskin), but my cuttlefish blows them away.

 

[Mike4284m]

can't wait to see some pics.!

 

[Vamplestat]

Yeah let us see him! Congrats btw

 

[cirri]

congrats on your find and good luck. much agreed want to see some pics

 

[dvlhzdu]

Pictures please

 

[gwrulzmylife]

Tuner_dude, how about an update?

 

[reefboy6]

Cuttlefish RULE!!!!

 

[J.A]

Any idea on the species?

 

[Thales]

Prolly S bandensis. How big are they? I think more of them surrive shipping that people think, and they get into trouble at the wholesalers.
Don't keep them together (one of the mistakes made at the wholesalers). Cuttles that don't know each other fight often, and if they are not already friends, and not getting enough food, the go cannibal. Or they just fight.
If you live near the sea, you can collect crabs for them. You can also train them to eat thawed shrimp.

 

[slylie]

 

[Thales]

?

 

[slylie]

I know how this story ends as he posted in the ceph forum on grimreef.

 

[thefishman083]

Well how does the story end

 

[chaetomorph]

Said he went to feed him, tripped on an electric cord and fell into the tank.. Cuttle inked and jetted into a rock then went into hiding.. A few hours later he was floating with a big gash in it's side..

 

[Kaiser_s0ze]

how often do people get cutlefish and actualy keep them alive in a tank more than a few weeks.

is there any record of them being trained to eat anything other than forzen

i want to do a cephlopod (spellin) tank, but think cutlefish are the koolest after seing a special on pbs. want to know as much as possible about keeping them !

 

[Thales]

how often do people get cutlefish and actualy keep them alive in a tank more than a few weeks.

In the hobby, in the US, not that often. In research and in Europe they are pretty easy to get, though usually the are a big species. I am doing pretty well - check out the website in my sig.

 

[Aquakeeper]

Said he went to feed him, tripped on an electric cord and fell into the tank.. Cuttle inked and jetted into a rock then went into hiding.. A few hours later he was floating with a big gash in it's side..

U mean to tell me, he fell into his own tank?