Early Cuttlefish ID?

[asid61]

I was going to keep cuttles... they died in shipping.

 

[bradleym]

??? Where were you shipping them to and why? Only the eggs ship well...

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

I was going to keep cuttles... they died in shipping.

Doesn't the shipper have an "arrive alive" gaurantee?
You should get your money back.

 

[bradleym]

Uncle Salty 05,

This morning I saw one of the cuttles running around the bottom netting, excitedly putting his arms through the holes at several points. As I watched I realized he was chasing a copepod that was nibbling on the frozen mysis from underneath!

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

That is too cool!
Mine have been pretty inactive so far. I hope that will change soon.

 

[bradleym]

Yeah mine have been too mostly. For the last 4 nights I have had one that came out to hunt when I fed, and last night finally all 3 came out for feeding time. Ya just gotta "play the long game" with hatchlings, but it'll pay off in the end when they are healthy and happy to see you.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Mine have been staying underneath the ball of chaeto I have in there.
Do you remove yours when you feed?

 

[bradleym]

Here's my system. Once in the morning, if I have time, I lift the cheato gently using the edge of a toothpick, feeding stick, chopstick, whatever and just do a head count and lay it back down. Then every evening I check them again to get their attention. Right after that I use a turkey baster to clean out the old food/waste in the breeder net while I thaw the frozen mysis. Then I add the mysis in a corner and catch some live mysis and add them last. My thought is they are watching me, but they've had a minute to calm down since I spooked them. And I do all this religiously, so they are learning to expect it. Seems to be working so far. They didn't like it the first 4 days but they pretty much don't care now, they just start twirling their tents and then eventually walk back under the cheato if it moved too far.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

That sounds like my routine too.
Just haven't seen mine eat yet. I will try puting the chaeto in one corner and feeding in the opposite corner and see if that will draw them out.
Thanks for the input.

When did yours hatch by the way?
Two of mine hatched last Friday and the third on Saturday.

 

[bradleym]

I showed up at the LFS to see the eggs last tuesday and they had hatched. Noone at the LFS had noticed, so I am approximating only an extra day for hatching. So I am gonna say they are 11 days old today. You're just behind me by a couple days at least and mine only started venturing out 4 nights ago so they should start getting curious in a few more days.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Mine are starting to move around the net more now.
I still haven't seen them eat, but the mysis are disappearing so they must be eating them.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

I have been using a bristleworm trap in my refugium to catch amphipods.
Well this morning I had caught 6 to 8 nice big fat ones and I finally saw one of the cuttlefish eat!!!
I was so excited.
I just ordered 200 more live mysis - they should arrive on Saturday.
Still haven't seen any signs of them touching the frozen PE mysis I have been putting in though.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Do your three seem to be growing at the same rate?
Two of mine have grown, but one is not much bigger than when it hatched.
I am afraid it is not eating.

 

[bradleym]

First, I'll answer your question, then I'll give you my bad news update.

I had 2 that were pretty social, they would come out and hunt right away. The third wouldn't hunt like the other 2 but if something came close enough, he would start bobbing his head up and down, looking sort of a caterpillar walks. If the food wasn't gone by the end of this ridiculous display, he would go chase it down. The other 2 grew at a much faster rate, but I did see the smaller one eat, so just make sure you overfeed a little, so the others don't get 'em all first.

Now the update: I had a baby box fish in the tank and figured no big deal since they're docile and the cuttles were in a breeder net. Long story short, the box fish has a tiny beak mouth and was able to pull food through the holes in the netting. After eating the frozen mysis, he took out the 2 most active cuttle babies (probably cuz they were hunting) and I think he took off the feeding tentacles on the smaller one because he can't use them anymore. I think he is eating frozen when noone is around, but even if he makes it, this was a tragedy to be sure.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Oh man, I am so sorry to hear that.
Yeah box fish and cow fish are pretty mean predators even though they seem docile.
I have 200 more mysis arriving on Saturday so hopefully mine will be OK.
I still don't think they have touched the frozen PE mysis I have been feeding them.
The only thing I know for sure they are eating is the amphipods I have been feeding them.
Again, very sorry for your loss. I hope the third one makes it.
I don't know if they can re-grow their tentacles or not.

 

[kingfisher62]

Just out of curiosity , how much do cuttlefish eggs go for?

 

[bradleym]

Salty Uncle 05, try setting a specific number, like 5, in a stack in the corner. Make sure they are 5 full bodies and are in a low flow spot. Leave them overnight and then inspect them in the morning. Mine seem to be missing their tails most every morning. But the legs and head are the same.

kingfisher62, mine were $10 each at the LFS.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

That is pretty much what I do but mine are always seemingly untouched.

I paid $8 each for mine at the LFS.

 

[bradleym]

2 updates!

1 - My LFS got new eggs in and I got 2 new hatchlings last thursday!

2 - The surviving cuttle was caught eating frozen mysis so I think he's gonna make it! I was up late tonight and I saw there were only 2 mysis left so I added more and 2 my surprise, he snatched one up right in front of me and started munching on it.

I tried to take a pic but it's dark and he was almost done with it.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Congrats!
I have yet to see mine eat anything but an amphipod and that was just the one time. They must be eating something or I don't think they would sill be alive.

What did you do with the box fish?