Nautilus @ local LFS, Thriving off $500 fish

[WTyson]

A little piece of irony:

My local fish store has a nautilus which they claimed to have had for 3 months at 78 degrees and eating out of their hand.

Well I went in today and they had the nautilus in a different tank than normal and i asked why (I have seen the nautilus in their care for at least a month).

They said that it is eating all of the fish that they put with it including a $500 black tang, and some other angel (forgot which kind) that was $400

Serves them right if you ask me.

Will

 

[arioch]

Hey, at least they've got it eating and not starving, that's better than most other LFSes can claim

 

[AquariumMan]

Whats wrong with owning a nautilus?

 

[tibob32]

they're supposed to be kept around 60-65 degrees... not 78. That's why it serves them right for not researching it before. As they would have seen the temperature issue, they most likely would have noticed it may/will eat the fishes it can catch

 

[WTyson]

Went back to the LFS, the nautilus is still there, bobbing up and down in the corner of the tank.

 

[5h3rW1N]

can we see a pics??

 

[WTyson]

ill take one tmro if i go and its still there

 

[ebola]

Yeah, I thought nautiluseses (nautilii?) were cold-water animals. Maybe keeping them at higher temps speeds up their metabolism, making them more predatory?

 

[Nano Chris]

Very interesting creature, i saw one at the lfs a while back. Sad they take something that shouldn't be taken from our oceans. Doubt it would survive long in captivity.

 

[leeb.]

there was one at my lfs but it looked decrepit and the next time i went it was gone. it was in a tank with other fish but didn't seem to care.

 

[WTyson]

I went back today and they said it died two days ago.

 

[graveyardworm]

I'm pretty sure that Nautilus need to have pressure changes in their environment to survive for any amount of time. In the wild they dive to great depths during he day, and then return to the surface to feed at night. This would require an extremely specialized setup.

 

[Thales]

Pressure changes don't seem to have anything to do with their survival in captivity. Colder clean water and appropriate foods do.

 

[AquaKnight]

Pressure changes don't seem to have anything to do with their survival in captivity. Colder clean water and appropriate foods do.

I would put appropriate tanks as well, with more then a reports of Nautilus cracking their shells, by banging into the flat walls of a standard rectangular aquarium.

 

[old one]

nautilus last liveing member of ammonltes-so its tough.in nature they feed on stafish and kin.they also scrape all life off live rock.anyone have practical experiance with this.

 

[pech29]

That would be an amazing creature to have a specialized set up for.

 

[Thales]

in nature they feed on stafish and kin.they also scrape all life off live rock.

Both of those are untrue.

anyone have practical experiance with this.

Yes. www.TONMO.com

 

[AquariumMan]

Both of those are untrue.



Yes. www.TONMO.com

Anyone specifically of TONMO?

 

[deangelr]

there is a nautilus at the LFS here in austin aswell... i asked someone about it and he said someone brought it in.. I doubt they are trying to buy and sell natilus' or natili or watever

 

[Gatorluva9]

sweet