Cuttlefish!!! - Page 3

Rudiger · 04/08/2002, 08:17 PM

yo, iwant, read earlier posts, 3 outs 4 died.

schmunkel98 · 04/09/2002, 01:24 PM

Just to clarify, I have one cuttlefish out of the original 4 left alive. I think he is a Sepia bandensis because I have seen him using two arms to walk around lately. I have also seen him swim, but that is mainly when he is frightened. I guess I'll figure this guy out one of these days!

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/09/2002, 04:25 PM

Hi Mike

This book by Norman suggests that bandensis will have flaps of skin under its body too; may sit on them like a tripod?????

C

schmunkel98 · 04/09/2002, 07:52 PM

Umm, that is a definite no on the flaps Colin. He has the same thin membrane around his body that the Sepia officinalis do. Maybe he is just a Sepia O. that likes to walk sometimes?

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/10/2002, 11:21 AM

The big NO, for Sepia O' (hey that rhymes, badly though!)
is that O's come from UK, Med and West African areas. Yours came from Indonesia (is that right?)

Plus, I still think that the eyes on your Sepia look different from mine......... lol this argument is gonna go on and on lol

cephalopoder · 04/10/2002, 05:20 PM

I still think it looks like sepia. bandensis on page 235 lol. Mike how is your new bimaculoides doing?

schmunkel98 · 04/10/2002, 08:17 PM

Hehe, that was supposed to be a surprise Chris! I ordered two medium sized bimacs. One arrived alive and the other was dead. They are going to send me another bimac to replace the dead one since I have connections

. The one left is about double the size of the other guys I had, and is hiding under some liverock right now. I put some ghost shrimp near it, and I think it ate one or two at night. It has stayed a gray color ever since I have had it. The other two octos I had stayed orange most of the time. I did see the spots on the new guy, so I am sure it is a bimac. Hopefully it and the future octopus will gain my trust soon and start to venture out from the rocks. The cuttle met the octopus last night and amazingly enough nothing happened until I took a closer peek(accidently scaring it) and the cuttle inked 3 times and zoomed away! The cuttle is slightly bigger than the octo in mantle length, but the octos arms make it bigger overall. I plan on keeping everyone well fed to insure no fighting. I know you guys must think I'm insane for keeping this many cephs in a 135 gallon tank, but I think it will work out just fine. If territory issues crop up later, I will get another aquarium or two to house them separately.

I will get some pictures soon,

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

cephalopoder · 04/10/2002, 08:57 PM

Mike we don't think your crazy

Your aaaa just breaking new ground

Jack told me today what happend. He will take good care of you.
Bimacs are grey mostly. Put a pvc elbow in your tank with a end cap. It will be its home.

schmunkel98 · 04/10/2002, 11:31 PM

Put the PVC in even though I have the live rock? The bimac has a good amount of spots to hide in. The cuttle has been venturing out a little more, but still prefers to hide in the rocks and sometimes go out for food.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/11/2002, 01:46 AM

OMG, My brain tells me this might end in tears......

However, I am also very interested to see what happens, or should that read "who eats who?" LOL

Mike, yeah you're crazy

LOL

(suppose all of us on this forum are except me because I am duck)

C

cephalopoder · 04/11/2002, 06:01 AM

I fear for the cuttle. My bimac would go nuts when I would swim a plastic cuttle by the tank on the end of a stick. If the bimac can catch it ... it will eat it. My bimac even caught a domino damsel. Now thats a feat! Mike you need to set up a few more tanks for your addiction lol. And I thought I was bad

schmunkel98 · 04/11/2002, 08:44 AM

I was actually more worried about the bimac. The cuttle seems much more aggressive and active, but maybe that will change in the near future. I'll watch and see what happens.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/11/2002, 02:15 PM

Put me down for Ã‚Â£10 on the octopus...

cephalopoder · 04/11/2002, 03:13 PM

Mike
Octos are way stronger than a cuttle. IF The octo grabs the cuttle, it will be over quick.
I think you need to throw in a nice 6" smasher mantis shrimp to make this really interesting. Perhaps a peacock mantis. The one I have will smash a turbo snail the size of a golf ball to bits! Check out this link and see why I got hooked on them. http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/

schmunkel98 · 04/11/2002, 03:40 PM

I forgot about the octo stength thing. That web page was pretty cool. I really don't need another expensive exotic pet in addition to the ones I already have though!

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/11/2002, 05:01 PM

yeah, ye know guys, i think that a nice moray eel or maybe a volitans would liven things up a bit too

schmunkel98 · 04/12/2002, 12:18 AM

Ok, here's the tally so far:

I still have only one octo alive in the tank. I came home to one dead octo in the tank and one alive in a package. Looks like the cuttle may be the only ceph in the tank after all if this keeps up! Maybe he is poisioning the octos or something. I took some pictures of the new guy, but they were too dark. I'll try again this weekend. I did manage to get the new octo to eat a ghost shrimp and a frozen shrimp stabbed by a rod of stiff airline tubing! I tried the tubing thing with the cuttle with no dice. He only seems to go for live food actually swimming on it's own, go figure. I also had a few small guppies in my bag of ghost shrimp, but the cuttle never pursued them. He let them swim right in front of him, but never attacked.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/12/2002, 05:48 AM

Perhaps octo1 died of shipping stress and maybe wasnt connected to the cuttlefish. So the rigid airline worked then? I think it is maybe because it is see-through that it never seems to stress out an octo or cuttle, they usually always spot the food on the end though!

The cuttle wouldnt poison the octo unless it bit the octo, but you would never see that happeing unless you happened to be standing there at the time.

did you ever try black mollies with the cuttle, remember they can live in full sea water no probs if you give them a couple of hours to acclimitise.

C

schmunkel98 · 04/12/2002, 07:26 AM

I just don't think black mollies would be small enough for the cuttle to eat right now. He is only about twice the size of an adult molly. Eve the biggest ghost shrimp is only about half the size of an adult molly. I guess I could leave some of them in there and see. Will they spawn in seawater too? That would be a good way to get some extra food for freee if they did.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

cephalopoder · 04/12/2002, 09:14 AM

Mike
Did both of the octos you orderd arrive alive? Did one only die after it had been in the tank?

schmunkel98 · 04/12/2002, 09:35 AM

Chris,

On the first order of two octos, one arrived alive and the other arrived dead. The one that arrived alive from that order is now dead. The one on the second order arrived alive and is currently in my tank. Hopefully he will be alive when I go check on him at lunch. I did a water test after the first guy died, and I saw no major spikes in the levels and the salinity was right at 1.025. The octo that died in the tank was probably dead in the first 24 hours. I just didn't notice until I got home from work the next day when it was out in th open and not moving.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/12/2002, 09:43 AM

Hi Mike

On a size scale thing....... When my cuttles were the same size as mollies they could snag them no probs. I think yours would manage them, wortha try......

Hope octo2 is okay
C

cephalopoder · 04/12/2002, 09:57 AM

Are you asking Jack for credit for the ones that died in your tank? Seems to be alot of strees in your tank right now or some hideen water quality issue. Jack is a excellent shipper.

schmunkel98 · 04/12/2002, 10:03 AM

Well, they were nice enough to replace the first guy that died on arrival, so I didn't bug them about the other one dieing. Should I? I don't see what could be wrong with my tank since the cuttle is doing just fine in it and they are supposed to be much more sensitive than the octos.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

cephalopoder · 04/12/2002, 10:14 AM

If it was alive when you put it in the tank, I wouldn't ask Jack to pay for a replacement.

04/08/2002, 08:17 PM	#51
Rudiger Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NY Posts: 355	yo, iwant, read earlier posts, 3 outs 4 died. __________________ Homer: "Lets just plop them in front of the TV. I was raised in front of the TV and I turned out TV." current tank: www.rpi.edu/~marioj/galleries/tank octopus tank: http://www.rpi.edu/~marioj/octopus Current Tank Info: 55 gallon w/ sump and fuge

04/09/2002, 04:25 PM	#53
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Hi Mike This book by Norman suggests that bandensis will have flaps of skin under its body too; may sit on them like a tripod????? C __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/10/2002, 11:21 AM	#55
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	The big NO, for Sepia O' (hey that rhymes, badly though!) is that O's come from UK, Med and West African areas. Yours came from Indonesia (is that right?) Plus, I still think that the eyes on your Sepia look different from mine......... lol this argument is gonna go on and on lol __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/10/2002, 05:20 PM	#56
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	I still think it looks like sepia. bandensis on page 235 lol. Mike how is your new bimaculoides doing? __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/10/2002, 08:57 PM	#58
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	Mike we don't think your crazy Your aaaa just breaking new ground Jack told me today what happend. He will take good care of you. Bimacs are grey mostly. Put a pvc elbow in your tank with a end cap. It will be its home. __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/09/2002, 01:24 PM	#52
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Just to clarify, I have one cuttlefish out of the original 4 left alive. I think he is a Sepia bandensis because I have seen him using two arms to walk around lately. I have also seen him swim, but that is mainly when he is frightened. I guess I'll figure this guy out one of these days! Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/09/2002, 07:52 PM	#54
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Umm, that is a definite no on the flaps Colin. He has the same thin membrane around his body that the Sepia officinalis do. Maybe he is just a Sepia O. that likes to walk sometimes? Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/10/2002, 08:17 PM	#57
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Hehe, that was supposed to be a surprise Chris! I ordered two medium sized bimacs. One arrived alive and the other was dead. They are going to send me another bimac to replace the dead one since I have connections . The one left is about double the size of the other guys I had, and is hiding under some liverock right now. I put some ghost shrimp near it, and I think it ate one or two at night. It has stayed a gray color ever since I have had it. The other two octos I had stayed orange most of the time. I did see the spots on the new guy, so I am sure it is a bimac. Hopefully it and the future octopus will gain my trust soon and start to venture out from the rocks. The cuttle met the octopus last night and amazingly enough nothing happened until I took a closer peek(accidently scaring it) and the cuttle inked 3 times and zoomed away! The cuttle is slightly bigger than the octo in mantle length, but the octos arms make it bigger overall. I plan on keeping everyone well fed to insure no fighting. I know you guys must think I'm insane for keeping this many cephs in a 135 gallon tank, but I think it will work out just fine. If territory issues crop up later, I will get another aquarium or two to house them separately. I will get some pictures soon, Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/10/2002, 11:31 PM	#59
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Put the PVC in even though I have the live rock? The bimac has a good amount of spots to hide in. The cuttle has been venturing out a little more, but still prefers to hide in the rocks and sometimes go out for food. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/11/2002, 01:46 AM	#60
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	OMG, My brain tells me this might end in tears...... However, I am also very interested to see what happens, or should that read "who eats who?" LOL Mike, yeah you're crazy LOL (suppose all of us on this forum are except me because I am duck) C __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/11/2002, 06:01 AM	#61
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	I fear for the cuttle. My bimac would go nuts when I would swim a plastic cuttle by the tank on the end of a stick. If the bimac can catch it ... it will eat it. My bimac even caught a domino damsel. Now thats a feat! Mike you need to set up a few more tanks for your addiction lol. And I thought I was bad __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/11/2002, 08:44 AM	#62
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	I was actually more worried about the bimac. The cuttle seems much more aggressive and active, but maybe that will change in the near future. I'll watch and see what happens. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/11/2002, 02:15 PM	#63
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Put me down for Ã‚Â£10 on the octopus... __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/11/2002, 03:13 PM	#64
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	Mike Octos are way stronger than a cuttle. IF The octo grabs the cuttle, it will be over quick. I think you need to throw in a nice 6" smasher mantis shrimp to make this really interesting. Perhaps a peacock mantis. The one I have will smash a turbo snail the size of a golf ball to bits! Check out this link and see why I got hooked on them. http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/ __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/11/2002, 03:40 PM	#65
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	I forgot about the octo stength thing. That web page was pretty cool. I really don't need another expensive exotic pet in addition to the ones I already have though! Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/11/2002, 05:01 PM	#66
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	yeah, ye know guys, i think that a nice moray eel or maybe a volitans would liven things up a bit too __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/12/2002, 12:18 AM	#67
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Ok, here's the tally so far: I still have only one octo alive in the tank. I came home to one dead octo in the tank and one alive in a package. Looks like the cuttle may be the only ceph in the tank after all if this keeps up! Maybe he is poisioning the octos or something. I took some pictures of the new guy, but they were too dark. I'll try again this weekend. I did manage to get the new octo to eat a ghost shrimp and a frozen shrimp stabbed by a rod of stiff airline tubing! I tried the tubing thing with the cuttle with no dice. He only seems to go for live food actually swimming on it's own, go figure. I also had a few small guppies in my bag of ghost shrimp, but the cuttle never pursued them. He let them swim right in front of him, but never attacked. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/12/2002, 05:48 AM	#68
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Perhaps octo1 died of shipping stress and maybe wasnt connected to the cuttlefish. So the rigid airline worked then? I think it is maybe because it is see-through that it never seems to stress out an octo or cuttle, they usually always spot the food on the end though! The cuttle wouldnt poison the octo unless it bit the octo, but you would never see that happeing unless you happened to be standing there at the time. did you ever try black mollies with the cuttle, remember they can live in full sea water no probs if you give them a couple of hours to acclimitise. C __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/12/2002, 07:26 AM	#69
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	I just don't think black mollies would be small enough for the cuttle to eat right now. He is only about twice the size of an adult molly. Eve the biggest ghost shrimp is only about half the size of an adult molly. I guess I could leave some of them in there and see. Will they spawn in seawater too? That would be a good way to get some extra food for freee if they did. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/12/2002, 09:14 AM	#70
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	Mike Did both of the octos you orderd arrive alive? Did one only die after it had been in the tank? __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/12/2002, 09:35 AM	#71
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Chris, On the first order of two octos, one arrived alive and the other arrived dead. The one that arrived alive from that order is now dead. The one on the second order arrived alive and is currently in my tank. Hopefully he will be alive when I go check on him at lunch. I did a water test after the first guy died, and I saw no major spikes in the levels and the salinity was right at 1.025. The octo that died in the tank was probably dead in the first 24 hours. I just didn't notice until I got home from work the next day when it was out in th open and not moving. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/12/2002, 09:43 AM	#72
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Hi Mike On a size scale thing....... When my cuttles were the same size as mollies they could snag them no probs. I think yours would manage them, wortha try...... Hope octo2 is okay C __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/12/2002, 09:57 AM	#73
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	Are you asking Jack for credit for the ones that died in your tank? Seems to be alot of strees in your tank right now or some hideen water quality issue. Jack is a excellent shipper. __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/12/2002, 10:03 AM	#74
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Well, they were nice enough to replace the first guy that died on arrival, so I didn't bug them about the other one dieing. Should I? I don't see what could be wrong with my tank since the cuttle is doing just fine in it and they are supposed to be much more sensitive than the octos. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/12/2002, 10:14 AM	#75
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 898	If it was alive when you put it in the tank, I wouldn't ask Jack to pay for a replacement. __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.