Miniature cuttlefish

Tobes

Tobes

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Hey reefers, I saw a documentary on cuttlefish on NGwld channel yesterday. I was wondering, is it possible to keep them successfully in a glass box? The ones they showed are as big as your thumb. I know they eat small crabs and shrimps, and they are very clever creatures. So feeding them is not a problem. What do you guys think?:)
 
sounds great.tagging along on this one
 
HenkHugo said:
yes it is but its for seriously advanced guys....
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I'm not planning on keeping any (yet), would probably be difficult to get anyway. I was quite interested in them - they are so cute.
Why do you say only for advanced Henk? It cannot be because of feeding, water quality? Any other special care?
 
I've not heard of minature cuttlefish - well not that small anyway - do you have a link to a pic?
 
Wee-Man said:
I've not heard of minature cuttlefish - well not that small anyway - do you have a link to a pic?
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I saw it on NGwld channel. It was a fully grown female cuttle fish, black in colour with yellow/orange on the side fins. They said it was quite toxic - not if you touch it, but should you eat it. I can't remember the exact name, but she was much smaller than the palm of the diver's hand. She just laid her eggs and he said that she will die soon, so I doubt that she would get any bigger.
 
Tobes said:
I saw it on NGwld channel. It was a fully grown female cuttle fish, black in colour with yellow/orange on the side fins. They said it was quite toxic - not if you touch it, but should you eat it. I can't remember the exact name, but she was much smaller than the palm of the diver's hand. She just laid her eggs and he said that she will die soon, so I doubt that she would get any bigger.
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I think that is the problem with keeping octopii and related species, once they lay their eggs - they die, so may not be a long term project.
 
Wee-Man said:
I think that is the problem with keeping octopii and related species, once they lay their eggs - they die, so may not be a long term project.
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I think that often you will find that the smaller the species the shorter the lifespan. It may be possible to breed some of the species but it is not an easy project.

Many octopus and cuttlefish species are easy to keep but it is not the same as keeping a reef tank, an individual is more of a pet with its intelligence and individual quirks. Possibly similar in some ways to having a favourite predator in a tank such as a lionfish, puffer or moray.
 
Steve Warren said:
I think that often you will find that the smaller the species the shorter the lifespan. It may be possible to breed some of the species but it is not an easy project.

Many octopus and cuttlefish species are easy to keep but it is not the same as keeping a reef tank, an individual is more of a pet with its intelligence and individual quirks. Possibly similar in some ways to having a favourite predator in a tank such as a lionfish, puffer or moray.
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Thanks for the info Steve.
 
Hi - the cuttle you refer to is the flamboyant cuttlefish

m_pfefferi.jpg


they are fantastic and i would love to keep one in a nano - problem is that they live for only about a year. also you will need live food so it will be better if you stay on the coast but PMB is only about 45min from umdloti. Another prob is that at present no one brings them into ZA that i know of and if someone does, you might/will get an adult that only has 6month to live - if you can, try to get the eggs - they travel better as they do not ink the bag and kill themselves and they do not stress out.

if you can get, let me know, i want to set up another nano for a flamboyant
 
That's the one Shan, thanks man - I couldn't remember the name. OK, I don't want to keep one anymore even if I could. They are so cute, beautiful and intellegent. Imagine losing it after bonding for nearly a year with such a creature. That's way too sad man!:(
 
Wow, this is one interesting read.

this guys breeds and successfully keeps cuttlefish.

Quick extract:

"Do you have what it takes?
Keeping a cuttlefish should be considered by diligent and advanced aquarists. Although the requirements may not be exactly the same, similar equipment, water quality and husbandry is reflected in reef keeping. So if you are successful in reef keeping, you should do well with cuttlefish. This by no means limits cuttlefish to reef keepers, but be aware of the amount of time, research, and costs involved before diving in.
Cuttlefish are very lively and intelligent which often creates an emotional bond with its keepers. They are short lived, so be prepared for this loss at around one year of age. Ideally, I would like to see keepers develop a self-sustaining system designed to breed their own cuttlefish. This way, as your adult cuttlefish are reaching senescence, you will already have your next generation of cuttlefish growing in a nursery tank."


Cuttlefish Army - Reefkeeping.com

The Tentacles



Would love to look at this one day when I can be consider advanced :whistling:
 
Damn, this is a cool read. Very nice project for someone to set up.
 
I also saw that piece in Reefkeeping magazine - quite cool :thumbup:

Would love to have a pair someday, but would be difficult to get and probably cost you an arm and a leg :(
 
Tobes said:
I also saw that piece in Reefkeeping magazine - quite cool :thumbup:

Would love to have a pair someday, but would be difficult to get and probably cost you an arm and a leg :(
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maybe the initial eggs may cost a bit. But this setup is self-sustaining. Because of the short life span, the guys is breeding and has 6-8 cuttlefish in an SPS reef tank that then lay eggs that he hatches for the next batch and so on.

He has done it so well that he is able to supply other reefers ith eggs or hatchlings.

Now this is when the marine hobby atcually becomes conservation
 
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