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Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 8:29 AM
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Breeding Journal DataSheet This first post should be updated regularly to include new information as events take place or changes are made to your system General Species: Sepia bandensis Social Structure: Unknown (started with eggs) Size of Individuals: Unknown Age of Individuals: Unknown Date added to Tank: N/A Broodstock Tank Details Size of Tank: Unknown Substrate Details: Unknown Filtration Details: Unknown Water Changes: Unknown Water Temperature: Unknown Lighting: Unknown Lighting Cycle: Unknown Other Tank Inhabitants: Unknown Broodstock Feeding Details Food Types: Unknown Feeding Schedule: Unknown Spawning Details Date of First Spawn: Unknown (started with eggs) Spawn Time of Day: Unknown (started with eggs) Dates of Consecutive Spawns: 3-6-2014 (this is an estimate since eggs were purchased and the actual spawn date is UNKNOWN) Courtship Details: Unknown (started with eggs) Egg Size: Eggs start smaller (perhaps 1cm across or so? I don't exactly know yet since I got the eggs after they were laid and time between spawn and arrival to my tank is unknown) and inflate closer to hatch, eventually becoming nearly 2cm across Egg Color: Start black and then become more transparent as they inflate near hatch Egg Count: Eggs were not spawned in my care and I don't know how many were from a particular female. I will edit this to reflect a spawn in my care if that ever happens. Hatch Details Hatch Date: 3-20-2014, 3-23-2014, 3-24-2014, 3-29-2014 Hatch Time of Day: After lights out usually # Days after Spawn: Unknown (started with eggs) Larvae Description: Hatch out as miniature adults Larval Tank Details Temperature: N/A See grow-out tank section Size of Larval Tank: N/A Substrate Details: N/A Other Tank Decor: N/A Filtration Details: N/A Lighting: N/A Lighting Cycle: N/A Water Changes: N/A Larval Feeding Details Food Types: Live amphipods, live enriched adult artemia if I wasn't able to collect enough amphipods that day, live mysis Feeding Schedule: I add the food in the evening since right now they don't seem to do much during the day Metamorphosis/Settlement Date of Settlement Start: 3-20-2014, 3-23-2014, 3-24-2014, 3-29-2014, etc (same as hatch) Days after Hatch: 0 Date of Settlement End: 3-20-2014, 3-23-2014, 3-24-2014 , 3-29-2014, etc (same as hatch) Description of Fry: They hatch out as miniature adults Grow-Out Tank Details Temperature: ~80F Size of Grow-Out Tank: 5.5g tank Substrate Details: None Other Tank Decor: Live macroalgae (Ulva and Enteromorpha) Filtration Details: Sponge filter Lighting: CFL Lighting Cycle: 6AM to 9PM Water Changes: As needed Size at Transfer: <1cm (shortly after hatch) Age at Transfer: Several days old Grow-Out Feeding Details Food Types: Live amphipods mainly, live enriched adult artemia in a pinch, live mysis, then got them onto frozen Hikari mysis and frozen PE mysis Feeding Schedule: Evenings usually Additional Information (No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please) Miscellaneous Information: My LFS got some of these in and asked if I wanted them. I thought I was getting like 10 eggs but when I got there there were already 35 that had hatched out and many more eggs. So I brought them home and got the babies set up in some breeder baskets and put the eggs in another. I keep finding more baby cuttlefish that have hatched in the egg basket and move them to different breeder basket away from the eggs. You will be required to provide photographic evidence in this thread of each event submitted for the MBI Program. If your thread does not contain these photos the MBI Committee will not be able to approve your reports.
<message edited by shannpeach on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 8:18 PM>
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 8:58 AM
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 7:51 PM
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They got their first feeding of live mysis today. I wasn't able to watch for long to see if they ate any, though. I have found three dead over the last few days.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 8:59 PM
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Here's a pic of a hatchling from last night:
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Thursday, March 27, 2014 7:04 AM
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Wow, the larvae look so large.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Thursday, March 27, 2014 8:00 AM
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Yep, they are pretty large. The eggs get bigger and bigger as they get closer to hatch and you can nearly see through them by the time they hatch.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Thursday, March 27, 2014 10:31 PM
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Had another one hatch last night This evening I added a few live mysis and also collected amphipods for them. I peeked in the basket after adding them and saw one baby cuttlefish with an amphipod sticking halfway out of its mouth. So now I know they are eating (well, at least one of them!)
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Monday, March 31, 2014 9:19 AM
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A slightly better pic: And a daily amphipod harvest for feeding:
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 9:40 AM
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Some pics of them trying to blend into things-- Heater: Detritus: Anyone want to cuttle? (Har Har) Chowing on a mysid: I have a video of one eating and some videos of them changing colors, but I'm having a hard time getting videos to upload.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 3:21 PM
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I had a large die-off about 10 days back when I wasn't devoting enough time to feeding them. I have about 7 or so, which I feel is a nice manageable number. They still get mysis and amphipods daily. Some are significantly larger than others and they still seem to spend most of the day resting.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Friday, April 25, 2014 11:16 PM
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This one was eating an amphipod so large it took it awhile to finish eating it.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Saturday, May 3, 2014 6:35 PM
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Just fed one of them a frozen mysis
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Saturday, May 3, 2014 9:33 PM
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So tonight I got five of the five remaining to eat frozen Hikari mysis! They each took one, and it seems to take awhile for them to finish eating. This is fantastic news! I got them to take it by using a 10" tongs and grabbing the tail of a mysis. Then I wave it in front of the cuttle's face (and sometimes sort of smack them with it if they seem like they are sleeping) and then once I got their attention I drop the mysis from an inch or two above the cuttle so it drifts to the bottom. This makes them think they are moving and after 10-30 seconds they will shoot out the feeder tentacle and snatch it. One of them I had to do that twice, and two of them actually took the mysis right from the tongs! I think tomorrow I will also try to feed them in the morning
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Monday, May 5, 2014 8:48 PM
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Feeding them the frozen is already getting easier. Four of the five took from the tongs in just a few seconds. I'll try to feed each one again tonight before I give them amphipods again. The largest one may even be ready for PE mysis.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 2:48 PM
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Last night I was able to get a video of one of them taking mysis. (Click on the pic) It is tricky when they are under the sponge filter. The problem is, when I try to get the food close to them I tend to accidentally move the sponge filter which scares them. Then they are more hesitant to try to go after the food. This one eventually did. I can say that it is easier to encourage them to take the frozen when there are two near one another. It's like they don't want the other one to possibly get the food before them, so usually one will be brave and just go for it.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 3:08 PM
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Oh, and they have been getting amphipods every day along with frozen mysis at night. The live mysis cultures are very low in numbers so no live mysis for awhile. In fact, I should probably check to see if there are still some in there... I've contemplated trying live gut-loaded feeder shrimp (very small ones) but I don't think the cuttles are quite big enough. Maybe I will try to get them eating PE mysis first for a week or so, then try the live feeder shrimp.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Friday, May 9, 2014 10:23 PM
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I didn't have a chance to feed yesterday and I found two dead today :/ Only three (two?) left. Fed them frozen mysis tonight and some amphipods. This weekend I will try to feed morning and night to boost up their reserves a bit more.
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 9:26 AM
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Last night two of them took down small feeder shrimp, and the smallest one (which tried and failed to wrangle in a live feeder shrimp) took a large PE mysis (frozen/thawed, not live) so that is a move in the right direction regardless
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 6:51 PM
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Well, only two left...There was a night that I didn't get to feed them and one of them disappeared. Luckily the two left are taking dead mysis with no problem now. I can usually just drop one in from of them and they will snatch it right up. Last night the larger one ate like 6, and the smaller one ate four. I was also, for the first time, able to get them to eat in the afternoon. I had only tried before today sporadically, but they never seemed interested. Today they were
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Re: Breeding Journal, Species: Sepia bandensis (Dwarf Cuttlefish)
Friday, May 30, 2014 8:39 AM
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60DPS Here is one of them working on a PE mysid Here is a video I took a few days ago of one doing some fancy color changing
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