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Can anybody here tell me anything about somthing?

Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
397
Hi..... Im a 13 year old enthusiastic aquariest who loves cephs and live in hawaii I, My dad is a commercial fisherman. While was at sea somwhere around the hawaii im not sure where he caught two small squid. I beleive that they were Oval Squid. On the return trip they inked the bucket they were in and died! Poor little squids :frown: . I would like to keep one of these squids but there is no Squid care Q & A and I have no clue how! Someone plz help I would really like to have a ceph that lives for once (dont ask)!
 
Hi again octomush,

Sorry but squid are extremely difficult to keep in captivity. They tend to damage themselves very easily, eat HEAPS (just ask Steve O'Shea :twisted: ) and often die for no apparent reason!

The inking in the bucket was fatal. Cephalopod ink contains a neurotoxin and can also suffocate other animals!

You'd probably be better to go for an octopus!

Sorry to be so discouraging but it's better to know the problems before you start!! All this is why there is no squid care Q & A!!!

Cheers

J
 
ILL NEVER SURRENDER TO THE LIKES OF YE!

Then I will find a way to keep them in captivity! Its been done before and I too will do it! :bugout: He he he he!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And plz if anyone else has any pointers on raising squid dont hesitate to help. No really DONT hesistate. Thx!
 
Re: ILL NEVER SURRENDER TO THE LIKES OF YE!

Octomush said:
Then I will find a way to keep them in captivity! Its been done before and I too will do it! :bugout: He he he he!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And plz if anyone else has any pointers on raising squid dont hesitate to help. No really DONT hesistate. Thx!


Good luck. We await your success!!!!! It actually depends on the species. I'm not familiar with your Oval Squid but if they are Loliginids you just might be able to. I know that Loliginids are kept in captivity at the NRCC in Galveston (you'll need a biggish tank though!). Ommastrephids are another matter entirely! One day I'll keep some!! I know that Goulds Arrow Squid ( Nototodarus gouldi ) were kept for a week or so in Hobart but to keep them longer....................?

Cheers

J
 
Re: ILL NEVER SURRENDER TO THE LIKES OF YE!

Octomush said:
Then I will find a way to keep them in captivity!

Octomush, I really do like your attitude!!!

OK, there are some exciting things about to happen over the next week, and I'm going to be a little busy, but what I'll do is post a few notes here to get you started on a very cheap, very basic (but successful) squid holding device/tank.

Ask dad for one of his biggest plastic barrels, about 400 litres [or a CLEAN 200 gallon drum] (without a lid) - the ones he probably keeps his rope in (make sure you ask him first!) - and some hose or piece of PVC pipe [we won't worry about PVC for the sake of this experiment], about 1 metre of it, about 7cm in internal diameter (this will be your airlift). You'll need an airpump, ~ 1.5 metres of air tubing, and an airstone.

You're going to keep this tank outside to begin with, so you'll need an area where the rain cannot get into the tank. You want to keep the tank in an area that gets natural light (so a dark, locked-up garage without light is no good), but not full sunlight (find some shade somewhere).

Fill the barrel with water [you cannot do this in a square or rectangular tank - it must be a barrel or cylinder]. Mark the top of the water level. Cut the piece of PVC pipe to the water level (lower it into the tank so that the pipe touches the bottom; cut it to length at the top); drill 4 small holes in the bottom of this pipe (~ 5-7mm diameter), and 4 larger holes at the very top. Cap the bottom of the pipe (or place some gauze, pantyhose or onion-bag mesh over it - just use a rubber band to hold it in place). Place the airstone on the end of the air hose and lower it [inside the pipe] to the bottom of the pipe (or hose; whatever you have handy). Turn the pump on. Water will be drawn from the bottom of the airlift, oxygenated with the airstone, raised to the top of the airlift and will be released, all oxygenated through the holes in the top of the pipe (ask your dad to do this for you; I'm sure he'll understand what I'm talking about, and he can also cut the pipe for you, and drill the holes). You need this airlift so that you don't have all of these bubbles in your tank - these tend to get inside the squid, and they don't like that.

OK, now your tank is kind-of ready (to start with). What you'll have to do now is get a protein skimmer, and these can be expensive. Alternatively you can change 1/3rd of the water every day ... but that's a big job.

Why don't you try this basic and very inexpensive tank design first, have some live food (sprats or shrimp handy), get yourself a squid, and if you can keep it alive in this basic system for more than 3 days then you have done EXTREMELY well, and you should then invest in a protein skimmer immediately!

All the best
Me
 
Just out of curiousity, would it be possible to use an above ground pool? I bought a thousand gallon or so pool with a filter for only 100.00...it is made out of nontoxic plastic, that is not rigid, the water pressure holds the whole thing up...it is about 3' deep, and 12' in diameter...might work well ?
greg
 
ThAnK YoU!!!!

Thx everbody (especially Mr. O' shea) I will try what u suggested. I sure hope it works. Thx a 100,000,000! :biggrin2:

PS: I just got a 75 gallon tank for my B Day its totally cool! :o
 
Hi Octomush,

Keep us posted on your efforts to keep squid. Maybe you could have someone take some pics and show us.

Happy birthday! And what do you plan to keep in your new smaller tank?

Nancy
 
Thanks Mz King

Thanks Mz King! I think that I might use my smaller tank as a holding tank for fish I am gonna sell to people who want to keep em' as pets, its a good way to make money cuz I catch cool stuff all the time ( cowries, octos, squid, lionfish, u name it! :sink: ) and it sure beats mowing lawns & babysitting! Oh and I dont have a digital camera right now for tank pics but maybe later. Thx again gonna go fill my tank cya!!! :snorkel:

PS: I will try to keep all u guys posted on my efforts in keeping squid bye! Oh yeah I forgot the squid I am attempting to keep are...

Oval Squid or muhe'e (hawaiian name) Order Tuethoidea: Family Loliginidae It has a lifespan of about 10-14 months. :onycho:

Or

Hawaiian Bobtail Squid Order Sepioidae : Family Sepiolidae (they look kinda like tiny lil' clear cuttles) I can catch these species myself from Kane'ohe Bay a bay near my house. They are known oly from the hawaiian Islands (lucky me!) And I have no clue how long they live probally not that long though, because the larget one ever recorded was only 4 inches long! Sometimes they wash up on the beach after storms. :boat:
 
Running into some complications Need some help O'Shea!

Sry to bother u again anyone particularly Mr. O'shea but my dads biggest barrels are only 55 gallons what else could I use? Should I use a 55 gallon barrel? Sry to be so inquisitive!
 

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