Hi, everybody. I joined this forum so I could get some advice regarding a recent injury to my cuttlefish. I don't know if something like this has happened to many others, however.
A week ago I purchased a dwarf cuttlefish (bandensis, I think) from my LFS, who had already kept it for a few months. It was surprisingly healthy and active; the first night I brought it home it ate a white cloud I offered it from my planted tank.
I'm keeping it in a 29-gallon tank with 40 lbs. of oolitic sand and 25 lbs. of LR. I'm running a Bak Pak 2, a small back filter with phosphate remover and carbon, a Fluval 304 powerhead and a RIO 400 powerhead. I keep SPS corals and have a 150W 20K HQI metal halide. My water parameters, I figured, are excellent for a cuttlefish: high calcium and strontium, clean water, etc., except for the bright light. But this cuttlefish is remarkably healthy.
Last night I found it hovering above my pink bird's nest coral. Upon further inspection I noticed its retractable tentacles were stuck inside the coral, keeping the cuttlefish from pulling itself free. A Trapezia guard crab was holding onto the tentacles and eating the end on one. I figure the cuttlefish tried to grab the crab, but couldn't pull the crab out or pull itself free.
It began shooting ink, and I had to manually pull the tentacles away from the crab with my hand. Now the retracting tentacles hang out limp like they're stretched out and stick to everything the cuttlefish touches with them.
My question is can a cuttlefish heal from something like this? I've read they can regenerate their tentacles. If I feed it frozen foods it won't need those tentacles to catch live prey, will it? Is my cuttlefish going to die? What can I do to help? Its behavior seems back to normal, except it's a bit shook up still like it doesn't know what to do now that its two retractable tentacles don't work. If they can heal, how long should it take?
Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Adam
A week ago I purchased a dwarf cuttlefish (bandensis, I think) from my LFS, who had already kept it for a few months. It was surprisingly healthy and active; the first night I brought it home it ate a white cloud I offered it from my planted tank.
I'm keeping it in a 29-gallon tank with 40 lbs. of oolitic sand and 25 lbs. of LR. I'm running a Bak Pak 2, a small back filter with phosphate remover and carbon, a Fluval 304 powerhead and a RIO 400 powerhead. I keep SPS corals and have a 150W 20K HQI metal halide. My water parameters, I figured, are excellent for a cuttlefish: high calcium and strontium, clean water, etc., except for the bright light. But this cuttlefish is remarkably healthy.
Last night I found it hovering above my pink bird's nest coral. Upon further inspection I noticed its retractable tentacles were stuck inside the coral, keeping the cuttlefish from pulling itself free. A Trapezia guard crab was holding onto the tentacles and eating the end on one. I figure the cuttlefish tried to grab the crab, but couldn't pull the crab out or pull itself free.
It began shooting ink, and I had to manually pull the tentacles away from the crab with my hand. Now the retracting tentacles hang out limp like they're stretched out and stick to everything the cuttlefish touches with them.
My question is can a cuttlefish heal from something like this? I've read they can regenerate their tentacles. If I feed it frozen foods it won't need those tentacles to catch live prey, will it? Is my cuttlefish going to die? What can I do to help? Its behavior seems back to normal, except it's a bit shook up still like it doesn't know what to do now that its two retractable tentacles don't work. If they can heal, how long should it take?
Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Adam
Adam. Sorry to hear about your cuttle
doesn't sound good. While some people have luck with them, most do not. I think for now I will stay with octos. Even with octos, tho, you have ups and downs. It is very heart breaking but when you get that, one, it make all the others worth your while. Others members will give you more advice, this is just mine. It is a hard decision.
