Flamboyant cuttlefish

[Killerbunny228]

Recently trying to pair these gorgeous animal but need some help, don't know how to identify male and female.

 

[Connor Gibbons]

Hello,

The one on the left that's extending its arms is male. This is a pretty common behavior that males will do to try and initiate mating. It's also normal for them to become paler while doing this behavior. More likely than not the other flamboyant is a female. Females grow larger than males and seem to have a bit more rounder mantle.

That being said, pairing them one on one can be a bit of a pain and you'll need more space and visual barriers to cut down on aggression and allow for successful mating. The female will need space to seek refuge from a pestering male. I would recommend upgrading to at least a 5 gallon (10 is probably better) and using a soft substrate with some smooth rocks to break up the tank a bit. Just be sure to give them adequate walking room. A great option for egg laying and tank decor are half coconut shells that can be purchased from Josh's frogs.


Hope this helps!

 

[Killerbunny228]

The tank that they are living right now is an extra tank I made for them which is connected to the main tank since I thought minimising the area can boost their relationship. If bigger tank does help, I will put them back to the big tank. But since I wasn't sure if they sre male and female, I don't know should I order an extra one

 

[Connor Gibbons]

The tank that they are living right now is an extra tank I made for them which is connected to the main tank since I thought minimising the area can boost their relationship. If bigger tank does help, I will put them back to the big tank. But since I wasn't sure if they sre male and female, I don't know should I order an extra one

How large is your main tank? The reason I ask is the tank size can have a large impact on your cuttles. Too small and you can get a lot of aggression and depending on the infrastructure of the tank and turnover rates your animals could be at risk. If the tank is too big when you feed them live shrimp the shrimp can get "lost" in the tank and it could be difficult for the cuttles to find them.. which is particularly an issue for flamboyants. If it's possible to hook up a 10 gallon to your main display system that could be adequate for these two cuttles.

If you're looking to mate them the best thing you can do is have them in a tank with enough space, visuals barriers, and egg laying objects and just let them do their thing. These are definitely the most finicky of cuttlefish so sometimes less is more with them.

 

[Killerbunny228]

My tank is around 30cm x30cm