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Help with the feeding

rudy

O. bimaculoides
Registered
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
64
My cuttle has not eaten any more Krill since the day he took it from a stick. He will usually just cower away from it. I did notice today that the other Chromis that was in his tank is gone.

How often should I feed the Cuttle? My octopus would eat any opportunity he got so that is what I have been doing, however it is not working as well.
 
They should be eating ever day, prolly twice a day. FWIU they fully digest every 6 hours, so every 6 hours they can eat. :smile:

I never had much luck teaching them to take frozen krill, I think because there is so much damage to the krill body that it doesn't look like food to the cuttle anymore. Did you try drawing eye spots on the krill? Are you able to get any live shrimp or crab for your local aquarium store? I also think they just don't like krill all that much.

If you have been chasing the cuttle with the food stick, I would be he is moving away from it because he is scared of it. Not much you can do about that.
You could drop the krill into the water and see if the cuttle strikes. Thaw about 10 pieces before you start. If he doesn't leave the krill and try again. Keep trying. If he still doesn't strike, leave the krill for a while and take it out as gently as possible. You could also try tying some thread to krill and hanging it in a high flow area to see if the cuttle will go for it.

This guy is wild caught right? They can be problematic in terms of eating. If the tank is in a high traffic room, consider moving it, or at least covering it for a few days to give him a 'feeling' of security.

Again, your best bet is some live shrimp or crab. Without that, I am worried any attempt at weaning won't work.
 
I was feeding mine twice a day until they were full. Live shrimp in the morning and thawed krill in the evening. I have been assuming that this feeding schedule (combined with an average temperature around 80) might be what's behind the short lifespan I observed. Both my cuttles exhibited a brief senescence (a few days) and died about two weeks apart at about six months of age. I understand some of yours and Jennifer's have been around a year now.

Dan
 
Well, I ended up giving in and getting a crawfish last night for my buddy. He ate it right away. The guy who sold it to me was nice enough to donate!

I also ordered 24 fiddler crabs so I will try that for a while.
 

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