Dear all,
I would like to ask some rather detailed questions regarding flamboyants. Maybe those with more experience can contribute their observations/experiences with this wonderful species?
1) Does lower temperature lead to better egg viability? I read once on the internet that a diver noticed infertile flamboyant eggs when there was a rise in the temperatures of the water. Is there any information on this lethal limit? Currently I'm keeping temperatures between 25-27 degrees celcius.
2) Is there any specific enrichment needed for adult females to produce healthier clutches? For marine fish larvae, the adult fish needs to have high DHA levels in their feed to produce healthy larvae. Does this apply to cuttlefish? I was thinking of using a hypodermic needle to inject krill oil/squid oil into gutloaded shrimp, although I'm not sure if anyone has found a need for this additional step.
3) Do the hatchlings take amphipods at all and how long does it take to initiate first feeding? I had my first hands on experience in caring for a hatchling years ago but could never get it to feed. I tried everything except mysids. I tried medium sized live brine shrimp, very small (maybe 2-3mm) shore crabs, small amphipods but it did not exhibit any hunting response.
4) How long does the female store sperm or does she even do so? I was thinking if we separated pairs & did not let them breed all the time perhaps the lifespan of the female could be increased?
5) Are flamboyant cuttlefish toxic by nature or are their toxins produced via their diet in the wild?
6) Do they maintain a fixed territory in the wild or are they just free roaming critters?
7) Do the adults eat anything else other than shrimp? I am thinking of varying their diet. I notice they ignore fish.
Thanks,
Junkai
Singapore
I would like to ask some rather detailed questions regarding flamboyants. Maybe those with more experience can contribute their observations/experiences with this wonderful species?
1) Does lower temperature lead to better egg viability? I read once on the internet that a diver noticed infertile flamboyant eggs when there was a rise in the temperatures of the water. Is there any information on this lethal limit? Currently I'm keeping temperatures between 25-27 degrees celcius.
2) Is there any specific enrichment needed for adult females to produce healthier clutches? For marine fish larvae, the adult fish needs to have high DHA levels in their feed to produce healthy larvae. Does this apply to cuttlefish? I was thinking of using a hypodermic needle to inject krill oil/squid oil into gutloaded shrimp, although I'm not sure if anyone has found a need for this additional step.
3) Do the hatchlings take amphipods at all and how long does it take to initiate first feeding? I had my first hands on experience in caring for a hatchling years ago but could never get it to feed. I tried everything except mysids. I tried medium sized live brine shrimp, very small (maybe 2-3mm) shore crabs, small amphipods but it did not exhibit any hunting response.
4) How long does the female store sperm or does she even do so? I was thinking if we separated pairs & did not let them breed all the time perhaps the lifespan of the female could be increased?
5) Are flamboyant cuttlefish toxic by nature or are their toxins produced via their diet in the wild?
6) Do they maintain a fixed territory in the wild or are they just free roaming critters?
7) Do the adults eat anything else other than shrimp? I am thinking of varying their diet. I notice they ignore fish.
Thanks,
Junkai
Singapore