Nautilus keeping

[Scouse]

Does anyone keep or have in the past kept nautilus on here.

I know you need a really deep tank but thats about it, suppose it would need a chiller but was just wonderin out of intrest.

They look quite mad, what do they eat, is there any guidance at all, as i havnt found any......yet.


Cheers in advance

 

[fluffysquid]

I'm a college intern at the NRCC.

We have several nautilus so here's a few little tips for you:

Yes, you will need a chiller. I believe the water temperature is around 14-17 celsius.

Any nautilus I have seen have been kept in dim light.

We feed them headless frozen shrimp.

After a while in captivity, all the new shell that grows is discolored and looks malformed.

 

[joel_ang]

Fellow member LS has kept a nautilus once but sadly, it didn't live for too long. Check it out under ceph care.

 

[Colin]

Also Scouse, the ones getting sold here are normally (despite my best efforts) sold from tanks with no chiller and in fact tropical conditions!!! It stresses them out and weakens them before they are even sold

 

[Scouse]

nice one, will have a gander. was just intrested really as they look fascinatin an also tryin to corrupt someone into gettin em

p.s. how deep does the tank have to be an why is that, i imagine they come from the deep so suppose they must like to bob up an down, is it also increased pressure?????

cheers

 

[joel_ang]

Yes it is pressure related, Nautilus would be quite greatful if given some space for vertical migration as they live pretty deep down 100-300m I believe.

A chiller for them is quite important. We may be warm and toasty up here but not 300m below the sea.

 

[Scouse]

pheeewww thats deep!!! not surprised they die so often apart from the fact that most sold in tropic cond!!!!

you'd need a whole block of flats knocked through into an atrium to put your tank in!!!!

hhmmmm theres an idea

 

[Scouse]

oh what a nugget!!!

meant to ask how big an deep are your tanks at the NRCC fluffysquid?

 

[fluffysquid]

rough estimate: maybe 2.5 feet deep, and 4 wide, 6 long.

 

[Scouse]

nice one , hmm , not as deep thought :?

 

[fluffysquid]

Yeah, not very deep. and they usually hang out near the surface. But then... we only hold them for a little while before they're shipped elsewhere.

 

[joel_ang]

Im guessing they're all caught from the wild? I just hope where ever they're being shipped to can keep them well

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

Another question: How would you catch/find one at 100-300 meters deep?

 

[joel_ang]

Ask the NRCC! I think you could use nets or trawlers.

 

[dragonfish]

nautilus lives that deep during the day

apparently they come closer to the surface at night. makes them easier to catch.

if I'm not mistaking they also feed at night, close to the surface.

a lot of cephs seem to have this "migration"habit. even octo's like o. dofleini.

I didn't know of nautilus getting deformed shells in captivity. maybe this is because in captivity they spend their entire life under the same pressure?

PS1 Info I got is from Nat. geo., I'm not a ceph expert like
PS2 a late but happy valentine to y'all