Sepia oficinalis questions

[debbie]

Hi would a 180 gallon tank be ok for 3 oficinalis. They are under 3 inches now. Would 73-74 degrees be ok? Do they need a deep sandbed? I know they need live food when they are young and they eat alot. Any input would appreciated. Thanks

 

[Tomh]

I am also interested in this. No responses?

 

[DWhatley]

Looking at my tall, pent 140 and mentally turning it on its side, I would estimate a 180 is really too small for even one adult officinalis They will grow to about 1.5 feet in length and will have a better chance of survival in a cylindrical tank (to help not jetting into the sides, a common problem that is often fatal). We don't typically see officinalis in the US though. Hopefully I @perke will be able to be helpful on tank sizing.

 

[perke]

Thanks D for the nod, 180 gallon is a bit too small for 3 cuttlefish, mostly it comes down to dimensions of the tank too as if they don't have enough space you will find cuttlebone fractures and infection. As for the other questions 73-74 degrees is too warm for them as you will go through huge amounts of food at this temperature plus they will mature faster. I would normally keep them around 62 which is the median sort of temperature for these guys around my coastline. As for a sandbed, yes you will need one but unless you are planning on syphoning on a daily basis then I would recommend not making it too deep otherwise again you can get bacterial infections going on. They are a lot of work and grow rather large, If you have not kept cuttlefish before then I would not suggest this species as a starting species.

 

[debbie]

thanks

 

[perke]

No worries, if you have any more questions please do not hesitate to ask, I've been working with these guys for years so have had lots of good and bad experiences.