Squid Care?

[Diablo Rojo]

I've been looking up squid care, and can't find many reliable resources on it. I've heard it is a very difficult thing. Why? What are some specific needs that squid have? Do any of you have experience in keeping squid? Thanks!

 

[KWAquaculture]

i have tried a few juvinile squid in a large 4000L tank and they jsut stress out hit the sides and end up on the bottom in a panic within mins ( and end up live food for fish and our cuttle mins later :P )

a main reason i see for them being so hard to keep is they are stupid (when compared to other cephs )

my understanding of Ceph intelagence is Occo = smartest, Cuttle = about mid way with a leaning towards occo intelagence , squid = stupid / startle easily/ and generaly just constantly freak out

squid seem to run on instinct where as the others have an intelagence to be able to deal with a new forien environment

i often used to call our cuttle a 'stupid squid' when he was being a fool :P

also squid are pleagic meaning they need large areas to be able to swim about where as a cuttle is more manoveral and wont hit the sides of the tank when moving about

i could be wrong but i see these as the reasons why squid dont make good pets

hope this helps

 

[KWAquaculture]

just had a side thought

ceph choice and tank set up seem somewhat different to fish

a stupid fish will be happy swimming round a tank quite happily
where as
wiht the more inteligent fish often need "dither fish" in the tank before they will feel more secure

this is cos many intelegent species of fish although on the look out for predators will watch the dumber species (which often school) for an indication of a threat aproching

if there are no schooling fish swimming around happily then the intellighent species will often hid assuming that there is a threat about

this is mainly relivent for freshwater cichlid species that often require dither species to feel at home and come out

bit of extra food for thought

 

[Diablo Rojo]

Thanks.

 

[Jean]

Squid don't do well in square tanks (must be circular) It seems to damage their statolith/statocyst system, so not stupid it's a physiological problem somewhat akin to a human with an inner ear problem (only ours isn't usually fatal!), they also eat WAY more than octopus, so it's really hard to keep them fed.

J

 

[watsontony]

What is the minimum tank size requirements for a squid. Circular 1000G?

 

[Jean]

Steve would be able to answer that, with his Sepioteuthis work. But certainly BIG and as you say circular. It also seems to depend a bit on the squid family, there has generally been more success with keeping loliginids than ommastrephids.

 

[Tintenfisch]

... And Steve's away at a whale stranding in Stewart Island until the end of the week, but perhaps he can help then.