Dwarf Cuddlefish

[mrcoffee2]

So I saw the dwarf cuddlefish in action for the first time at my friends house... He had 8 in a 240G tank...

I never wanted a fish/squid/whatever it is so bad in my life. The way they hunt their prey and how docile they are is just amazing.

I understand you have to run some kind of activated carbon? Does anyone know the requirements for these fish?

 

[EDM]

i want one now D: please find info on species

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I never wanted a fish/squid/whatever it is so bad in my life.

They're a cephalopod, molluscan class Cephalopoda, same as octopi and squid... very distant from fish.

The way they hunt their prey and how docile they are is just amazing.

:thumb:

I understand you have to run some kind of activated carbon?

You'll generally read that it's recommended to, due to their ability to ink. However, I have not ran carbon in my office aquarium (~70 gal) which contains eight Sepia bandensis. I do however run a very efficient protein skimmer which will also remove their ink. You should certainly run either/or at least, although make sure to change your carbon frequently (weekly at least) if you're relying solely on it. To my knowledge I've only had one inkcident, which was on day two after being added. They've settled in quite a bit after just a couple short months and are like puppy dogs begging for food.

Does anyone know the requirements for these fish?

Here's a great article by Rich Ross, the first person to close their life cycle in captivity. Also google "Sepia bandensis care" for more info.


I've been a coral nut for over a decade, with angelfish being right there with them in my "awesomeness" book... I never thought I would be happy with a reef without any angels, let alone any fish, however these animals have quickly proved me wrong. They're the most exciting animal I've worked with since I began my foray with corals.

However, do not purchase them on a whim, as an impulse buy (or anything in this hobby frankly, but these animals for sure). Do your research, be prepared.

One thing I was not overly prepared for was their ability to consume incredible amounts of food. They should be offered live foods until you can train them onto frozen, which for me hasn't happened yet although admittedly I'm busy as heck during the spring and summer with work and have less time available to condition animals. Live food is incredibly easy to net and toss into the aquarium a few times a day. Currently, it will cost roughly $2,700/year to feed my eight solely live food, so again... be prepared for that.

My cuttles are captive bred from ReefGen, whom I highly recommend purchasing through as they're incredibly hardy and will start to take live shrimps immediately. If you cannot find a source for them let me know and I'll point you in the right direction.

Here's one of my little guys being given a tour of my reef by the resident Mespilia globulus (Tuxedo Urchin).

 

[NanaReefer]

Cuttlefish?!!

 

[Naiad]

They are awesome just have such short lifespans ... I have looked into setting up a tank several times but resisted.

 

[EDM]

and highly intelligent

 

[mainereefer]

the only problem is if you plan to keep them you need to plan to breed them....
they only live around a year and reefgen sells small at around 4-6 months old for $99 a bit pricey if you ask me because they only are going to live 6-8 months...

imo-buy eggs they cost something like 10 for $30 and hatch them

video from a local reefer that used to keep them

www.youtube.com/watch?v=icobJmK4aQA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Izm1Ndo_I

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

the only problem is if you plan to keep them you need to plan to breed them....
they only live around a year and reefgen sells small at around 4-6 months old for $99 a bit pricey if you ask me because they only are going to live 6-8 months...

Although I tend to agree, breeding them and raising from eggs to juvis obviously incurs additional cost, especially regarding tiny live Mysids to feed the babies. You'll easily exceed $100 in food raising cuttles. The $100 retail price point is solid considering the time and effort put into raising them, and you can put them directly into an established reef

imo-buy eggs they cost something like 10 for $30 and hatch them

Many eggs sold aren't viable, and you'll need a separate tank/container to hold them along with live Mysids. Again, not disagreeing, just pointing out that there's really no savings going this route in the long run.

 

[Naiad]

Are these cuttlefish the only inhabitants of your reef corals aside? Do you house them with any other inverts or fish? I see the urchin in the pic which is awesome.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

Are these cuttlefish the only inhabitants of your reef corals aside? Do you house them with any other inverts or fish? I see the urchin in the pic which is awesome.

Yep, just them and the urchin

I don't want to risk adding fish - either cuttles will eat them or they'll eat/pick at cuttles. Just not worth it, IMO.

 

[airin]

Whats the smallest tank you could put a pair in? I have been thinking of setting up a dedicated tank in my office.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

My friend Randy recently moved his pair from a nanocube (of some kind) into his Cubic jellyfish tank. A larger nanocube would likely be fine for a pair long term.