Cuttlefish Tank Build/now seahorses!

[ErikH]

Ace sent me a PM and rejuvenated my dreams of a cephalopod tank. I was going to buy Richard's 5' tank and use it for an octo, but the little lady pulled rank on me and said no. Dreams were crushed. Hopes were shattered. Then, like a beam of light from the heavens, I got a PM from Ace. He told me that he was contemplating cuttles. For whatever reason, once the octo tank was squashed, I completely blanked on cuttlefish. Well, now I have already set plans into motion to get my "cool" tank up and running. :shades: Any and all questions, concerns, comments, and suggestions should be posted here for the entire world to view, so please don't pm me with questions :)

This habitat is for: Sepia Bandesis (cuttlefish)
Tank: 24x24x18 (almost 50g) Drilled 2xs Calfo Overflow, back done in limo tint.
Skimmer: CPR Bak Pak, will do the airstone mod, if not the MJ
Lighting:I NEED LIGHTING SOMEONE HAS TO HAVE SOMETHING EXPENSIVE?
Sump: Undecided as of yet, but I have 23X23X26 to work with underneath and I have to fit the Bak Pak in there which it's dimensions are 7.5" x 3.2" x 17.25", any help on designs would be great here.
ATO: It needs to be included, and it all has to fit in the stand. I may make the reservoir and sump custom to accomodate the small space, again, ideas appreciated.
Live Sand: Not sure how much will go in the display, but I want something COOL, any ideas?
Live Rock: I am going to be using some of the rock that Patrick (ou812pezz) made which already has some zoas on it.

Timeline: I plan on purchasing the tank and equipment all around the weekend of the 19th.

[BA]

i kept a cuttlefish for about a year, it was one of the best fish i have evr kept. VERY smart and inquisitive, your gonna really enjoy keeping one

[bozack]

Very cool, I would love to have a cuttlefish but always thought they were similiar to octo upkeep.

Keep this thread updated!

[hobogato]

:shades: looking forward to getting a cuttle (or some) to put in the clam tank. gonna be sweeet erik :D

[RayAllen]

looking forward to the build! For the lighting why not go a little modern and do a cool Bell Pendant, that will eliminate the need for a canopy. I have always thought cubes and cylinders were modern compared to standard tanks so why not go with it; not to mention its for cephs which is far from ordinary. A sleek modern stand would set it off.

[sly fox]

cuttlefish are very cool.. in the uk you can catch them yourself... mabehave a patch of darker rock, and a patch of lighter rock with a different colour sand to encourage colour change in different areas or maybe some red macro in there... i assume bandesis chnages colour that is...

[ErikH]

i kept a cuttlefish for about a year, it was one of the best fish i have evr kept. VERY smart and inquisitive, your gonna really enjoy keeping one

I REALLY can't wait! I know Ace is chompin' at the bit too!



Very cool, I would love to have a cuttlefish but always thought they were similiar to octo upkeep.

Keep this thread updated!

Similar, except the won't try to escape the tank at a moment's notice. :) Planning is the most crucial aspect with planning a tank, and octoproofing a tank is probably the biggest pain. Trying to get them to eat varied frozen foods will prove to be the hard part I imagine.


:shades: looking forward to getting a cuttle (or some) to put in the clam tank. gonna be sweeet erik :D :bigsmile: Right there with you!


looking forward to the build! For the lighting why not go a little modern and do a cool Bell Pendant, that will eliminate the need for a canopy. I have always thought cubes and cylinders were modern compared to standard tanks so why not go with it; not to mention its for cephs which is far from ordinary. A sleek modern stand would set it off. I REALLY like that bell pendant, and it's black (referring to the one in the F/S/T section) but I live in an apartment. How are they hung? Is that feasible?


cuttlefish are very cool.. in the uk you can catch them yourself... mabehave a patch of darker rock, and a patch of lighter rock with a different colour sand to encourage colour change in different areas or maybe some red macro in there... i assume bandesis chnages colour that is...

They do biolumenesce! Yeah the ones in the UK are different than the Sepia Bandesis. It's hard to find any other species in the states, also we will be buying captive bred. I do like the idea of alot of color contrast to encourage the change of color, noted, thanks! :)

[SABOB]

Read a thread on ReefCentral last night about a Cuttle tank.Check it out under cephlapods heading.Mentioned a site tomno.com or something that sounds like alot of ceph info.Good luck,can't wait to see pictures!!!!!!

[ErikH]

Read a thread on ReefCentral last night about a Cuttle tank.Check it out under cephlapods heading.Mentioned a site tomno.com or something that sounds like alot of ceph info.Good luck,can't wait to see pictures!!!!!!

I will look up that thread! TONMO is the best site for any ceph related information, I am on there under my normal name, erikharrison. Here's one of the members sites:
http://www.stickycricket.com/cuttle/index.html
He has some sweet videos!

[RayAllen]

You could do it this way Erik. Very simple use conduit to hide the cord and use a Eye hook screwed into a ceiling stud. This way you are not making any mods to your apartment. I quickly drew a pic for an example.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b108/frogguy1/bellpendant.jpg

[RayAllen]

You can conduit at any hardware store and its great for when you want to mount a light on a wall or celing without doing any actual electrical work.

[ErikH]

I had thought about it and what I think is that they other fixture has a set of t5s, and these bells don't. That's what makes it harder. :) I may just run the airline hangars.. I like the red painting, that looks soooo IKEA! You are WAY too good with mspaint.exe :p

[SABOB]

The thread on ReefCentral is actually under Reef Discussions last post was 3-31-08.It is entitled "My 150 Cuttle Farm Army Reef" by Paradox009,has alot of good info.

[RayAllen]

Ive gotten pretty good at paint, LOL. I like the airline hangar idea.

[ErikH]

The thread on ReefCentral is actually under Reef Discussions last post was 3-31-08.It is entitled "My 150 Cuttle Farm Army Reef" by Paradox009,has alot of good info.

Ha, yep that's Paradox from Tonmo. He has a beautiful setup! I found the link: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1245638

Master craftsmen!


Ive gotten pretty good at paint, LOL. I like the airline hangar idea.

I hope they are long enough, vaulted ceilings... :)

[RayAllen]

Heres a really cool read on them from "The Octopus News Magazine Online" You may have already seen this Erik but theres lots of cool info

http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/cuttlefishcare.php

&

http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/cuttlefish.php

[ErikH]

Note To Self: Feeding so far has been like this.

0-1 months Marine mysids. 2-3 times/day. The larger they get, the more they will eat. Ordered from http://www.aquaculturestore.com/swinverts.html (http://www.aquaculturestore.com/swinverts.html)

1 month I feed salt water shore shrimp 1-2x day (Palaemontes Vulgaris) ordered live from http://www.mariculturetechnology.com/Foods.htm (http://www.mariculturetechnology.com/Foods.htm)
These will be large for the cuttles, but if you time the seasons right, these shrimps will come in smaller sizes which are easily taken by the cuttlefish. In 2 weeks of eating these shrimp, they will grow dramatically and will be able to eat any sized shore shrimp.

2 months I started the shore shrimp 1x day.

[ErikH]

Thanks for posting those links Ray. I am looking forward to being a local cuttle guy and hopefully either myself or Ace will have some successful hatchlings. The expensive part is feeding, but like everything, it can be worked out, but that usually involves alot of money, haha.

[apedroza]

We visited the cuttlefish lab at MD anderson in galveston when I was teaching mairne biolab at TSU. They are awesome fish and their camoflage abilities are very cool. Good luck!!

[SABOB]

You better take lots of pics during the build of the tank/equipment and the cuttles when you get them.They are amazing creatures,I saw some snorkeling in St Thomas and kept returning to where I saw them to check them out over and over.

[ErikH]

I plan on making this pic intensive, I can already see the pictures that I am going to take in my head. I am actually planning that out as well, ha. Yes, I think too much. :)

[sharkboy]

looking forward to your success...can't wait for pics

[ianmoede]

Heh all this and you don't even have my (your future) tank yet. Still trying to make its way out to the garage. Instead i got my wife to give me a haircut tonight. White trash royalty.

[BA]

your gonna love seeing them eat, i kept an octo for a while and once in a while would feed it a live crayfish, and he would DESTROY him it looked really cool, make sure to put some really cool colors in your tank because my cuttle would always hover over things and change to their color, it looked really cool, or when i feed him he would get redish

[ErikH]

Ace ordered his! :D He is getting a male and female! Both he and I are going to make an attempt at raising them, but that's a step... well maybe not so much for Ace!

[ErikH]

Heh all this and you don't even have my (your future) tank yet. Still trying to make its way out to the garage. Instead i got my wife to give me a haircut tonight. White trash royalty.

LOL I have to do my own!

[semperfimarine1]

what kind of necessities would these guys need? what would work with them as far as tank mates? size of tank. everything of that nature

[mathias]

pictures.... priceless....

[ErikH]

what kind of necessities would these guys need? what would work with them as far as tank mates? size of tank. everything of that nature

A tank of about 50 gallons will house a pair of bandesis. A single Cuttle could go in a 29 gallon. Here's a bunch of fragments:
You need a skimmer in case they ink.
Lifespan, about a year.
They do not jump, or try to escape.
Shallow sanbed as they do like to dig around in it.
No stinging corals as they have sensitive skin.
The primary portion of their diet is live food, which is why Ace and I are buying the ones trained to eat frozen shore shrimp.
Tank temps for S. Bandesis is the same as a reef tank.
They do not need bright lighting.
They freaking change colors as they please :p TOO COOL!
Oh, tankmates, none are advised.



pictures.... priceless....

All in due time my friend, all in due time. :bigsmile:

[Bill S]

Wow, guys. The ONLY negative I can see here is the insanely short lifespan (just over year - which means less than a year if you buy 3 month old ones).

[D_and_A_Custom]

Am i sick or what! I have been planning a mantis shrimp tank.But after seing this guy.Im thinking about a batling tank.I think ill start with my mantis and each month ill look for something to take it out and film the action.

Who do you think would win.

[ErikH]

Am i sick or what! I have been planning a mantis shrimp tank.But after seing this guy.Im thinking about a batling tank.I think ill start with my mantis and each month ill look for something to take it out and film the action.

Who do you think would win.

We try and keep them alive, not drive them to extinction, lol.

[D_and_A_Custom]

We try and keep them alive, not drive them to extinction, lol.


I did say i was sick. LOL:ph34r:

[ErikH]

Wow, guys. The ONLY negative I can see here is the insanely short lifespan (just over year - which means less than a year if you buy 3 month old ones).


It is short, but buying them after they are eating frozen food saves money headache and heartache. At least for the first go round I NEED them to be eating frozen. Has anyone kept large shrimp in a tank alive for a period of time? I am curious to know how hard that would be due to bioload.... Either that or I would need to ship them in and hold them for as long as possible. It will be expensive to feed them!

[crossxfire2]

I cannot wait!

[ErikH]

I cannot wait!


Me either! I think Ace gets his cuttles today, I am anxious for him to get them so I can vicariously live through pictures!

Update: Waiting to hear back on lights, and the ATO, everything else is scheduled for pickup around the 19th in Austin.

So far I have accounted for the tank, stand, calfo w/drilling, return pump, and skimmer. All this for around 350, so I am on budget.

[crabman]

man i'm excited for you! thats gonna be such a cool tank!

[ErikH]

Well today I wanted to run by AD and see my main man Brad since it's been awhile. I was there and noticed something... They sell Buckeye branded RO/DI units! Since I have always used tap, I wanted to be able to have a better buffer for avoiding mishaps, so I bought one. It was very easy to hook up, and the only part I needed they had in stock. It was a double whammy for supporting sponsors, lol. This saturday Tab and I are going to go to ATX to pick up the cuttle tank, the return, and the skimmer. It's alot of running around, but I have kept my eyes peeled on the forums for items needed for the build. The only thing I am missing is lighting and a sump. Next month is the controller buy for the other tank and it looks like the winner is going to be an Aquacontroller 3 pro if everything works out alright. Waiting is such a pain, but in the long run it will all be worthwhile! :)

[ErikH]

Ok so I got around to taking a pic or two... ok two. (Notice the cat 5 cable cleverly hidden. That's what happens when IT guys live in apartments)
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/DSC_0201.jpg

Here's with a full sized mama kitty from above
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/DSC_0196.jpg

Excuse the rockband equipment. :ph34r: More to come, but it's going a little slower than anticipated. I'm getting my grill all blinged out! :D I have one REALLY white tooth for now, haha.

[ianmoede]

Cleaned it up all purdy like! Look forward to seeing your progress photographically.

[ErikH]

Yeah, lots of scrapin, but it came out great! Thanks again for the tank, I absolutely love it. :)

[subsailor]

you should get something like this to go in.........

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080429/ap_on_sc/new_zealand_colossal_squid

[ErikH]

Yeah, the requirements for a Humboldt squid are:
1.) tank size = THE OCEAN
2.) Skimmer = THE OCEAN
3.) Lighting = Subdued, but powered by THE SUN
4.) Live rock = 99 Grabbajillion pounds
5.) Live sand = 99 Grabbatrillijon pounds
6.) Flow = THE OCEAN

Something tells me I can do this easily, the only problem I forsee is the tidal changes, maybe I can figure out an algorithym to harness the power of the moon so I can simulate the Gulf of CA. :p

[subsailor]

hmmm sounds like you have some planning to do. better get started now. I wonder how you are going to accomplish a water change?:wink_smile:

[ErikH]

Easy, I'll just probe the universe for planets made of salt and frozen planets. Melt and mix, easy enough right?

[subsailor]

sweet sound like you got it all planed out. found a mountain full of cash and super secret goverment space shuttles with attached trailers to carry planets yet? Wow this is getting out of hand...lol gives me something to do at work....

[ErikH]

what is this "work" you speak of? :) Bears and Stearns isn't really getting the money, I am. It's not going to be missed, I promise. ROFL

[Kristy]

The only thing I am missing is lighting and a sump.

Hey Erik,
Figure out what you are going to do for lighting yet? If not, I might have an idea... pm me for details.

Hmmm... maybe never mind. It appears to be no longer available! Wouldn't you know?

[ErikH]

Yeah, I had my heart set on that Maristar but Art beat me to the chase. Lucky guy :) I am still working on getting all the "right" stuff, I really don't want to rush this...

[RayAllen]

BigKGlen has some really cool modern looking 250w pendants hanging above his tank. I think a bell pendant would look awesome over the cube. I might have said this a few weeks ago, lol.

[ErikH]

BigKGlen has some really cool modern looking 250w pendants hanging above his tank. I think a bell pendant would look awesome over the cube. I might have said this a few weeks ago, lol.

You find me one used, and I am all over it! :p :D

[ErikH]

Ok so here is an update.... FINALLY

I have redone my equipment list and plans for the better.
48g with 2x2" holes for a calfo style overflow with backwards bulkheads so I can redo them at any time.
Painted black background. (couldn't find dark limo tint)
Painted black PVC (makes the pvc look like weapons of death)
EuroReef RS-80 (couldn't pass up)
Mag7 return
For the sump idea, I am going to have a small sump with a very large fuge, The sump is just going to be able to fit the skimmer and one of the two 2" from the display. This should leave just a bit of room for an ATO setup, but I am still in debate with myself about the sump. Same debacle as my 75, I can never make up my mind.

So yeah, lighting is still an issue, but I think I am going to purchase some T5s off the interwebs, we will see. Unless someone has some cool 24" lighting.... I don't think I can wire the pendants, I am shockingly a klutz.

I will post pics at a later date to show it off. I imagine that if cuttles don't do it for me that I can swap it over to an SPS dominant tank. Either way, this tank is going to be good! :)

[RayAllen]

Very cool Cube. I got to see it in person and empty it looks cool so with live stock especially cuttles its going to be a sweet tank.

[BioCube14]

sweet tank!!

[ErikH]

Ok so I said fah gedda bout it and took a bit of a plunge today. I bought a dual T5 strip, 45 lbs of Fiji Pink and a 29 gallon to be sumped by Jeremy @ B&B. The 29 will have to jutt out the back of my stand as it does on the 75, but with 2 2" drains and an RS-80 in there, I need all the room I can get. As soon as the sump is complete, water is going in! I have three large pieces of rock that I will be moving out of the 75's display to complete the tank. The sand was dry, so I don't expect a cycle. If there is one, it won't last long :ph34r:

[ErikH]

It's done. :) I will post pics tomorrow.

[DrMark]

look forward to seeing them
mark

[cpreefguy]

Nice! Cant wait for the pics!

[labrown]

Congrats!

[ErikH]

Ok so here's the final rundown...
48g tank and stand (200.00)
2x24w T5s (60.00)
EuroReef RS-80 Skimmer (135.00)
29g Sump (70.00)
Mag 7 return (35.00)
45 lbs of Fiji Pink (45.00, i think)
60 lbs of LR (Free, from my 75)
Dual Calfo and plumbing (100.00 total)
Bulkheads (40.00)

Total= about 685.00


YEA!
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Cuttle%20Tank/DSC_0269.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Cuttle%20Tank/DSC_0265.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x315/erikharrison/Fish/Cuttle%20Tank/DSC_0274.jpg


The rocks have holes that go from the bottom to the top. I tried to creat ample floore space for the cuttles by balancing the middle rock above the sandbed.

[hobogato]

looks great erik, really like the rock work!

[ErikH]

looks great erik, really like the rock work!

I'm just happy to have some room again in my 75! :)
Thank you sir for the overflow! I'll see you soon enough :bigsmile:

[SoLiD]

Are you gonna throw some different colored macro algae in there for them to use as display camouflage? That would be Kewl...

[RayAllen]

Looks Great Erik, what are you using for lighting?

[ianmoede]

looks good man. glad it went to good use :)

[ErikH]

Are you gonna throw some different colored macro algae in there for them to use as display camouflage? That would be Kewl...

I need some, I think I am going to order from reef cleaners. I am going to look up appropriate macros and scope it all out.


Looks Great Erik, what are you using for lighting?

2x24, lol. I am probably going to purchase one of Kevin's setups, I just hope he has some regular bulbs and not just actinics! :)


looks good man. glad it went to good use :)

Thank you again, I love it!

[hobogato]

I need some, I think I am going to order from reef cleaners. I am going to look up appropriate macros and scope it all out.



i have a couple of types that you can have

[ErikH]

i have a couple of types that you can have


Muchos!

[ErikH]

Ok so now I have three really white teeth and the tank has taken a turn in another direction... I just swapped the mag 7 on the 48 with my mag 5 on my 75..... I caved and bought seahorses!!! I believe they are Kellogi which get very big, approx 1'. I am hoping that once they get larger that I can incorporate them into my 75, but we will see! :) I will take pics here in a little bit after the lights come on. Hopefully Tab can talk me through setting up the camera over the phone. :D

[Kristy]

I believe they are Kellogi which get very big, approx 1'.

Wow... I had no idea seahorses could get that big! Tell Tab to quit knocking out your teeth...

[BioCube14]

MAN that is a sweet tank! thats what i want to do but sps