Ray's 125G Cuttle Rearing System

[BAYMAC]

Vendor( s )... we use multiple, and trust me, there may be a shipping issue at that time. They are not something you can count on being available 100% of the time.

 

[magnetar68]

I don't mean to get into a tit-for-tat because end of the day, you are right in that there is no guarantee in any of this; but in this case, Kathy has tried to make specific arrangements with a specific vendor. That is the best I can do. My understanding is that these mysids don't last so ordering more up-front does not improve things. I just need to find windows close enough to the demand cycles so that i have some on hand. My hope is to get them eating frozen that I can always supplement when live food is not available.

 

[lattehiatus]

RM's mysids are saltwater mysids? I wonder if you might be able to find and use some small live shrimp (either FW or SW) from a bait shop to stretch out the mysids a little.

Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your progress!

 

[magnetar68]

RM's mysids are saltwater mysids? I wonder if you might be able to find and use some small live shrimp (either FW or SW) from a bait shop to stretch out the mysids a little.

Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your progress!

Thanks.

Technically, they are a brackish Mysid, but they ship them at 25ppt salinity and will survive in up to 40ppt. Given the smaller size of the Cuttle hatchlings, I have ever not seen anything that is a good substitute at either the lfs or the bait shop. I did shake out a bunch of amphipods from my chaeto, but not sure they are good enough hunters to eat them yet. When the cuttles get a little bigger, ghost shrimp will work and I plan to to order Palaemonetes Vulgaris from http://www.livebrineshrimp.com/ShrimpJanitor.htm.

 

[BAYMAC]

I don't mean to get into a tit-for-tat because end of the day, you are right in that there is no guarantee in any of this; but in this case, Kathy has tried to make specific arrangements with a specific vendor. That is the best I can do. My understanding is that these mysids don't last so ordering more up-front does not improve things. I just need to find windows close enough to the demand cycles so that i have some on hand. My hope is to get them eating frozen that I can always supplement when live food is not available.

Sorry, I apologize. I was just trying to help you, nothing more.

They will last as well as your system is geared to help them last. Setting up the "mysid generator" isn't hard or expensive, just time consuming. Plans are on the internet.

 

[magnetar68]

Sorry, I apologize. I was just trying to help you, nothing more.

They will last as well as your system is geared to help them last. Setting up the "mysid generator" isn't hard or expensive, just time consuming. Plans are on the internet.

Actually, I am the one who should apologize. I did not mean to come off so defensive. I am fighting a cold and all of the meds have me pretty loopy. I realize you are trying to help out. I have seen plans for mysid systems (seahorse.org and advanced aquarist) but they seem somewhat involved. And time is thing I have the least of.

 

[magnetar68]

2 Week Hatchlings Eating

Some video (not very good as this was a rush job) of the little guys eating this morning:

[youtube]Yiwpm1jZcdY[/youtube]

 

[GDawson]

RM's mysids are saltwater mysids? I wonder if you might be able to find and use some small live shrimp (either FW or SW) from a bait shop to stretch out the mysids a little.

Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your progress!

I think size would be an issue as well as the possibility of contamination/disease from unhealthy stock from uncertain sources.

-Gregory

 

[gimmito]

Cool video Ray !

 

[aqua-nut]

Great video. Now all you need is 'super slow mo'! For a slow motion creature they sure are fast.

 

[magnetar68]

Great video. Now all you need is 'super slow mo'! For a slow motion creature they sure are fast.

Just for you John, super slow mode! The successful capture documented here goes from the fully extended feeder tentacles to in his mouth in one frame, so I need a true slow mo camera to really capture this.

[youtube]IkAOLuy08W8[/youtube]

 

[gimmito]

...even better in slow mo.

 

[aqua-nut]

Nice job, Ray. Most US video is at aprox. 30 frames per second so the feeding 'event' is less than 1/30th of a second!

Perhaps 'Mythbusters' could lend you one of their 1000fps cameras?

 

[Kensington Reefer]

Well done Ray!

 

[magnetar68]

New Year's Day Update

I am trying to find an easy way to train the cuttles on frozen PE mysids. The cuttles may still be too small relative to the PE mysids, but I have seen a couple of them eat a PE mysid. Richard Ross talks about a higher flow solution to this in this article, so I built this critter keep solution and moved all 8 cuttles from the breeder to this container:

I also have a video update here:

[youtube]6p1nO8jmbzg[/youtube]

 

[JAR]

fun stuff!

 

[Kmooresf]

Congrats Ray, your project seems to be a great success. Enjoying your updates.

 

[BAYMAC]

Sorry, I apologize. I was just trying to help you, nothing more.

They will last as well as your system is geared to help them last. Setting up the "mysid generator" isn't hard or expensive, just time consuming. Plans are on the internet.

Actually, I am the one who should apologize. I did not mean to come off so defensive. I am fighting a cold and all of the meds have me pretty loopy. I realize you are trying to help out. I have seen plans for mysid systems (seahorse.org and advanced aquarist) but they seem somewhat involved. And time is thing I have the least of.

and I am fighting dental pain and pain meds :lol:

I was more thinking along the lines of the MBL Mysid Generator.

FWIW yuo can source grass shrimp locally at bait stores for when you need larger shrimp, if you want to go the live route... Rich's shrimp on a stick mobile works damn good though

 

[magnetar68]

BTW, I was unable to find the MBL Mysid Generator. They seem to have taken down the link.

 

[Thales]

Nice. I might suggest two things. Clip the acrylic rod onto the critter keeper so you can remove it (makes cleaning easier). Cut a hole with a dremmel in the critter and super glue or hot glue some micron mesh (heck 1mm window screen should work too) for the water to exit. IME the little hole approach clogs quickly.
Also, feel thawed mysid along with live and feed them exactly the same way so the cuttles become conditioned. I also tap on the tank 3 times everytime before I feed anything. Makes weaning easier.

I think I put a diagram of a mysid system up at MBI, but I can't find it.