Cuttlefish in a reef tank?

[EnFuego]

I've heard that they can do fine in a reef tank, as long as their isn't any aggressive corals. I am setting up a SPS dominated tank and was wondering if the 250 watt MH (20" deep tank) will be too much for the cuttle to take? I know they can be messy eaters, etc, but I plan on an oversized skimmer to help with that. Also, is a lot of flow going to be bad for a cuttlefish (like 40x turnover through an OM on a closed loop and a spray bar for my sump return)? I am looking at trying to find a bandensis, but dont want to add it to the tank if the flow/lighting will be bad for it.

Thanks for the help,
Mark

[daytona955]

I have heard of halides bliinding them. I have no first hand experience, but I would just have 2 tanks, lol. Set up a 55 for the cuttle and the other one have a normal reef.

[EnFuego]

I just found this last night from a ceph website from the UK (http://www.cephsuk.co.uk/How_to_keep.htm):

"
Let there be light!

Lighting a cephalopod tank could be as simple as using a single fluorescent tube, to strong metal halide lighting. It depends on a number of things.

Firstly, you may wish to keep corals in the aquarium, which require high lighting, therefore maybe metal halide lighting would be most suitable. Alternatively, you may want to keep nothing more than your cuttle or octo in the tank, and then the single tube route may be best for you.

Whatever you choose, try to compliment your ceph. You may wish to keep a nocturnal octopus, which would shy away from brighter lighting. Or you may be keeping the tropical Sepia Bandensis which lives on the reef and therefore would feel no different.

Remember light your cephalopod first, then your tank.
"

This is the only thing so far that I've read and it seems like a bandensis would be okay in MH lighting, but I would like to hear more evidence either way, so keep it coming.

[daytona955]

Very cool!

[blackangler]

I kept a bandensis under a 175 mh and he was fine. i currently keep 6 babys under a 96 watt quad and havent observed any signs of blindness. go to www.tonmo.com and search for effects of mh on cephs and that should help. ohh do you have a sandy bottom on the tank, also 40x may be a little much

[Energy]

I had a sephia officanilis (common European Cuttlefish)go blind from 400 watt halides.

[blackangler]

how old was it when it went blind, because one of the symptomes of senessence is blindness. when it went blind did its eyes turn white and milky

[EnFuego]

i plan on a 1" or so sand bed in the tank. I have an oceans motions squirt for a closed loop on the tank, and will also have a spray bar for the return from the sump.

[blackangler]

that should be ok, in theory, but if it gets too much you would have to turn it down.

[Energy]

It was relatively young and it was not from old age. The lights did it.

[blackangler]

I am not nearly as familiar with officialis ans i am with bandensis so i cant comment on why that happend, but as enfuego is looking for a bandensis, and i myself as well as a few others who have kept bandensis under mh lighting have reported no adverse affects, i see no proublem in enfuego keeping bandensis under his current lighting.

[EnFuego]

thanks blackangler. Its good to hear more experiences with bandensis under MH lighting. I have been considering trying a bimac in a reef tank (hence the other thread) but I think its better if I leave the octo for another tank at another time. Hopefully when it actually comes time to add one to the tank I will be able to find some eggs.

Thanks again for the help.