Bad Time of Year to Buy a Bimaculoides ???

[Rinaldi]

Last year in March I bought two Bimaculoides. One died after about a week, but it had arrived with a few legs missing and I think was already sick. The other one lived about three weeks and then died and I have no real explanation. I thought someone said that was a bad time of year to buy one due to their natural life cycles.

I am wanting to try again, but its around that time of year yet again. Any thoughts? What is the best time of year to proceed?

 

[Rinaldi]

Looks like the "What Month" thread below may already answer this question. Any other thoughts?

 

[cephalopoder]

The last bimaculoides I orded was last january. It lived for nine months and died in september. Ask for a small octo because they will be younger and live longer.If they don't have a small one ask for them to find you one and wait till they do. Its strange you had two that died so quickly. What did you use for water? RO/DI?, salt brand? what were your other parameters? tank cycled?

 

[Rinaldi]

Thanks - I appreciate any ideas. I'm excited to try again, but want to do it right.

Tank is 75g with 30g sump and lots of live rock.
Cycled at least 6-8 months.
I used only RO/DI water
Instant Ocean Salt.
Turboflotor skimmer in the sump

I've just been sitting here thinking about a few other problems that may have contributed:

1. Tank was covered tight with plexiglass. Maybe some oxygen depletion problems? The sump was open and there was a skimmer, but the Tank itself was covered tight. I might try an open tank next time and take the risk of escape. Now I have a Mag 1200 with great flow, but previously had a weak Rio 2100 with very little flow.

2. Plexi covered tank with 40w lights directly on top made it have a high temperature (78-80), and it was hard to keep it lower. This always bothered me, but I doubt caused such a quick death.

3. Not sure what my PH was - I should've kept on top of it.

None of these seem to me to be sure fire death scenarios, but who knows. The second Octo ate crayfish and goldfish for the first two weeks and then hid for about a week and died.

Ralph

 

[cephalopoder]

If your keeping a bimac, they are not prone to escape.So you can get a way with out a cover if you know its a bimac. Feeding gold fish is very bad, so that could be a problem righ there. They don't have the correct nutritional value and if the store you got them from treats them with copper...bye bye octo. 80 degress is way to hot for a bimac and they need lots of air!!
I think if you make a few changes, you will have much better luck. Salinity should be 1.025 as well.

 

[Rinaldi]

Thanks Cephalopoder - Stay with me on this one - we may be on to something.

I currently have MH (175w) over the Tank, but no Plexi and its much easier to keep cool. For kicks I dropped the themostat back a bit and even with MH (and fans) its running right now at a consistent 75 degrees. Next time I might use an egg-crate top and remove the MH. Tank is in the basement and we keep the house cool so I might even be able to drop the temperature lower. I am thinking it was an oxygen depletion / overheat problem because the tank was really buttoned up with relatively low flow from the sump and with a high temperature.

I am guessing that at that time salinity was 1.027-1.029, which is where I keep the reef tank and which may be on the higher side.

He only ever ate a couple goldfish and only because I wanted to be sure he got a meal.

Thanks - Ralph