Feeding questions and more

[jjensen6823]

Okay, I am taking one more try at Octo keeping. About two years ago (I think) I bought a baby captive bred Bimac from FFExpress. Little guy seemed to do well for about 2 months. I fed him 1-2 large krill ever day or every other day, with occasional supplements of live snails or ghost shrimp. After about two months in my 42 hex, he developed a white spot in the middle of his mantle, between his eyes. Not fungus or anything else ON the skin, but in it. He stopped eating, the spot grew, the skin began to peel back and he died.

About six months later, last April, I saw a large (mantle was lemon sized) adult bimac in a LFS. I felt so sorry for him (or her). He was in a 55 gallon with no rocks or cover whatsoever, just balled up on the back wall. I asked the shop owner, and he said he'd had it about two months, and that it was full grown when he got it. It was also missing one tentacle. So I figured he was wild caught, and that he probably wouldn't last that long, but I wanted to give him a good home. So I bought him. He did well in my 42 gallon hex for about 2 1/2 months. Then he quit eating and died a day or so later. I was feeding him mostly the small cocktail shrimp from the grocery store, with (very) occasional live supplements. He would eat nearly a whole shrimp every other day. If I fed him every day, he would eat just a small portion and throw the rest out on the gravel. So I figured once shrimp every other day must be enough.

The tank was an Oceanic 42 hex, with an undergravel w/2x302 powerheads, several inches of crushed coral, some baserock, a few pieces of liverock, and a whisper 1 backfilter to help clean up the messy feeding leftovers. Water was 1.022, 76 f, no ammonia (except once right after a large feeding), no nitrite. low nitrate (less than 20 ppm), pH 8.2.

Now, can anyone help me understand what I was doing wrong? Heaven forbid, was I underfeeding my octos and starved them to death? I know how messy they can be when they eat, and I didn't want to pollute the tank and kill them that way, but did I go to far the other extreme?

I want to know because my LFS just got in another "Captive bred" baby bimac, and I brought him home. He's going to need to go in a 20 gallon for a few weeks until I can get my koi back outside, then I will move him to a 55 gallon (by himself, obviously). Any suggestions are welcome (try to be gentle when you tell me I am an idiot).

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Crevalle]

1.022 SG seems too low (weaker than seawater). I'd bump it up to 1.025.

And how did you keep nitrates so low without a skimmer? Did you change half the water every other day? Either way, I'd get a skimmer to coexist with your mechanical filter.

I'd try to lower the temp a litte IF you want to prolong its lifespan. Perhaps you have no way of doing this. I have no heater, and I'm struggling to get mine down below 76 degrees.

 

[jjensen6823]

I'm also running no heater, and have the tank in a cooler corner of the house. Best I can do without buying a chiller. I'll gradually increase the salinity.

As for the nitrates, no need to get defensive. I guess that a 3 inch octo in a 42 gallon tank doesn't pollute it that badly. I only changed the water about every six weeks, but I did scoop out his leftovers after he was done with a brine net.

My main question still remains? How much food does an octo need? Is one large (1"+) krill every day enough for a baby bimac? How much does an adult eat? Is one small cocktail shrimp (3") every other day sufficient? I don't want to underfeed! But I don't want to overfeed, either!

 

[cirri]

I feed my bimac little clams, blue legs crabs, ghost shrimp, scallops, or fresh shrimp - the cocktail variety is not cooked is it?

An octo is a messy and veracious eater. If you go the every other day route you definitely keep there going (sort of) in check.

Every other day I would try about 2-4 clams, or 3 blue legs. Do try and change the variety of an octo.

Now onto your tank. Please say there is no copper used EVER in this system.

Also crushed coral may cut an octo's flesh. Fine sand is best and as hard as it is to be if you have reef tanks, only 1" is necessary!

Hope all this helps!

And keep in mind if you are up to the task and it is virtually impssible to overfeed an octo. As your other one was throuwing out what it didn't want.

Another quick point I can always tell my octo is hungry because he starts to dig in the sand. Looking for clams!

 

[gwrulzmylife]

I'd skip the "dead" food, you can get really cheap clams, shrimp, and especially crabs on-line. Just get a small 10 gallon tank, add 10-15lbs of sand (if going clams), and a cheap filter to the tank (if you go no sand you can go sponge filter). Then buy $50 of food bulk (I like crabs from www.premiumaquatics.com or www.aquaculturestore.com ) this will last about 1-2 months feeding every other day, or 1 month feeding everyday like I do. I feed 1-2 crabs depending on size every other day, and then on the off days I feed 2-4 clams. In the tank are always "ghost" shrimp that I got from aquaculture, they're just large common shore shrimp. I usually add 5-10 to the tank once a week. They're hard for the octo to catch, but he does chase them around when bored, and catches them when he corners them. The shrimp feed on the macro algae in the tank, plus a (very!) small pinch of flake food every 3rd day.
Don't forget to feed your crabs and clams! I "feed" my clams green water which is simple to grow, and the crabs eat a pinch of pellets daily. This has been my feeding route since I got Squidward, and he's very friendly (ie: no coward, lol). Although I hear alot of octo owners have great luck with "dead" food, I like the idea that I'm reproducing a "natural" (ha, if only!) environment, which needs to include live food IMO.
Well, that's my 2 cents, but really listen to those who've kept them longer than I (~4 months).
Cheers!

 

[cirri]

It is great you are rearing your octo on a "natural" diet. But keep in mind the will scavage the bottoms of the depths as well. And are quite the opportunist.

How long do your ghost shrimp last in full strentgh seawater, or are they fully acclimated at purchase?