I'm having trouble finding him
- Thread starter alligator
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Kevomac
New member
Mine spends most of his time in one of two places. My 120 has one large fake blue coral, a few small pieces of lr (about 5#) and some plastic plants with a bed of finely crushed aragonite. It is built into the wall with black fabric stretched across the back. Biff spends most of his time under the rocks in one corner where he dug out the aragonite and made a deep cave with a piece of rock over the top. More recently, he's been spending time on the back glass behind the plants where he can see out, but he is very hard to see from the front of the tank as he blends in. I have only had him for a couple of weeks, and he does seem to be coming out more. At the LFS, he had a lot more lr and would spend a lot of time on it, blending in in plain sight.
alligator
New member
Well, because the guy won't come out, and I can't seem to find him - he isn't getting much food from me.
In the six days I've had him, he has eaten a total of two hermits from me. Both times, I found him on the glass and was able to place a hermit nearby, which he eventually ate.
Now I've resorted to just leaving a hermit in a small baby food jar near the front of the tank, and hoping he will eventually find it. He hasn't as of this morning, so I'm not sure what he's eating.
I'm beating my head against the glass trying to get this guy to eat normally - or maybe this is normal for him, I don't know.
In the six days I've had him, he has eaten a total of two hermits from me. Both times, I found him on the glass and was able to place a hermit nearby, which he eventually ate.
Now I've resorted to just leaving a hermit in a small baby food jar near the front of the tank, and hoping he will eventually find it. He hasn't as of this morning, so I'm not sure what he's eating.
I'm beating my head against the glass trying to get this guy to eat normally - or maybe this is normal for him, I don't know.
goodman770
Member
Patience...patience...you've only had the guy a little while. This is not a fish where after a day they get used to everything and start swimming around. They are intelligent, and as such will need some time to get used "acclimated" to their new enviornment. Once he realizes there is no daily threat he will come out more and you would think he could eat a whale if given the chance....
Bill
Bill
For the first few days my octopus never left the live rock. But my rock formation allowed me to see all parts of the rock so I could always find him, it just took a while. After two weeks though he has established a few spots he likes to hang out in so it never takes me long to find him, I just check his usual hang out places. But after the first few days he got used to my tank and began exploring the sand bed and would crawl all over the rocks looking for food. Now three weeks later he is even more active and often comes out and crawls around on the front glass to get my attention.
But all octopuses have different personalities. I never saw my first octopus. Yours may be a little shy, but eventually he will learn there is no threat in the tank and will be a little more comfortable showing himself.
But all octopuses have different personalities. I never saw my first octopus. Yours may be a little shy, but eventually he will learn there is no threat in the tank and will be a little more comfortable showing himself.
cephalopoder
Premium Member
If you looking for a see all the time play with you all the time a octo may not be for you.
I have had octopuses that would lay in the open all day long and interact with me all the time.
I have kept others that have hidden for days at a time and only came out for food now and then. All octopuses have different personalities. The longer you have them they more they will become active, but not all species are active all the time.
Nocturnal species like O.mercatoris are only active when it is dark.
Bimaculoides have 3 distinct personalities. There is a article on the cephalopod page about them.
You have a small octo. At that size it can eat large amphipods, isopods... So it may be getting its foos in the tank some where. I like to put in a pvc elbow with a endcap. Bimacs seem to prefer this for a home over anything after a while.
Give the little guy time, he will come around. I say it takes about 1 month before octos feel safe in their new home on average.
On another note, my female peacock mantis is way more active and interested in whats going on out side the tank than ony of the octo species I have kept.
I have had octopuses that would lay in the open all day long and interact with me all the time.
I have kept others that have hidden for days at a time and only came out for food now and then. All octopuses have different personalities. The longer you have them they more they will become active, but not all species are active all the time.
Nocturnal species like O.mercatoris are only active when it is dark.
Bimaculoides have 3 distinct personalities. There is a article on the cephalopod page about them.
You have a small octo. At that size it can eat large amphipods, isopods... So it may be getting its foos in the tank some where. I like to put in a pvc elbow with a endcap. Bimacs seem to prefer this for a home over anything after a while.
Give the little guy time, he will come around. I say it takes about 1 month before octos feel safe in their new home on average.
On another note, my female peacock mantis is way more active and interested in whats going on out side the tank than ony of the octo species I have kept.
jjensen6823
New member
Alligator,
One other thing to consider (I discovered yeserday): my baby bimac was out and about at first, but has been hiding and very lethargic the last couple days. When I started looking for him, I discovered large amounts of uneaten or half eaten shrimp wedged under rocks and in crevasses. Checked my ammonia, and it was up over 1 ppm (in less than two weeks, with a good, established filter running). Now I guess I must admit I was overfeeding, but just to be sure, check your water quality. I still can't believe what messy eaters they are and how quickly they can pollute a tank!
Just a thought,
Jim Jensen
One other thing to consider (I discovered yeserday): my baby bimac was out and about at first, but has been hiding and very lethargic the last couple days. When I started looking for him, I discovered large amounts of uneaten or half eaten shrimp wedged under rocks and in crevasses. Checked my ammonia, and it was up over 1 ppm (in less than two weeks, with a good, established filter running). Now I guess I must admit I was overfeeding, but just to be sure, check your water quality. I still can't believe what messy eaters they are and how quickly they can pollute a tank!
Just a thought,
Jim Jensen
alligator
New member
I spent about 2 hours looking for him last night (on and off again), with no luck. I finally gave up, dropped in a hermit, and left him to find it overnight.
This morning, hermit shell is still where I put it, I'm not sure if the hermit is inside or not. I'll check tonight.
I finally found him on the glass this morning, but as soon as any light came into the room, he took off and hid in the rocks.
The good thing is that all of his arms were extended, and I finally got to see the whole length of him. Before, he'd sit on the glass with his arms all curled up next to his body.
I'm getting very frustrated. How can I feed him if I can't ever find him or if he keeps hiding every time I get near him?
I guess I'll just keep dropping food into the tank, hoping he is eating.
This morning, hermit shell is still where I put it, I'm not sure if the hermit is inside or not. I'll check tonight.
I finally found him on the glass this morning, but as soon as any light came into the room, he took off and hid in the rocks.
The good thing is that all of his arms were extended, and I finally got to see the whole length of him. Before, he'd sit on the glass with his arms all curled up next to his body.
I'm getting very frustrated. How can I feed him if I can't ever find him or if he keeps hiding every time I get near him?
I guess I'll just keep dropping food into the tank, hoping he is eating.
I had the same problem as Jim the first couple of days. I found out that the little guy was stashing his leftovers in holes in the LR. This makes life for us very difficult because they never go back to get it and it rots in there. Now I feed in the morning and clean in the evening, taking out any large pieces that I see leftover. I'm sure I'm not getting it all because they are so hidden in every crevice. I am looking into getting a starfish or two to take care of it. My biofilter caught up and can handle most of the mess now though, as long as I get the big pieces my perams stay okay. I also cut back on the feedings so there would be less leftover.
My little one stays hidden about half of the time. He definitely rushes into his hole whenever the lights turn on but then eventually comes out to play. He takes food from a pipe I use to feed him with so I get to see him then too. He does have his shy moods though, when he doesn't want to be bothered. I swear he gives me a Go to he#* look when he is cranky and I want to play with him
laura
My little one stays hidden about half of the time. He definitely rushes into his hole whenever the lights turn on but then eventually comes out to play. He takes food from a pipe I use to feed him with so I get to see him then too. He does have his shy moods though, when he doesn't want to be bothered. I swear he gives me a Go to he#* look when he is cranky and I want to play with him
laura
alligator
New member
My octo must be an exception to the posts that I see on this board.
In the last 8 days, he has only eaten TWO hermits. The last time I saw him was for about 5 seconds, over 24 hours ago. I would say that I've seen him for a total of about 2 minutes since I put him in the tank, and 1 minute of that was when he first started exploring the tank.
This guy NEVER comes out, never likes any light, and has not taken ANY food from me. The only time I can get him to eat is if I can find him on the glass, and drop in a hermit near him. He then lets it sit there for 20 seconds, then grabs it and goes and hides.
I'm getting frustrated because everyone claims they can feed their octo, their octo has moods, likes to play with the feeding stick, squirts them with water, and even gets to know them.
My octo is 180 degrees opposite. So far, he doesn't take food, has only one mood (afraid of everything), doesn't play, doesn't squirt water, and hides 24/7.
My best chance of even seeing him is after the tank has been dark all night. Even the slighest light in the room (I have a light on a dimmer) is too much.
I'd like to at least watch his behavior, be able to feed him, or check to make sure he isn't dead. I've resorted to just dropping in ghost shrimp in the hopes that he can catch them and eat them. He hasn't eaten anything else in my tank (peppermint shrimp, snails, etc.).
Oh well - I guess only time will tell.
In the last 8 days, he has only eaten TWO hermits. The last time I saw him was for about 5 seconds, over 24 hours ago. I would say that I've seen him for a total of about 2 minutes since I put him in the tank, and 1 minute of that was when he first started exploring the tank.
This guy NEVER comes out, never likes any light, and has not taken ANY food from me. The only time I can get him to eat is if I can find him on the glass, and drop in a hermit near him. He then lets it sit there for 20 seconds, then grabs it and goes and hides.
I'm getting frustrated because everyone claims they can feed their octo, their octo has moods, likes to play with the feeding stick, squirts them with water, and even gets to know them.
My octo is 180 degrees opposite. So far, he doesn't take food, has only one mood (afraid of everything), doesn't play, doesn't squirt water, and hides 24/7.
My best chance of even seeing him is after the tank has been dark all night. Even the slighest light in the room (I have a light on a dimmer) is too much.
I'd like to at least watch his behavior, be able to feed him, or check to make sure he isn't dead. I've resorted to just dropping in ghost shrimp in the hopes that he can catch them and eat them. He hasn't eaten anything else in my tank (peppermint shrimp, snails, etc.).
Oh well - I guess only time will tell.
Here's an idea. I went to a public aquarium once and they had their octo displayed under red light. It was very dark but you could still see perfectly. You could try this with red or blue, something to simulate nighttime. He might just like to come out at night and is afraid under normal lighting conditions. Worth a shot anyway. Also, how long have you had him? He might just be slow at getting used to captive conditions. Is he CB or WC? If he is WC then it might take a while longer. Mine is CB so the aquarium is all he has ever known. HTH
laura
laura
Gonodactylus
Premium Member
Aquarists are attracted to octopus because they are active, intelligent, and have personalities. Then they complain because their octopus doesn't have the "right" personality. One of the things that is fascinating about some species of octopus is that they are extremely variable on the shyness- boldness continuum. There have been a few quantitative studies on this and the results generally agree - an octopus is not just an octopus. They are individuals.
OctoMonkey
New member
Not that it needs it, but let me just confirm what Gonodactylus just said, I have had many different personalities from octopuses and could tell my cuttlefish apart, not by appearance but by their personality and where they were sitting in the tank.
There is maybe one major thing to consider here. Most folks on this forum have CB bimacs. Perhaps it isn't a bimac you have???
I have had species I never seen apart from an odd tentacle sticking out from a 3/4" pipe from time to time....
C
There is maybe one major thing to consider here. Most folks on this forum have CB bimacs. Perhaps it isn't a bimac you have???
I have had species I never seen apart from an odd tentacle sticking out from a 3/4" pipe from time to time....
C
alligator
New member
He was supposedly an "aquacultured octopus" from ffexpress.com. I really don't know how to tell if he is a bimac or not, most of the photos I've seen show a much larger octo than mine.
Well, I haven't seen him for 48 hours, and he is not eating anything I'm dropping into the tank, so this is what I did:
First I tested my water, and everything is perfect! Can't be the water quality.
So next I ripped all of my live rock apart, found him tucked into a small section and looking healthy. Go figure. I dropped a hermit right on top of him, saw some movement, and I'm hoping the movement meant he ate him.
He's eaten a grand total of 2, maybe 3 hermits now. No ghost shrimp yet. The ghost shrimp are just swimming happily around the 55 gallon tank. He must be eating something else, or not eating at all.
I really enjoy keeping him, but I guess I'm just frustrated that I can't tell if he is alive. He doesn't want anything to do with the PVC elbow I put in the tank.
I realize it's only been a little over a week, so I'll just give it more time. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
Well, I haven't seen him for 48 hours, and he is not eating anything I'm dropping into the tank, so this is what I did:
First I tested my water, and everything is perfect! Can't be the water quality.
So next I ripped all of my live rock apart, found him tucked into a small section and looking healthy. Go figure. I dropped a hermit right on top of him, saw some movement, and I'm hoping the movement meant he ate him.
He's eaten a grand total of 2, maybe 3 hermits now. No ghost shrimp yet. The ghost shrimp are just swimming happily around the 55 gallon tank. He must be eating something else, or not eating at all.
I really enjoy keeping him, but I guess I'm just frustrated that I can't tell if he is alive. He doesn't want anything to do with the PVC elbow I put in the tank.
I realize it's only been a little over a week, so I'll just give it more time. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
alligator
New member
He's eating well now, at least one hermit or ghost shrimp per day. I need to almost hit him with the food for him to take it, and he doesn't ever come out of his cave.
The hermit shells are starting to stack up outside his cave.
Do I need to remove these? I can't imagine they would hurt the water quality in a 55 gallon tank. It looks like he places the shells in the same spot every time. I don't want to mess up his "home."
Also, how often does everyone change their carbon, and how much do you typically use?
The hermit shells are starting to stack up outside his cave.
Do I need to remove these? I can't imagine they would hurt the water quality in a 55 gallon tank. It looks like he places the shells in the same spot every time. I don't want to mess up his "home."
Also, how often does everyone change their carbon, and how much do you typically use?
OctoMonkey
New member
Hi Alligator
Glad to read things are sorting themselves out...
I change carbon bimonthly and have 500g in the big compartment of my AquaMedic 1000 multi protein skimmer... seems to work fine.
Colin
Glad to read things are sorting themselves out...
I change carbon bimonthly and have 500g in the big compartment of my AquaMedic 1000 multi protein skimmer... seems to work fine.
Colin
