Worried About New Octopuses

S

schmunkel98

New member
Hey Everyone,

I received 2 Octopus Bimaculatus from MarineDepotLive.com three days ago. They made the trip successfully and were transferred to my tank without and problems. I have a 135 gallon reef ready tank with 8 blue damsels, 7 turbo grazer snails, 30 hermit crabs, and 4 peppermint shrimp. I have only seen one of the octopuses, and I fear that the other may be dead. I am also worried that they are not eating enough. None of the shrimp, snails, or fish have disappeared, and the crabs are too hard to count. These guys were about 6" from arm to arm when I got them. This was a bit smaller than I expected. Has anyone had experience with adding new octopuses to an aquarium? Any tips or suggestions? Please let me know.

Thanks,

Mike
www.schmunkel.0catch.com
 
Hey michael.
Well one octo could be hiding. Some times they hide for days. Some times octos dont eat for the first few days. Most of mine have though. One octo could have eaten the other but you would see remains. Or one could have crawled out of the tank, did you look around? What is your water quality like?
Are you sure you got two of the same species?
-chris
 
Chris,

I saw where they both went when I initially released them, and I think they are still in those same areas. I think you are right and the other octopus is just out of sight. My ammonia and nitrites have been at minimum levels for about 2 months after the initial cycling. The two octopuses looked like twins, so I am pretty positive they are the same species. I hope they come around soon and make a showing during the day so I can give them some bigger meals. Any tips for getting them out in the open for a snack? I'm afraid that the blue damsels that I have scare them, even though the fish will be food eventually. Any tips or suggestions you may have would be much appreciated.

Mike
www.schmunkel.0catch.com
 
New octos take a couple of days to settle in. Some are more night acitve then others. Young ones can be night active when there small. If you have very bright light on the tank that can cause them to hide more as well. I think with all the hermits in the tank, that should keep them fed ok for now. The only hermits I have seen my octs not to like were blue legs for some reason, Maybe because they were too small to bother with.
I feed all my octos raw frozen shrimp I buy in a bag. I have never had a octo that did't like shrinp. Grass, glass and ghost shrimp are nice treats too. If you see your octs out in the open you can try feeding them by offering them food from a probe by spearing the food. I use wooden shish ker bob skewers from the super market. My mimic octo is a small eater compared to any thing else I have had and seems to like frozen shrimp the best. This species is active dusk and dawn and at night mostly.
Give your octos a few weeks and you wiil see them come around. But you might want to be careful with your fish. Damsels in a school can attack and peck at your octos eyes. So they could be scaring them too. Most fish stores will buy back fish, I do that when im between octos. I call it rent a fish lol.
 
Cephalopoder,

My site is based on an imagemap. Wave your mouse over the image of what you want to look at and click it. My whole web page is like that. Sorry if it is confusing.

Mike
 
Maybe my browser is out of date or something. I tried both my laptop and my desktop. I can't get the image link working. Any one else have this problem?
 
If you have trouble using my site, try getting the latest version of your browser. I use Internet Explorer and it works just fine. Anyway, I ordered an assortment of crabs and snails from Flying Fish Express to add more food to my tank. That same night I got to see one of my octos pounce on a hermit crab and go back to his den. I think they are getting used to the tank and are more willing to come out of their dens. However, I still haven't seen the other octopus. Now if I can only get them to come out during the day!

Mike
www.schmunkel.0catch.com
 
Hey everyone,

Well both of the little guys are still there, though I can't ever seem to find them in the daytime. I have seen them a few times at night when they are out and about. I still have the three peppermint shrimp and the eight blue damsels in the tank. I was hoping that they would have been food by now, but I guess the octos aren't big enough yet. Anyone know about how much they grow per month? I'm looking forward to the day when the shrimp and fish start to disappear and my guys start showing themselves during the day. I still have a bunch of snails and small crabs in the tank too, so they have plenty of food. I have some additional pictures of the octos that I will also add to my web site soon.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com
 
Well, I'm going to hold out on the cuttles until these guys expire. I hope that they will live a very long time. I guess about 2 years should be their life span if I am lucky. I just can't wait until they get a little bigger and come out during the day more. I guess it just takes time. I liked the extra pics of your cuttles Colin. You should take tons more. I would appreciate any info you have on them. Such as what your water has been like, growth rate, and so on. Any chance of a small video? If I can catch mine in the daytime I would like to get a video of them eating. Anyone know how to shoot aquarium videos at night?

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com
 
The camera i have will allow upto 15secs mpeg filming. I have several of the cephs feeding and the cuttles catching goldfish etc but dont know how to post them??? Anyone know?

The cuttles are getting big! here's one eating a goldfish...
 
theory

theory

I have had work with them but the thing I found was they are very sensitive. Your best bet is try to get them in the open but don't stress them out for at least four to five weeks. If one of them is dead you better get it out was quick as possible or your water will go down the drain, good luck.
 
Hey Everyone,

This is just an update on the octopus situation here. Frankly, I am a little disappointed in these guys. I finally saw one of them after nine straight days of looking late at night and in the morning. I have had these guys for about three months now and I have tried everything to get them to come out during the day. I thought that they have died at least four times, and I still don't know if one or two of them is alive. I am currently trying to get some cuttlefish since they are supposed to be more active. They are what I originally wanted, but I had thought they were unavailable. I'll see if my LFS can come through with the cuttles, but in the meantime I would really like to get my two Octopus Bimaculatus out in the open. Any tips on turning these guys into the wonderful day active pets everyone else seems to have would be most appreciated.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com
 
Well Mike it could be a number of things.
The first thing is you have to remember that if your looking for a animal you will see all the time, a octo might not be your first choice lol. Some of the octos I have had were just like that, you only caught a little look at them late at night. Some times they are out all the time. Maybe having two octos together are making them hide more out of fear of being eaten by each other? You said you have a bimaculatus. Maybe you don't really have a bimaculatus. Have you been able to see the broken chain in the ocellus? Thats the way to tell a bimaculatus I know of.
I have heard that a bimaculatus is more night active than a bimaculoides. Bimaculatus also live in a litte deeper water than bimaculoides and may be harder to catch for a collection diver. I'd be psyched if Marine Depot could get bimaculatus becase they get bigger than biamculoides. Most octos in the trade seem to be bimaculoides out of the two. Young octos will some times be active at night when younger and be a little more day active when they get older. How is your nitrate level?
 
Don't worry, I wasn't expecting to see my octopuses out and about every day. I had expected to not see them very much, but I guess I figured with two I had a good shot of seeing them more often. I have not been able to see the eye spots on them, however, this is mainly because they aren't seen in the open very often. The few times I have seen them in the open it is usually in a curled up manner. Anyway, I have been testing weekly, and my levels are all extremely good on the nitrates, ammonia, etc. I do know that the octos have not grown very much in the 3 months that I have had them. They are still about two inches in body length and probably six inches with their arms fully extended. Let me know what you think of the pictures and I'll try to figure out a way to entice them to come out during the day.

Mike
 
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