Hey, this is my first post on this website. I got my first octopus about 3 weeks ago, and keep him in a 12 gallon nanocube. I did a lot of research on keeping an octopus, and he is quite healthy. My question now is: is it normal for my octopus to basically never come out in the open? When I first got him, he would come out quite a bit, but not so much anymore, any tips?

O ya, im sure it is not his health, I had the owner my my LFS check him out and he doesnt know what them problem is.

Also, if someone could help identify the species, when I bought him he was calssified under a name I now know is false, if it helps and he is tiny and I believe full grown. With all his tenticles spread out he is still smaller than my palm.

O ya, and one more thing, and hints on getting my octo to play?

Thank you

Well,

It came out before but not anymore. OK so all I can think of is that its a full grown pygmy and at the end of its life. Maybe it layed eggs.
:?

Sorry.

Your octo is probably a dwarf (octopus mercatis), which don't come out much at all. Also, 12 gallons is too small, since octos produce 3 times as much waste as normal fish.
Most of us play tug of war with the feeding stick, or use Legos or other toys.
:welcome:

Oh yeah, :welcome: from me too. :)

Thanks for your quick relplies, but im positive it has not layed eggs. Also, it is quite happy with the tank, it is OVERLY filtrated, and the octo is dwarfed byt his tank, even when it used to explore, it could swin freely and all, I will try to get a picture of him swimming in the tank so you can see. For now, you can look at the picture in my tank profile, for reference, from tenticle tip to tenticle tip he is smaller than the word "nano" in the bottom right of the picture.

:welcome: to TONMO.com soccerbum!!

For identification, a photo and maye where the LFS got it from would but there are no guarentees.

How long has your octo been hiding. Is it still eating. If it isn't it is possible that its going through sesenence or maybe its eating amphipods at the back of your tank. Does the octo move alot or stay in one place?

I have to say that is a small octo, I guess the tank size isn't too much of a problem right now.

Hi Welcome to TONMO.com

a pic would really help... you never said where you lived, if you are european it could be octopus bocki you have as they are commonly imported here :)

Here are my answers in order of your questions/requests:

-I would like to get a photo, but since he doesnt come out much I would have to take the tank apart, and I do not like doing this

-the LFS said that they get octos from all over the place, and they dont know where my specific one came from

-He has been hiding about a week and a half to two weeks

-It does eat hermits, though not as many as it used to

-it stays in the same rock, but moves around inside that rock


-i wll try to get a photo

-I live in california

OK, I got some pictures, and a few short movies, but im not sure how good the quality is because i took them using a digital camera. And another quick question, is there any chance it is a baby bimac or sometihng?

Enjoy!

Ok. the site is not letting me upload, any hints?

You can't upload vids and only certain types of pictures are allowed (ie. jpeg...). What format is yours in? Do send the video to Tony at email@tonmo.com and he'll put it in the video gallery :)

Send the vids to me and Ill host em. :) JesseCummins at Comcast dot net.