OK, I haven't had much success getting Kitty
(My octo) to eat frozen food. Just looking for a few hints here.

I read online alot of people put it in a shell, where can I get a shell for it and what do I clean it with to make sure there are no toxins? Could I use a piece of clay pot instead? That might be a little easier.

Are there any frozen formulas you guys recomend? I saw a formula for sharks and rays and thought that might work. I have currently tried frozen mysis shrimp. Keep in mind, He's very small, maybe half an inch.

i go to my local grocery store and buy some shrimp with the shells on em and slice of little bits to feed my octo. he takes em pretty well. try feeding him a little live then right after a little frozen but actually thawed....

I have the same problem with Ripley, my new octo. The only frozen she will eat is ghost shrimp that I put on a dowel and wiggle infront of her. Nancy advised fresh scalops so you might give that a try. I plan on trying that in the next few days.

Donnie Darko

chopped krill should work well also...I would avoid the blended foods...they tend to foul a tank rather fast...

also, you may need to starve your octo for a day or two until they are hungry enough to be willing to try new foods

Starve it? Really? Hmmm, maybe I should wait a few more weeks until he's more setteled

Octopus 2 Donnie Darko 0
Well today I skipped my morning feeding and went to HEB and got frest scalops and shrimp. I started with a strip of scalllop on a the dowel. I wiggled it in front of Ripley. She grabbed it and took it in her fav. cave only to come back out and feed the scallop to "Flo" my damsel. First point Ripley! I decided to try the shrimp. I again cut a strip and put it on the dowel, wiggled it around. She took it and fed it to flo again! Two points Ripley! I then tried just a leg off the shrimp and I think she ate it. In the morning I am going to try a shrimp leg with some extra meat attached.
Octos are like kids! They don't eat what you want them to. They don't clean their rooms. They stay up too late and sleep in every morning!

Donnie Darko

Sounds like a very political octopus, feeding the hungry and all ! :D
re-reading this post, we missed a question:
shells. you can get hermit crab shells for about a buck at most pet stores, they are steam sterilized, and of a good enough size to make it interesting for the octo, as it has to explore around inside to get at the food...the mind game strategy works quite well usually...the only down part is that sometimes the octo outsmarts you!
greg

Yeah, Ripley is a liberal democrat! She is all into giving food to the hungry. I imagine she will turn into a "compassionate conservative" when she starts eating everything. :P This morning I tried the shrinp legs with some meat attached...... and she took it. I guess the shell on the leg is closer to live food than just the meat. Flo ,my damsel, was a little upset. No hand outs today. She is used to getting fed from the food the octo rejects. I will try scallop tonight.

DDarko

It's worth noting that crustacean exoskeletons have been cited as being producers of phosphates in the aquarium... I personally have never linked the two in practise, probably because the octos are so short lived and so this may be more of a problem facing reef tanks, but its worth removing excess parts of feeder crabs etc :)

Thats very interesting, I have a reef tank and there are tons of old shells in there, I'm sure. I have never had a problem with phosphate though. I'll have to keep an eye on that

YES! You guys are the bomb! Scallops did the trick, I went to the grocery store yesterday and got a bag of frozen scallops, thawed one out this morning, saw kitty out roaming the tank, figured, what the hey. The first try was close, a small piece hooked to a stick, she pulled it off, played with it, then tossed it. I tried again with a bigger piece, hooked it to a stick and kitty attacked it as soon as it hit the water. The piece is about twice her size, hooked to the stick real good though, so I figure I will just pull out whats left when she's done with it.

right now she is kinda sitting on it, at first it really looked like she was eating it, now she's just kinda sitting on top of it. with her beak shoved in it. So I only assume she is eating it, unless she thinks its a pillow.

Well, the little guys sure didn't eat alot. but he did eat some. He is very tiny though, so i guess it works out.

good news!

just make sure you try hard to remove all uneaten food

Oh, i did, thank God for tongs

what about extreme garlic it works great for the fish really gets em going has anyone tried this product on cephs.

Drew

I tried the scallops again last night and this morning. Ripley will grab it, take it in her den and then gets realy pissed off. She will carry it out on a rock and fed it to the damsel. I tried shrimp also this morning and she rejected that too. I decided to let her go hungry till tonight. I'll show her!! Yeah right....

DDarko

LOL you'll get there!!! 8)

what about extreme garlic it works great for the fish really gets em going has anyone tried this product on cephs.

Drew

I've seen a couple of different sites touting the advantages of garlic in a tank, curing diseases, making the fish grow faster, and helping to adjust ph levels. Same with Vitamin C.

I've got some ocean from property in in Oklahoma if you interested, too. :thumbsup: :lol: :)

I tried both on various occasions and circumstances, without noticable effect.

How about putting a pyramid over the tank??? :D

OK, today, no interest in the scallop whatsoever. maybe just not hungry? advice?
thanks

Have you tried frozen squid? The GPOs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium seem to like it.

I hate to be a killjoy here but it may be that your octi just will not eat dead food! I know some do and some species are more likely to than others (ours for example would starve to death first!!!) but I think there is some individual variation too. Keep trying but there may come a time when you just have to bight the bullet anf get some live feeder crabs or risk losing Ripley.


J