Hello everyone

Dr. Gaius Baltar arrived this morning: perky, active and semi-transparent in his bag. He came with an entourage including 200 baby clams and 2 abalones. Everything was considerably smaller than I was expecting, except the abalones.

Dr. Baltar was drip acclimated for ~75 minutes after I poured half the bag-water out. I saved some of the bag water and I might run some water tests on it tonight out of curiosity.

He's now living happily inside his critter cage. I thought the flow holes I drilled in it were way tiny, but I think if he really wanted to he could climb right through one of them. I moved the two damsels into the sump just in case he does choose freedom. In the 15 minutes he was in the tank before I left for class he was exploring his new surroundings and flashing different colors.

Pictures will follow when the camera battery is charged.

Dan

I am glad yours arrived. and is doing well.

Well, with my luck it will be dead by the time I get home! I'm sorry that there seems to be more problems at Octopets: They don't seem to be having the best luck lately. You should put in an order now so that you're guaranteed one of the next available.

Dan

we have had our order in since before the flood in CA. how does jims ordering system work? did you get an email yesterday or today saying it was shipped?

I recieved an automated DHL email yesterday at 4:30 PM CDT giving me a shipping number. The box was here today before 9:30 AM.

You have to be one of the next ones in line. There's always the hope that he'll come across a little guy in one of the ponds while he's cleaning or doing maintenance. I suspect that's where Dawn's mysterious out-of-season bimac came from.

Dan

maybe we will be suprised:) anyhow good luck with your little one

Hi Dan,

Got mine today as well! I too was surprised at how small the overall package was.. I mean, I know the webpage says the baby clams are 1/4" - 1/2", but its still a surpise seeing them that small. I also ordered a Pod Farm for my seahorses. Well, I thought I ordered the Pod Farm, but I didn't see any Red Ball or Sea Lettuce in there, the pods were attached to a wet paper towel. I need to pick up some macro for those guys to cling to.

I wish I had a critter cage setup. Can you post a pic of yours? My little guy hung out on the glass for a while, then when I came back he was gone! I finally spotted him in a hole in a piece of live rock, but he then burrowed in to hide a little more. I'm worried I might not be able to find him, or make sure he is feeding.

What are you feeding your octo, and how much? The baby clams? I added a few to the tank (the rest are in my refugium), but the tank is pretty large, so I'm not sure if he found them; I certainly haven't seen him eat any.

My critter cage setup is copied from the one Barnstorm posted during the last wave:

Introducing Ziggy (http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3652)

All of my PVC pieces and everything are a little bit bigger than Barnstorm's. It was kind of hard to guage the best size to get when I was at the store. In any event, he seems to be happy this afternoon hiding right at the mouth of one where he can still see outside. And he can grow into them a little bit.

I had put a single clam in before I left for class. I didn't see the little siphons sticking out from the spot this afternoon, so he might have eaten it. I have enough little shells in there to preclude finding taphonomic evidence.

I'll probably feed him three per day and see how he does with it.

Dan

Welll....Welll...Well.....Another generation of baby bimacs begins!!! So happy for both of you! Wish you both much success and a long life for your new babies!!! Anxiously awaiting pics!!!

Carol

Congratulations on the new arrivals! When you give them names, Ill add them to the list of bimac siblings (top thread in this forum)!

The best way to track the clams is to put the ones you are using for that particular feeding in a shell or a little plastic lid so they can't burrow into the sand.

Keep us posted!

Nancy

The best way to track the clams is to put the ones you are using for that particular feeding in a shell or a little plastic lid so they can't burrow into the sand.
Nancy

That's what I'll probably start doing...it will also give him something of a feeding area.

He's spent most of the day hiding just inside a piece of PVC where he can watch the room with one eye. A few minutes ago I tossed a clam into his den and he didn't waste much time before pouncing on it.

I'm pretty paranoid about him just because he's so tiny! It seems like anything could happen to him!

Dan

I'm having a bit of a rough time.

I mentioned before that I had him in a 37 gallon tank by himself. I threw in some clams, but wouldn't be able to tell if he was eating them or not.

So, I went out and bought a 'kritter keeper'. It has small slits in the top for ventilation. So, I put some shells and pvc in there and put him in. Ahh, much better, now I can monitor how much he eats, as well I'm able to admire him more easily.

This morning, though, I found him outside of the cage! Hey, how'd you do that? The ventilation slits are pretty darn small. So, I put him back in the cage.

Now I come back this afternoon and I can't find him. He's not in the cage, I inspected all the shells and pvc. I also tore apart the tank and looked through all the live rock and decorations, and I can't find him! Argh. I'm hoping he's just playing a mean game of hide and seek now, but I worry that I won't ever be able to find him again. If he got out of that cage, he might have been able to make it through my drain into the refugium...

I'm sure he's in there somewhere! Have you escape-proofed your overflow and uptube?

Dan

I think you've got one pretty smart baby octo there! I would leave him alone. Let him stay out if that's what he wants. And most babies do disapear for a few 24's. Let him settle in and he'll come out all on his own. He's probably hiding from all the excitement that's been going on in his world!!!!

Thanks corw, he's got me pretty worried though. I just checked the tank, live rock, etc, and still can't find him I had a strainer on the overflow that has slits the same width as the critter keeper. I thought that he wouldn't be able to get past them, but he somehow got past the ones in the critter keeper, so... I've since added a sponge over the top of the overflow to prevent his escape that way. I've also flushed the overflow tubing and am pretty sure he isn't in there.

If he's anywhere, he is most likely in the live rock which is filled with nooks and crannies for him to hide. My only concern though is whether or not he is eating. I've stocked the tank with some amphipods and a few clams to make sure if he comes out he'll be able to feed.

I'll be a lot happier when he finally makes his presence known, though.

BTW, where abouts in NJ are you? I'm in northern NJ, near Morristown.

If he's anywhere, he is most likely in the live rock which is filled with nooks and crannies for him to hide. My only concern though is whether or not he is eating. I've stocked the tank with some amphipods and a few clams to make sure if he comes out he'll be able to feed.


I don't think you'll ever see him again. Well, you will see him when he wants you to, ie, when he comes out! If mine, as little as he is, was in my live rock I wouldn't find him with a fine-toothed comb.

If you're worried about feeding, maybe you should use a dish to put clams in, like Nancy suggested I do--that way you can keep track of how much he's eaten and not worry about clams burrowing away.

Dan

Ohhh congrats on your baby Dan!!! I hope that he does better than mine did... By the way, the Space Pope episode was on cartoon network the other night, did you see? Hehe

Octopuses are very skilled at making themselves almost invisible. I had to sit in front of my tank for a long time (maybe even 1/2 hour) before I could spot my bimac. Sometimes I couldn't see her at all. I'd look for an eye, or a slight movement. I had to develop my "octopus eyes"! So the fact that you can't see your little bimac doesn't mean he's not there. Not finding your little octo is something all octo owners go through - who said owning an octopus wasn't stressful!!

Nancy

Ohhh congrats on your baby Dan!!! I hope that he does better than mine did... By the way, the Space Pope episode was on cartoon network the other night, did you see? Hehe

We have a TIVO, which means not only did I see it, but I saw it a number of times!

Dan

Well, its been about 3 days and I've seen no sign of my octo. I did have clams in a small dish, but didn't see that any were consumed. So, I took the high tech approach and monitored the tank with a time lapse camera. For the past 36 hours I haven't seen any octo movement. I got real excited one time when I saw a critter scoot across the sand, only to find out it was a hermit crab.

The tank is sealed to make it difficult to escape. He would have had a few hours in the beginning to escape through the overflow strainer (I've since covered that with a sponge). Just in case, I checked my refugium and found no sign of the guy as well. I also searched outside the tanks in case he somehow made it out.

No other inhabitants could have eaten the guy (I had two small hermits in there as a 'gift' for when he gets big enough). Tank parameters were good, and the tank has cycled for over 4 months.. :cry:

Hope the little bugger's ok...at this point, you just have to sit back and wait...tearing around the tank anymore would probably be counter-productive....
fingers crossed here!
greg

yeah, good call Greg,

Now is a good time to be subtle and just let the wee guy come out on his own

Any sighting yet? Some babies do hide longer than others. All are different! Keeping my fingers crossed!

Carol

No, no sightings yet. I was ready to give up and call him officially lost, but then I read a post by another member who had the same problem.

Stevesfish had a post: where he lost Bob on about May 14th (http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589) and then another where Bob is back! on May 23rd (http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=614) , so this has given me new hope.

He searched all of the live rock and was 'positive' his octo was lost. Then a few days later he miracously appeared! So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed as well.

I wonder if I should put out some fresh scallops or shrimp to entice him...

Oh, and I saw some amphipod 'skeletons'. I'm not sure if they molt like shrimp, or if the octopus will eat them and discard the shell, etc. If so, maybe this is proof he is in there somewhere!

I'll have to start up the time lapse again.

Hi Lockburn,

Don't give up yet. Yes, put some food out, but if he has plenty of amphipods, he may go for those. He could be hiding out on the backside of your live rock.

Amphipods do molt and leave their shell - I suppose octos don't eat the outer shell, either.

We're all hoping he turns up again,

Nancy

A small filosus i had would eat amphipods and discard the exoskeletons so it could be a good sign that the octo is still there... tying a small shrimp to a bit of fishing line and dangling it about at the front might entice it out?

C

Well, its been almost a week, and I still have had no positive sighting yet.

I did put in a raw shrimp I bought from the grocery store today. My red serpent star immediately came out of the rock to grab a piece, but I didn't see the octo.

On the time lapse video I did see something move about one of the tank decorations. It was in the back, and not in focus, so I couldn't positively ID it. I would have thought it to be a hermit crab, if I hadn't removed all of them already (to avoid confusion with the time lapse). It could have been a large amphipod. It didn't really look like an octo, but then again, it wasn't in focus and didn't look like anything but a dark blob. But, something was definately there and moving. So, I've repositioned the camera and am hoping to get another glimpse of whatever it was.

-Warren

Dude...Jaques Cousteau has nothing on you!!! I sure hope the octo is ok, and just being shy...I envy your ability to be high tech! wow!
greg

oo.....high tech!

Hehe, thanks Greg, needed that laugh! I'll have to upload some of the time lapses when I get a chance. It's pretty wild to watch the star, shrimp, and hermits cruise around the tank. I'm pretty sure the 'blob' in the last video was a large amphipod, not my dear octo. But, I'm still watching. It's a week since I last saw him, but I'm still trying to keep my hopes up.

8 days and still nothing. The piece of shrimp I put in there doesn't look eaten, nor do the clams. But, there were originally a good number of amphipods in there, maybe he's eating those.

Is there anything else I can tempt him with? I can get ghost shrimp at my LFS, though being freshwater shrimp, I'm not sure how long they'll live in the full salinity tank.

Don't give up hope yet!

If you have amphis in there he's probably stuffing his face with those!!!

J

yeah, i agree with jean, its a more natural food for a baby octo too :)