When Jess and I got home from Lancastor, I noticed the magnetic cleaning magnet had been knocked off the side of the tank with the inside one floating by the protein skimmer. Didn't think anything about it, figured someone checking Gimp out had knocked it off. Tonight I finally got around to fetching the piece and putting them back together. As I was sitting watching TV, I heard something crash to the floor. Gimpy had pulled the 2 magnets apart and was playing with the one inside his tank. I have pics!!! And....I have a video and as I type, it just smashed to the floor again!!!! :mrgreen:

I love it!!! Anyone that says octos don't play or don't train us, has never had or worked with one! Let's see, it's been 4 times now I've retrieved them and set them back together. By the way, the magnets are the 3" x 1" ones and very hard to pull apart! Will post pics in a little while!!!

Great pics Carol, I wonder who's going to get bored with that game 1st...you or Gimpy :twisted: Kinda reminds me of wee kids in a high chair tossing the toys for Mum to pick up!!!!

J

Those are great pics, Carol!

Ollie liked to play with the cleaning magnet, too. She would make eye contact and slowly pull her side of it away from the glass (it was big, about 4 inches). Once she took it into her den and then dangled it out on on one arm, holding with one sucker. Everytime I reached to get it, she pulled it back in - another sort of game!

Nancy

:lol: Love it !!!!!

How big is Gimpy? It's true that octopuses play games as stated in some books and some aquarium records. It all depends on their personality. It's so interesting and neat to have an octopus in captvitity thats friendly enough to play games or even play games with the pet owner. There intelligence is so high up there...that it makes them recognise intimacy with the pet owner and even friendship...or trust. That's one of the things I love about these animals.

:lol:

His legs are as thick as my fingers. If you think about the size of the magnet, which I just measured and it is 4" x 1", he got big quick! He's eating me out of house and home. I feel like I have one of those man eating plants from Rocky Horror Picture show that says daily "FEED ME"!!!! I'm loving every minute too! We've had to go collecting food again yesterday, so our collecting has become once a week now instead of every other.

Here's some more pics from last night. He waits till I am standing near the tank and then takes them appart. Last night, I think he got pinched cause at one point he released it and jetted away, Jess says he flew away, and sat in the back of of the tank totally black. I was petting his legs for the first time. He actually seemed to be enjoying the touch!

How like a little kid he is !!! "fun, fun, fun, OW! Now I'm mad!"
great pics, keep them coming !!!!

greg

It's so interesting how each octopus has his own way of playing! These are superb photos, Carol!

Nancy

Thank you!!! Soon as I got home last night from work......crash....He now has me trained. He knows if he takes it apart, I come a running!!!! Too funny!!!!And he's eating me out of house and home!!!

Carol

That's exactly what Ollie did. She discovered that someone came running as soon as the cleanng magnet dropped, so she summoned us to play with her in that way. I'd find her on the glass, waiting. Does anyone else have an octo who used the cleaning magnet to call someone to the tank?

How much is Gimpy eating each day, Carol?

Nancy

Gimp is eating at least a 2" crab a day. Usually he is out looking for more so rather than stuff him so he disapears for a day or two, I've been feeding once a day. He is so active. Swimming, I saw him go straight up the other day. And he has been squirting water at the hood. I'm wondering if the weather change is helping to make him more active as the tank temp is running about 5 degrees cooler than it has. The shrimp population is declining also. I have observed him going through some really exotic stalking behaviors. And you are right! He is getting my attention big time with the magnet crashing to the floor and usually it's when I am sitting at the computer ignoring him!