Several people have mentioned feeding their octopuses crawfish. I'd never seen a crawfish before, but when my seafood store advertised them, I decided to buy one for my bimac.

I was very surprised to see it - it was very sturdily built, about 6 inches long with quite substantial claws. I thought it was too big for Ollie.

So are you finding smaller crawfish, or do you give your octopuses these large crawfish? I understand some people clip off the claws before offering the crawfish as food.

Thanks for the info,

Nancy

I don't think it is necessary to clip off the claws...perhaps a smaller specimen would be better...you should be able to pick up some subadults from a local store...since crawfish are usually found near/in estuaries ( at least the ones that are sold here) you will have a nice saltwater friendly food item!
Good luck!
Greg

I have cought crawfish that are about ½" in size, and the females have smaller pinchers. As far as claws go, ive been pinched a few times (never broke this skin) but then again my hands are alot tougher than the body of an octopus. I dont think i would feed any unless the octo is a fair deal bigger than the crawfish.

Don't feed crawdads I keep them as pets and find that they are just as interesting to me as an octopus is to ya'll. I think it is incredibly cruel to clip off the crawdads claws. I have evidence that they feel pain. Me pet crawdad had shell rot on one leg and I had to pull it off. He hated me until he died. :x

If crawdads taste as good to an octo as the Popeye's spicy crawdads do to me, I'd say they're in for a treat. That's one thing I do miss eating from living in the south (don't miss the grits a bit tho)... Of course, I ate them cooked and not live and I too wonder if they could pose a danger to an octo.

if they happened to survive u could wake up to a lame octo(a leg or to missing) and a very full and satisfied crawdad.

The ones that I saw were very large (probably farmed) and had large claws that would make short work of a baby octo. This was in a high end fish store. When I went to the Mexican market, they had quite a different type of smaller crawfish with smaller claws. They were also in horrible shape - I don't see how humans would do well eating these half-dead animals, either.

Later I had some shipped to me, but discoved that they're so aggressive they attack each other along the way, and they all arrive missing parts like legs and tails.

So I've abandoned crawfish as octo food.

Nancy

Just a bit of a FYI on Crayfish..

Yes they are territorial and Will attack each other when in cramped quarters. If a crayfish is missing a leg or claw....it will regrow. They slough their shell every so often and then when the new shell hardens the new claw is there. ....Males normally have larger claws than females in the CFs that I have seen...As far as using them for Octo food I think its alright...though I can understand why someone might end up keeping one as a pet. My boss has one in a large ciclid breeder tank, and its quite fun to watch actually. It begs for food runs around and also is a bottom feeder cleaning up after the fish.....Oh, from what I've heard they are not too hard to breed...

I just fed Wasabe a crayfish about 2 hours ago, It was nearly the same length as him. well, anyway, he seemed to be waiting for the crayfish to turn its tail to him. I guessed he kinda got impatient and went to its back then pounced on it grabbing it by the tail which is far from the claws reach.

He does the same thing to crabs and if you look at the video in the gallery, you can see him waiting for the crab to turn around. Maybe octopus will do the same thing?

If your going to order crawfish (or crawdads as they are called here in utah) Why not just order saltwater shrimp? no claws and my baby bimac just love's them. I got well over 100 delivered to me for around 90 dollars.
I just got done feeding one to my new baby bimac (Otis) It is great fun to watch him "stalk" it around the tank and they can't hurt him. :wink:

:welcome: Belegnole,
I used to have a blue crawfish that was almost six inches long and it nearly killed my eel.
I'm not even going to try feeding Pudge one since A. He can barely handle fiddler crabs and B. They cost $25 and I can't find any in our lake or the stream in town, since they're frozen over.

Nice one to octopus_reef!!!! Ive been wonderin what a crawdad was!!! A crawfish....which i presume is the same as a crayfish?!?! (maybe im spellin it wrong an its the same i.e. crwa/cray?)

Anyway since your all on the subject of feedin, ive been givin this some thought an have produced a list of possible foods. Does anybody have any thoughts on these and anymore that can be added?

Obviously were i say frozen i mean defrost first!!

crabs
shrimp - river, blood, cleaner, mantis
live fish (not always and not keen on, also poss fatty)
chopped up fresh fish
frozen prawn
crawfish (crawdads!)
frozen krill
frozen/live mussels
frozen/live clams
snails?

anymore?

other than small portions of the above any ideas of baby octo food?

Also as a footnote, anyone any ideas on cheap live food sources in the uk?

Nice one

Rich.

Scallops too, octopuses will also take snails quite readily :wink: .

Hi scouse, i can set up a deal for you for live crabs no problem.. so dont worry about that! much cheaper than buying from the LFS!!!

yeah we call them crayfish over here but its the same thing...

you ready to set up yet?

Alright Colin,

Absolute quality nice one mate!!!

Am i set-up? That is the ever lastin question an im gettin stick off my mates left right an centre for havin a dry tank!!!!

The answer is no not yet, I still need a fair bit of equipment (paused buyin as my partyin took over slightly!), but i have a formulated a list down to the last tube of milliput!!!! Also had to stop whilst studyin for my chartership interview.

Anyway you'll see a load more questions appearing from me since Ive been re-readin info i never fully understood at the beginining and i wanna ensure i know all there is even the simple things.

I'll be settin up some time after chrimbo, its all a bit slow at the mo!!!!!

On a side note, it was intresting to read your signiture about cod, as even thou i love it, i refuse to eat it on principle, its a scandle!! But not in the same sense as that Mis-teeq :arr: :D scandle buisness!!!

Okay take your time and get at it after Xmas!!!! :)

I just picked up a yet unidentified Octopus. The LFS told what I didnt want to hear, that it was "brown" or "common" octopus. It was gathered from the Florida Keys and is Brownish with some light marbling. Strange, as this LFS has always been on top of their inventory and always given good advice. But, after spending several months on here doing research I felt I could keep one. He is in an established 46gal corner tank. After one week he did not go after the tank previous residents (which I could not catch them all), 2 clowns and a damsel. I tried feeding on a stick (prawn, krill, silversides) to no avail. The first thing I got him to eat after a week was a crawfish. I have them around to feed other tanks I have (Zebra Eel, Goldentail Eel, Brackish Eel and Lionish). I put the crawfish in but the octopus did not show any interest. The crawfish even strolled right past him. Though the octopus is very active at night, during the day he hides mostly, with an occasional stroll around the perimeter several times daily. The next morning I found what was left of the crawfish (transparent hollow shell). So apparently he will eat them, even over a couple of smaller fish. My octopus has a pear sized bell and 8-10 arms. The crawfish was about 2" in length including claws. They go for about $.50-$.75 a piece here in Florida LFS.

Could the crayfish have molted in there? But i doubt it since they are fresh water. Was the shell partial or whole, and Btw octos have a max of 8 arms.

I hear lots of people talking about puting Crawdads with an octo but does the crawdad acclimate to the water?

no, but its exoskeleton seems to allow it to survive for a longer period of time than say a freshwater fish does in marine water.. up to 30mins perhaps???

I have seen crayfish stay alive in the marine tanks for quite some time, the longest was 1 1/2 hours.

It definately didnt molt. Unless every one Ive thrown in all molt then disappear. The octo leaves behind just the shell when its done. I mis-typed as well earlier. It doesnt have 8-10 arms, but 8-10" arms...my bad.

He cannot get enought of the crawfish now though. He jets on over and parachutes on them every time now.

The craw fish I get for feeders, I pop them in the tank and they live until they get eaten. (Up to a week at a time)

So I think they are able to adjust to the salinity of marine environments.

I have found them to stay alive for a while as well. I have thrown them in a tank and found them a couple of days later. Sluggish, but alive.

Could it vary in species where some are brackish water and are hence better adapted to living in a marine environment while others are completely fresh water.

Something that's surprised me recently. I had fiddler crabs in the tank for Ollie, and I removed all I could find after she passed away. But a few escaped me. Today I saw one - I had been told they could live only 2 weeks in full salt water, but this one has survived for more than 4 weeks. The only change seems to be that he's a bit more shy.

Nancy

Don't fiddler crabs live near beaches?So yhy would they only last 2 weeks?

The ones I get are used to brackish water. Often I see them kept in fresh water at the LFS. They must be adaptable.

Nancy

yeah, i have seen fiddlers in both brackish and full salt conditions in trinidad.. wasn't me that told you two weeks was it??? LOL :lol: :lol: