Oh, Zombie... so sorry to hear of the loss. I hope the same fate doesn't come to the briareus I won. It'll be here tomorrow, I'll post the news. Let us know how the seller handles the DOA.

RIP to the poor octo... sorry to hear it.

My briareus arrived today... he appears to be healthy and has 8 wonderfully long legs. He turns a reddish-brown color when stressed, but is a beautiful whiteish-bluegreen with flashing brown spots when more relaxed. No name for him yet, my son wants to observe him for a few days first. Will keep everyone posted in the appropriate forum and get some picture too.

HMMMM dunno about the eBay listing that states that briareus will eat aiptasia????? :/

How large is your new briareus? Let me know what it's name is and I'll enter it on the List of Our Octopuses.

Nancy

Hi Nancy... his mantle is about 2-inches high and his legs probably 7-inches long. I think he's already made a meal of a turbo snail that was in the tank. He's probably hungry after his long trip. Does anyone soak their frozen foods in vitamins before feeding? I can't wait to get some pictures, I'll be posting them as soon as I get some good ones.

I also saw that Colin...I know that seller, as i've bought dwarf seahorses from him...they all died btw...neurological problems that I think came from contaminated holding tanks...

HMMMM dunno about the eBay listing that states that briareus will eat aiptasia????? :/

Wow. And I have oceanfront property in Arizona.

I received my octo from Richard at TampaBay saltwater yesterday. Arrived in excellent condition. Very nice and very healthy! It is supposed to be a o.vulgaris. I will put pics on later today for all to see and let me know what species it is.

Good news and bad news. Good news is that the octopus is doing well, she is a she because sge laid eggs (4-5 clusters of small eggs). She also has faded looking spots on each side, so I am assuming that she is not a vulgaris. I would have guessed from the source that I would get a true vulgaris. Is it so difficult to get one????

Wow, laid eggs already.....that means she's at the end of her lifespan and probably has a few weeks or less left to live. :(

I'm on the lookout for a Bimac....if anyone knows of any for sale, let me know...

Good news and bad news. Good news is that the octopus is doing well, she is a she because sge laid eggs (4-5 clusters of small eggs). She also has faded looking spots on each side, so I am assuming that she is not a vulgaris. I would have guessed from the source that I would get a true vulgaris. Is it so difficult to get one????

The faded looking spots are probably where her chromatophores are not working any more, it is a sign of senescence.

I second that cuttlegirl. Blinky (my bimac) got these spots a few weeks before dying. Gruesome looking...

maybe it is filosus or hummellincki as they are now called, because it came from the atlantic and it has eyespots. If they are large eggs it would be wonderful if you can try and keep them alive, and maybe sell them, because i would love to have one, as im sure many others on here would.

Well, that was quick!

We do know where it came from, so that's something. I believe that some vulgaris do have eyespots, but I don't think the ones from the Florida/Caribbean area do - but I'm not sure.

What about the eggs? How many and how large are they?

Nancy

4 or 5 clusters hanging upside down in the live rock cave I made. They are very small eggs. I have had and hatched bimaculoides eggs and these are far tinier than those. She is now laying from the roof of the cave, covering her eggs. She is about saucer size. Very light in color. Almost a cream color with lots of black veiny patterns. She does look like a vulgaris. I have a filosus and she looks nothing like that.

I stand corrected. There are approximately 10-15 of these clusters hanging from the rock, as well as a few in a corner of the tank. I just removed a small choc. chip star from the tank as I am sure he would enjoy the caviar. What are the odds of my actually hatching these out and having some survivors? ANy tips, hints, or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

'She does look like a vulgaris. I have a filosus and she looks nothing like that.'

is what I thought too....came from a lobster trap in the Keys.....which are usually vulgaris......but I am not an octo guy...but a rock guy!

Will be interesting if you can keep the little guys alive!

sea ya
Richard TBS

So now we've heard from Richard of TBS, who thought this was a vulgaris. Maybe we can figure out what species you have, but meanwhile, you have the eggs to deal with.

You are in the same situation as Stevie, so look at her post HELP I HAVE EGGS and the advice given:
http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11655

Nancy

The briareus that I purchased off eBay is doing great. He loves frozen scallops and shrimp. I offered silversides to him one night and he gave them back. My son has been away since Thanksgiving so he still doesn't have a name. Hopefully soon we'll be able to post pictures and a name.

Zombie congratulations on your eggs and good luck raising them. Also, how did your eBay seller handle the loss of your first Vulgaris?

:baby:wawo it is hard to keep octo eggs allive?

the seller from eBay refunded the cost of the octo, not the s/h. I guess that is the standard from most of these wholesalers. As far as the octo from TampaBay saltwater, this is an exceptional animal, very interactive, playful, and eating very well. It just is a bummer that she laid these eggs. This was one of the nicest looking octos I have ever had. I strongly recommend dealing with Richard at TBS for anyone interested in obtaining one. He is keeping an eye out for another one for me, a smaller one.

Here are a few pics, sorry about the quality. I will try and post a few videos as well.

The first pic has that greenish tint, sort of like a briareus, but the others don't look as green.

I think they all looks very green.

The green...shine?...is common for briareus. I'd bet that that's what it is.

yea i have a feeling thats what it is as well, since its too small for a mature vulgaris laying eggs. Check if it has a lot of webbing between each leg/arm.

Briareus is a large egg species.

Can we move this conversation into another thread as it doesn't really fit in this one, please.

Here are a few more pics. It very well may be a briareus. Doesn't have any webbing that is out of the ordinary though. The last briareus I came across had alot of webbing.

here is a link to the video of the new mother Briareus??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYuwm7uWZaY

Zombie,

Can you open a new thread either in Octopus Care, or the identification forum?

One more video ....................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHWh_tFkWGY

I started a new thread titled Octopus Identification.

Please visit.

Getting back to octopus availability, Tom at Tom's carribean had small briareus for sale for $36.00. I just placed my order and am eagerly awaiting my newest family member to arrive at my door in the morning. The last one I ordered from there came DOA, Tom was nice enough to refund my cost of the octopus, not the s/h. Once again, that seems the norm for all the livestock people. Any advice on keeping one of these? Tom said that they are slow to acclimate to artificial salt water, is this true? What temp would be best for him?

It has been a while since I have been on this forum so I'm trying to catch up on newer posts. Long story short I was wondering if anyone could recommend some place to buy an octo or two. Also, what species would you recommend? I will be putting one into a 90 gal and one in a 60ish gal. I have kept an octopus for a while a year or so ago but I had to sell him as I moved a couple times in a short period of time. I will need to get the octos shipped to me as I live in NE. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

I forgot to add that I am leaning towards the briareus, bimac, or dwarf species (I only know the merc).

Thanks

dwarf might not be a very entertaining octo since they're nocturnal. Bimac would be good if you can keep the temperature in the low 70's or high 60's, and briareus would also be good. They are actually nocturnal but have been known to change to a more diurnal pattern. You can order a briareus from Tom's Caribbean, he seems to be pretty reliable.

Thanks for the help. I will contact him and see what he has.

I realize that bimacs are pretty hard to come by right now, but does anyone know where I can purchase one? I have done some searching and I can't find one. Any help is appreciated!

I got mine (95% sure) from my LFS but they ordered it from Underwater World.... and i have now been told that they sell to the public... but it was a "tank raised assorted octopus" so no guarrantee

I tried calling them but their automated system said they were "strictly wholesale." If you know a way to contact them or a way to find out if they are willing to sell to the public I would owe you one.

Thanks

oh... one of the people here that we are friends with that worked at a LFS said that they stopped getting things from them because you could just walk in there and get everything for the same price... but maybe she is thinking of somewhere else... I don't know where they are located... but I will try to find out what there min. order is because I have my wholesalers license.

oh and Shipposhack was looking for a bimac... he works at a LFS in salt lake... so i told him about underwater world too... so maybe he will put in his $.02 on what he has found out

I appreciate the help and let me know what you find out. I talked to the owner of one of the LFS's here in Omaha and he doesn't order from them anymore. He thought their minimum order was $500 but he wasn't sure.

Was wondering if anyone had any experiences with the octopus sold at Big Al's in montreal. Wouldn't mind some input from those bought in other parts of the country. Thanks!

:welcome: to TONMO. Do you know what species they sell?

Both Saltwaterfish.com and thepetstore.com appear to have octopuses in stock. The petstore claims to have both Vulgaris and Blue Ring(not recommended)..I am thinking about getting one from saltwaterfish, but i am undecided.

If you get one from SWF it will be interesting to see if he survives long. All the ones that were purchased late July/Early August died within a couple weeks. It could have been the timing though, if the ones they have now are the same species.

yea, but im not sure because the octopus i have now turned out to be nocturnal, so i barely see it, thats why i rather not order unless i know what species it is

drsfosterandsmith.com say they have octos in stock... indo-pacific octopus

drsfosterandsmith.com say they have octos in stock... indo-pacific octopus

Whats the more popular octo species available from the indo-pacific?

it would be A. Aculeatus which make great pets, but the one i got from them, that i currently have only comes out at night and doesn't interact too much, so i don't know if it would be a good idea to order from them..

I actually ended up ordering an octo from liveaquaria (drfostersmith). I wanted a bimac or briareus but I couldn't find either. Toms Caribbean had one briareus that I was going to get but he said that the air was accidentally cut from the tank and it died.

Long story short I just got my new octo in from liveaquaria. It is pretty active especially with light off and red leds on. But even when the normal lights are on it is out. I've only had him for 3 days but he seems to be doing well. I know for sure he is eating. I have no real experience IDing octo species so when I get a good pic I will post under a different thread.

It's mantle is around 1.5-2 inches and I would guess that from mantle to the tip of the tentacles would be around 8-9 inches. The tentacles are long compared to its mantle (in my opinion) and they are very skinny. There is not much webbing between them.

I tried getting any information about species or any info to better a guess through liveaquaria but they really couldn't tell me much. They do offer a 14-day guarantee which is very reassuring.

yea that description seems to fit the one i got except that it has never come out with the lights on. At first i got it to eat frozen shrimp but then it started pushing that away or taking it and just leaving it, without eating, so then i fed it fresh shrimp (never frozen), took that for about a week, then lost interest, so now it only eats live shrimp that are in its tank. In my opinion it doesnt exactly make a very good octopus as a pet since its mostly nocturnal and a picky eater, but yours appears to be more willing to come out, and might be a different species..

I've only had mine a couple days but it is out. He isn't as active with the light on but is out. It made a little cave the first day the light was on but I haven't seen it using it since. I only have a single fluorescent light on the tank which might also make some difference.

Richard of Tampa Bay Saltwater has O. mercatoris and has a special offer (with special conditions):

I have 3-4 mercatoris....small most likely around 6 months old......going to do the santa claus thing with them.......anybody that wants one, is set up to care for it and has suficent live food...and can demonstrate that....serious octo keeps only, please no first timers/unprepared/under equipped...can have one for the cost of shipping and the box, total cost of $50.00...no guarantees,no arrive alive guarantee, in the US only...will be sent by overnight mail...to their door.

Any interested takers need to fill out online order form with comments.....and I will ship them the day after Christmas....
Ho-Ho-Ho Richard TBS

Nancy

Richard of Tampa Bay Saltwater has O. mercatoris and has a special offer (with special conditions):



Nancy

Oh, that is tempting... My 55 gallon is looking rather empty and sad these days... Now if only I wasn't so sleep deprived that I often forget to feed my non-human family members :bonk:. I wouldn't want to neglect an octopus - at least my cat and dog remind me that it's dinnertime.

Has anyone taken up Richard on his offer? I am thinking about it. I have an empty 58. Its so tempting.

I thought about it too if I could just guarantee an unmated female :roll:. I so wanted Sisturus to produce offspring to see if his behavior would follow. I decided against taking the chance though as I think it would likely risk the remaining lives of Sisturus and Medusa and possibly the new octo to try.

Soonerfan, A 58 would not be your best choice if you wanted to see and attempt interaction with a dwarf though. My two most interactive are in a 15 hex and I fear anything larger than a 20 might encourage another MIA (Missing In Aquarium) who would not be seen for two weeks at a time while young and still waits for his food behind the overflow most nights (now at 9 months). I have yet to determine a lifespan for mine but the female had her brood at 8 months and her mother lived almost 12 weeks after the hatching. Richard is guessing these are 6 months old so an additional 6 months would be very optimistic. On the other hand, if you acquired a mated female or attempted raising multiples (shipping should not be much more, if any, for 2), it could get interesting :mrgreen: (my other three are in a 45 hex and the current babies were conceived and born there).

Just thought I would let anyone interested know that nyaquatic.com lists 3 vulgaris available. I'm on their weekly list, so these were just added in the past week. I'm looking for another bimac, or possibly a cuttle, my bimac passed away a few months ago and I really miss him. He was very interactive and friendly, always coming out to visit with me and play. So anyway, somebody with a bigger tank may be interested in the vulgaris.

Sheryl

Well :welcome: svxVT I am too looking for a bimac, so tell me if you find one!

svxVT, have you ordered from nyaquatic before and are they a trustworthy seller? Im just curious because i might be interested in buying from them if they indeed have a vulgaris available.

my lfs, Aquarium Connection has 2 octos. one is a small tank bred bimac and the other is un-identified. Theyre getting me my bimac in a few weeks. I live in westlake village ca and the lfs is in thousand oaks ca. their website is theaquariumconnection.com Im not sure if they'll ship but it may be worth a try.

my lfs, Aquarium Connection has 2 octos. one is a small tank bred bimac and the other is un-identified. Theyre getting me my bimac in a few weeks. I live in westlake village ca and the lfs is in thousand oaks ca. their website is theaquariumconnection.com Im not sure if they'll ship but it may be worth a try.

Damn that would be perfect but I have another like 7-8 weeks until I need it.

there are octos available at saltwaterfish.com

there are octos available at saltwaterfish.com

Those would be O. hummellincki/O. filosus. Several people got those a few months back from swf.com and most everyones died within a week or so. I ordered two, and one of them lived 3 weeks and one lived 10 days. A few of them laid eggs after a few days. That said, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying it out, as they may have young ones now since it was quite possible we just all caught them at the end of their life cycle. Since it's been a few months they may be younger ones now. They are diurnal.

Its also very possible that they got different species now instead of o hummellincki, but i rather not risk it again, im waiting until i am certain of the species before i get it.

Possible. There was a member the year before that got O hummelincki too though. And, the owner of SWF.com told us they don't order them, they just receive them in shipments from Haiti. Looks like they're all gone now anyway.

Check Marketplace!!!

I might be able to acquire some o. briareus, just wondering if anyone would be interested.

I might be able to acquire some o. briareus, just wondering if anyone would be interested.

I am interested as well.

Mark,

if you could find out whether or not i can ship them internationally then i will surely try to, though it will be quite a long trip from Florida to Ontario. Just to clear things up i am still not sure if i will get them, but if enough people are interested i will certainly try. I have no prior experience shipping octopuses so i cant guarantee anything if i do decide to ship them. I will certainly try my best though.

i would be interested in either a briareus or vulgaris if you can get them. im in sc so im not that far away. on another note ive been talking to the local shrimpers around here and ive made a few connections to aquire any interesting creatures that get caught... for example... octos, squid, sea horses, etc... figure ill put together a little local tank maybe:grin:

ok i have about 3 people interested, and i plan on getting myself one as well, so i think ill try and get them. Just wondering does anyone know how i should ship these? I need to plan ahead if I'm actually going to do this.

Well I would get a large bag and fill it 50% with water and 50% with pure O2. Don't put any food in it. And ship the whole thing in a Styrofoam container.

I would be interested as well,if they can be shipped to Canada.

I doubt if octopuses can be easily shipped across the border.

Here is Thales advice on shipping, from the thread about the octopus needing rescue:

Best would be trippled bagged 50% water 50% o2 closed with rubberbands. Then put that bag in a styro cooler that fits the bag, tape it shut. Put that whole thing in a cardboard box (one that fits it tight) and ship via fed ex. The box the cuttlegirl shipped the eggs in is great for eggs and hatchlings, but for an adult octo, I would much rather have the o2 then the leakproofness. FWIW, millions of fish and inverts and corals are shipped yearly across the world in plastic bags, in styros in cardboard. Perhaps the LFS could help you out (I assume that is where you get the o2 from) - they may even have some shipping boxes on hand. Also, fed ex or other shipping store may have styros and 'outers' for sale.
Oh - don't forget to add a heat pack. You can get them at sporting good stores, try to get the one that lasts the longest.
__________________

shipping from florida to ontario is a common practice for many wholesalers, just need proper permits and such to do so. some species require cities permits as well, ie: seahorses! I have purchased from florida keys many times, but certain species don't ship well as the border(customs)stay is about 8 hours to 3 days depending on the shipment. I will get some info on shipping, as for Canadian orders I may be able to get them shipped to Toronto airport and distribute them for you to the people who purchase them may be easier for long shipping times.

Mark,

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Live-Saltwater-Dwarf-Octopus-Mated-pair-extras_W0QQitemZ140198231047QQihZ004QQca tegoryZ66788QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem

It's Danthemarineman who's offering those octopuses, so they would be mercatoris. He is a TONMO.com member.

Nancy

I hope you are all following the story of the octopus who needs a rescue over in the Marketplace forum

http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=108385#post108385

Nancy

Well the store that was supposed to get a bunch of octopuses in ended up only getting one which didnt seem to be in very good shape so i am now getting one from Tom. Since he lives close we are meeting up and he will give it to me personally. Can't wait. He should have a few more if anyone else is interested. Here is his website : http://members.aol.com/tscaturro/Main.html

Im looking to get a young Bimac if anyone can point me to one. Thanks!

Hi Just wanted to know if anyone has a dependable source for YOUNG briareous.....or pygmy..........any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks all!

Ken:rainbow:

A number of TONMO people have purchased O. mercatoris from danthemarineman, a member of Tonmo. You could send him a private message.

Nancy

Im looking to get a young Bimac if anyone can point me to one. Thanks!

:welcome: Jarob.

There hasn't been any news about bimacs lately, although in theory Zyan Silver's dad is raising a bunch that will be available sometime... but we haven't had news on that for a few months. Other than that, the sources for bimacs have largely dried up: Marinebio_guy is no longer living in bimac territory (although I suppose he might try raising them in Hawaii, but he won't be able to just go and capture them easily) and the one professional breeder, Octopets, went out of business a few years ago. I think the NRCC may still raise them, but they're not allowed to sell to anyone other than official educational institutions.

:welcome: to Tonmo

there's a LFS in Framingham, MA that i have been using called Tropical Isle. They told me they stock octopuses (miscellaneous) through most of the colder months because they're less likely to bake and die in transit.

I've also been told that they have a contact at their wholesaler who can ID reliably. I'm currently waiting to find out if they can get me a Bimac.

Just thought this might be of interest to anyone in the Mass area!

Hi all-

Thought I'd send a link to a new vendor of mine!!! Very nice guy, just be sure to let him know that Ken Williams from Ohio sent you and he'll take care of you! If you wouldn't mine letting me know as well when you make request of him, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks all and here is the link to his site and my email address:

www.saltwaterearth.com

my email: KWilliams10@WOH.RR.COM :welcome::rainbow:

I have 5 Octupus Vulgaris available at $75 each plus shipping, depends on area being shipped too, shipping may be free in some local areas.


Mark T. Vicary
Aqua Tech Exotic Design
www.aquatechexoticdesign.com
mark@aquatechexoticdesign.com
519-826-1718

I would like two of these.How old are they? size? Do you have any pics?
I will PM you.

PM'd and e-mailed.

I have 5 Octupus Vulgaris available at $75 each plus shipping, depends on area being shipped too, shipping may be free in some local areas.


Mark T. Vicary
Aqua Tech Exotic Design
www.aquatechexoticdesign.com
mark@aquatechexoticdesign.com
519-826-1718

HI Mark,

Are these still available?I have PM'd and E-mailed about them but no reply.

sorry been away, yes i have ten more coming as well, I already have 4 gone but i can still get you some, as for shipping, I am trying to find a cheaper source as Air Canada can be kinda pricey on smaller items. give me a couple days to get pricing. and maybe have some pics for ya too.

Mark,

There's an octopus available at the Tropical Isle, the LFS i've been using in Framingham Mass.

They had ordered me a bimac from their dealer but what they got is clearly something different (could be a merc or other dwarf species). It is pretty freaked out and doesnt seem comfortable, and in all likelihood will end up getting sold to someone with no clue what theyre doing. Any with a nice home in the mass area? I believe theyre selling it for $39.99.

more information and -photos- in my "ID requests" thread: http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=109162#post109162

I found a web site sellling "Octopus bimaculatus" http://www.wholesaleaquaticsupplies.com/shop/index.php?cPath=469_532_534&osCsid=2cccb1ac685f194f07873226e24b5cb0

Regarding "WholeSaleAquaticSupplies", a.k.a "OceanPro", mentioned in the above posts: I had a really terrible experience with them, to the point I have gone to a lawyer to deal with them. I wouldn't recommend them for anything, let alone an octopus. A big Caveat emptor for them!:sad:

i believe marinedepotlive.com has 2 tank raised bimacs available right now. a staple part of their website is "bimaculatus", which is always listed but you are supposed to email them for availability.

I had been in touch over the last couple months with a customer service rep. there regarding an unrelated incident and asked her if she could check if they had any bimaculoides available. she heard from the warehouse manager that there were two available, and offered to go check them out in person and email me pictures (below with her index finger for scale):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/2232171206_68424916c3_o.jpg

i ordered one excitedly and it arrived yesterday, but it looks like the guys at the warehouse sent me an Aculeatus instead (though the packing slip still says "tank raised."

I showed the tech support person the pictures of my new pet and she confirmed that what they sent me is a different octopus than the ones she saw. Presumably they still have those two in the warehouse. presumably (big ?) they are actually tank-raised bimacs. Personally i'm happy with the mistake. i like my new friend a great deal, even though it's not what i was expecting. I just thought you guys might be interested in buying up the two bimacs (?) that i discovered.

A word of warning: marinedepotlive seems to have EXCELLENT customer support but there seem to be a lot of communication problems between the office and the warehouse. i ordered a puffer fish from them which was accidentally shipped to my BILLING address--a home with no fish tank. and now there was this octopus mixup. Just be advised. On the positive side, because of the puffer fish debaccle, i paid only $12 for my new Aculeatus, and Kira got it shipped for free.

I don't recommend trusting what any retailer says about octopus identification. Sometimes these critters are hard even for biologists to identify. These companies don't specialize in cephalopods, typically when they have one it's because their wholesaler misread the code for a clownfish :)

I don't recommend trusting what any retailer says about octopus identification. Sometimes these critters are hard even for biologists to identify. These companies don't specialize in cephalopods, typically when they have one it's because their wholesaler misread the code for a clownfish :)

yeah i have quickly learned that! approach with caution! i just wanted to share the little information i gathered while on the search.

There are octopuses available on saltwaterfish.com if anyone is interested..