- Joined
- Sep 25, 2006
- Messages
- 572
I'm getting tired of reading threads about people getting new octopuses that die soon after delivery. I'm sure that many of the recent cases were the result of poorly insulated packaging and winter shipping to cold locations, but I wonder how many such deaths are due to, or exacerbated by, improper acclimation. I searched on Tonmo and found no articles that describe how to do acclimation correctly for an octopus (or anything else) and I only found one thread that addressed the topic. I thought that thread was a bit unclear and incomplete, and I think we can do better. This is Tonmo, where newbies come to get the knowledge they need to get their first octopus (or other ceph), and I think we need to tell newbies how to acclimate their new arrivals. I would write an article myself, but I've kept only self-caught bimacs from tide pools, which I believe are uniquely tolerant of abrupt changes in water conditions, and don't go for long plane rides in little bags. While the bimacs don't seem to mind, I think most of you would gasp if you read how I "acclimate" a new bimac, and I've never researched the slower method that we should probably recommend for most people.
So who wants to volunteer to write an article to teach newbies the right way to acclimate a new octopus?
My guess is that the best way to acclimate an octopus is only slightly different than the best way to acclimate any reef aquarium animal, would you agree? If so, maybe we should simply provide a link to an external detailed description intended for reefers, and write up only the ways that acclimating an octopus (or cuttlefish) might differ from the standard procedure. For example:
Since octopus are more sensitive to low oxygen levels, should we recommend an air stone in the bag during acclimation?
What precautions, if any, should be taken to keep an octopus from escaping during acclimation, and would simply rubberbanding the bag around the drip tube create a gas exchange problem? A back-pressure problem?
What should I do if my octopus has inked during shipping, or inks during acclimation?
Whether we write a complete article, or just provide a link and some added octopus specific tips, I think we should also include species specific tips or warnings. Do nocturnal species or dwarfs need special treatment?
If one of us writes an article, should we open it up for peer review, editing, or additions? Is there already a Tonmo procedure for submitting articles, and reviewing/editing them? I know we could just do a thread, but those tend to be short, and I'm afraid that a thread might only give the bullet points, and leave too much room for newbies to do something wrong.
Thoughts, ideas?
So who wants to volunteer to write an article to teach newbies the right way to acclimate a new octopus?
My guess is that the best way to acclimate an octopus is only slightly different than the best way to acclimate any reef aquarium animal, would you agree? If so, maybe we should simply provide a link to an external detailed description intended for reefers, and write up only the ways that acclimating an octopus (or cuttlefish) might differ from the standard procedure. For example:
Since octopus are more sensitive to low oxygen levels, should we recommend an air stone in the bag during acclimation?
What precautions, if any, should be taken to keep an octopus from escaping during acclimation, and would simply rubberbanding the bag around the drip tube create a gas exchange problem? A back-pressure problem?
What should I do if my octopus has inked during shipping, or inks during acclimation?
Whether we write a complete article, or just provide a link and some added octopus specific tips, I think we should also include species specific tips or warnings. Do nocturnal species or dwarfs need special treatment?
If one of us writes an article, should we open it up for peer review, editing, or additions? Is there already a Tonmo procedure for submitting articles, and reviewing/editing them? I know we could just do a thread, but those tend to be short, and I'm afraid that a thread might only give the bullet points, and leave too much room for newbies to do something wrong.
Thoughts, ideas?