bought an octopus, but what kind?

[corpusse]

That photo was taken after just eating a crab.

Early this morning I saw him out! For the first time ever other then the one time he left the den area for a crab. Unfortunately I had just woken up so my eyes were still a little blurry. I wanted to count his arms, but instead went to get the camera and by the time I came back he was gone.

It's now been about 9 weeks since I got him and I've gone from not seeing him at all to seeing him inside the rock almost everyday and seeing an arm or occasionally his head out about twice a week. All of the sightings have occurred with the lights out. Progress at least, hopefully it won't be too much longer before I see him fully out again.

 

[corpusse]

It's a good thing I am home waiting for deliveries..

I could not get him to eat the shrimp. When I moved it right onto him he'd stick to it but wasn't interested in eating it. He may have grabbed a crab later on. I put 2 in and it looked like he got one, but it was not like the earlier time when he pounced on it. He seems very comfortable eating every 2-3 days and not interested in either live or frozen food daily, at least not to the point where he will actively hunt daily, he may take a crab when its right in front of him but won't go cross tank for a daily meal.

I watched him for a good 20minutes and he moved all over the right side of the tank. Going through a few holes, climbing on the rock, and staying out in the open. Once again the flash was not a big bother. he'd move a bit after a flash but not out of sight. I didn't take too many as I didn't want to bother him too much.

Today was the best day yet I saw him out longer today then every other day combined.

 

[DWhatley]

I love the first shot in post #107. It portrays their curiosity. He has likely been watching you a lot more than you realize.

Have you tried (I am lazy today, forgive me if the answer it only a scroll away and my memory on who I recently mentioned this to gets cloudy at times ) shell ON shrimp. Monty will not take ANYTHING without a shell (oddest eating behavior we have seen yet). The twins may have been somewhat subject to this oddity but I can't be sure. The first frozen shrimp they took regularly was some I brought back live that did not make the journey back but were still fresh. At first we thought they may be finally accepting them because they WERE fresh and possibly more tender than grocery shrimp but with Monty's odd preference, perhaps the shell is involved in identifying food (or not ).

 

[corpusse]

That could very well be the case.

A couple of times when I saw watched him from the dark I even shinned the flashlight on me so he'd see me.

I have been feeding large shrimps. I usually thaw them for 30minutes and cut off about a 3rd of them and peel it. I have never tried shell on, but I did read about your guy only taking with the shell on. I will give it a try next time, however he has taken and eaten without the shell several times. It just seems he is not always hungry.

 

[DWhatley]

Their eating patterns seem to vary heavily from individual to individual. We get some that are ravenous pigs and others that are picky and health does not seem to be part of the equasion. With the twins, Cassy eats more (not quite twice) than Tank but neither want as much food as Legs (who could consume bait 6 shrimp a day) All three are/were briareus and Cassy and Tank sibblings (one male one female). The only parallel is that the females may eat more than the males (Legs was female).

 

[corpusse]

So I checked him out again today around the same time. He was not out today. He spends most of his time at the "back door" to his den. It's interesting that he has placed some rocks around the back entrance to make it smaller. I can usually see him through the hole now that he is a little bigger. Usually when I shine a flashlight on him he'll move a bit, not out of view but enough to show reaction to the light. This morning I shinned the light again and instead of just moving around he poked his head out and looked right at the light (i didn't shine directly in his eyes). I then shinned the light on me, I don't know if he can see me or not but what the heck. I put 2 more crabs in but he didn't react. I will now try and go 2 days without attempting to feed him. Maybe 3. It seems only when he is really hungry will he come out as soon as the food hits the tank, be it live crabs or shrimp on a stick.

The fear does seem gone and is replaced by curiosity.

 

[corpusse]

Fed him shrimp again tonight. Quickly came out of the den and pulled it off the stick. Didn't pull the stick at all which he used to. Now he slides it off.

More pics. Once again flash was no problem. he reacts more to the flashlight then the camera flash actually. Hard to say for certain but I think the missing arms have grown back.

 

[DWhatley]

It certainly looks like you are making progress. Somedays Cassy will come out for almost an hour and be very curious with her lights on but the room light off. Tank, however, is being very recluse (and I thought he was the one that would start coming out first) and we only see him with coaxing at the 11:00 feeding time.

 

[Lmecher]

Your octopus is beautiful. The flash photos really shows off the blue/green shimmer. My O. briareus didn't seem to mind the flash either.

 

[corpusse]

Thanks.

Day 46 - I can't believe it's only been that long. Today for the first time ever I got him to partially come out with the lights still on. One and a bit arms.

I noticed a crab had died so I impaled the corpse and waved it around the back door to the den. He eventually grabbed it hard and pulled it back into the den. The crab couldn't fit all the way through the hole so the craw stayed visible. I left him alone and came back and the claw had broken off

I haven't really been trying too much to feed during the day, but I'm going to start to more.

 

[Lmecher]

I would tap on the glass just prior to putting the food in the tank. Diablo learned that this ment food was comming.

 

[corpusse]

A couple of interesting observations this morning :

One I saw him on the left side of the tank for the first time. I know he goes there, there are various claws and shells on that side of the tank. He was out and about cruising the rock.

Two : I got him to eat 2 days in a row. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad. I stuck a piece of shrimp on my feeding stick real tight. This time he did have to struggle a bit to get it off, his strength has really improved i pulled back hard, he'd pull forward harder. The struggle lasted a good 2-3 minutes.

He reached his arms up the feeding stick which is just 2 chopsticks glued together, his arm reach was the length of one. The entire time he braced himself against the rock so I couldn't pull him completely off the rock and he also wouldn't get go of the shrimp. I took some pics, but once he got it, I took a couple more then left him alone to enjoy his prize.

 

[DWhatley]

He's adorable. I am so glad you are finally seeing him (and enjoying having an octopus!)

 

[corpusse]

He's adorable. I am so glad you are finally seeing him (and enjoying having an octopus!)

The first month was really trying.

 

[DWhatley]

One of the things I am trying to determine with Cassy and Tatanka is sort of a "best" size (with the implication of age) to shoot for with this species when the option is available. Both species I have raised from hatchlings have proven to be very recluse until roughly 5 months and I have suggested that as probably optimum. Six months may be better but I am not sure how to tell the difference . Your frustration is echoed by Animal Mother and somewhat by CaptFish (the only others I can remember who started wtih very young briareus). The journals will continue to be helpful when others are excited by and then disappointed in young ones.