• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

Can I Buy this Octo?

I've no suggestion and never seeing O. bocki but knowing O. bocki looks something like an O. mercatoris, Roy's suggestion from the original picture seems like the best offering so far. I went to my journal for Espy and see a similarity in the arm stripes and basic shape but not the eyes or red coloration (I don't think Espy ever showed red). Here is one of Roy's photos of O. bocki . The color the eyes seem to be similar but not sure about those arm stripes (which is why I looked at Espy's pictuers). Octos can show so many color and pattern differences, it is hard to say if a particular species can/does show arm stripes and I have seen them on most I have kept but definitely not all the time. Here is a image I found that claims to be (in situ photo) O. bocki WITH arm stripes.

I definitely think it is nocturnal. You said you had hoped keeping saltwater tanks would increase your patience, enjoying a nocturnal will serve this purpose :wink:
 
I was just looking through the photos on my smart phone and saw that I had taken a short video of the octo while he was still in the acclimation container. I'm going to try to attach it here.

And you're right, D.... I will learn patience and the ability to function on very little sleep (I've always been a night owl anyway). Last night I got up several times to peek in the tank with a flashlight but really am trying to resist because I don't want to spook him while he's so new to this place. Would you come out of hiding if you saw a big scary person with a bright LED in your face each time you came out of your rock? I wouldn't!

click picture to view video
 
First expenditure you need to make is a red flashlight, better would be a red light to place over the tank. With all my nocturnals, I have used a red light on the tank that remained on 24/7. In a dark room, you don't need a great deal of brightness to see in the tank. For a temporary solution (ie ugly but functional) a simple work light (usually found in an automotive department, is silver, cone shaped and often comes with a pinch clip for hanging) and a red flourescent (Wal-Mart and Home Depot have them) screw-in bulb is easy to set up for anything but a tank with an opaque top. Almost of my nocturnals have acclimated to this kind of lighting and became accustomed to me watching them (Espy was the only exception to adapting to my presence, he hunted under the lighting but never acclimated to me).
 
DWhatley;189576 said:
First expenditure you need to make is a red flashlight, better would be a red light to place over the tank. With all my nocturnals, I have used a red light on the tank that remained on 24/7. In a dark room, you don't need a great deal of brightness to see in the tank. For a temporary solution (ie ugly but functional) a simple work light (usually found in an automotive department, is silver, cone shaped and often comes with a pinch clip for hanging) and a red flourescent (Wal-Mart and Home Depot have them) screw-in bulb is easy to set up for anything but a tank with an opaque top. Almost of my nocturnals have acclimated to this kind of lighting and became accustomed to me watching them (Espy was the only exception to adapting to my presence, he hunted under the lighting but never acclimated to me).

LOL Already have a red flashlight posted at every tank in my house, but for some reason last night I was using the bright white LED one to try and find the poor little guy. Tonight I will use one of the red flashlights. I just really want to find the spot that he has chosen so that I'll know where to look and was using all the light I could get in the hopes of seeing a tentacle move.

I love the idea of using nothing but a red light as a tank light but not sure if I can find one to fit this tank... I've got him in a 14 gallon biocube for now. As he gets larger (I HOPE he gets larger!) I will move him to a 34 gallon, and then if we determine that he's going to be a big guy, I will set up my empty 90 gallon cylindrical tank that I've never set up yet. I wonder if they make red bulbs for the Bio cube.... think I'll go search.
Sue
 
Be sure to post any red lights you find that fit any standard tanks, so far we have not found any. Red lighting is not hard to come by or create (I have used red, high temp velum inside an outdoor light and others have covered the top in velum so that the white light is red in the tank). Esthetic red lighting is another story.

I don't believe this one will grow much but the 34 is likely to be the best option even now. One of the antecdotal things we have observed but not quantified is a heavier loss of little ones just after water changes and a better survival success in larger tanks. So the volume of the 34 would give a better buffer for water change trama. The 14 is a little goosey but I have been successful raising mercs in one after they were 5 months old (until that time, however, they were born and housed in a 45).
 
Well apparently Oceanic (mfg. of the Biocube) doesn't offer a red bulb but I'm not giving up on finding one yet. If I find anything you'll be the first to know.

So you think I should move him into the larger tank sooner rather than later? I thought it would be better for him (and me) to have him in a smaller area while we were getting to know each other and also for his ease in finding and catching his food.
Sue
P.S. Were you able to view the video I tried to post? It works in "preview" mode but not when it's actually a submitted post.
 
Photobucket has its own way of doing things and does not provide the best code for VBulletin viewing. The best option I could find (and edited your post with the result) was to click on the share link, then on the get link code tab and copy the clickable thumbnail code under the heading, IMG for bulletin boards & forums. This seems to work to be able to open another window and view the video but will not let you view the video directly from TONMO. When you use this option it would be best to add a note to click on the picture as it is not obvious that there is a video attached.
 
Is it time to worry yet?

I released the little fella into his tank Saturday afternoon and have not seen him since. I try various times throughout a 24 hour period, sometimes with lights on, sometimes with lights off, sometimes with red flashlight, sometimes with white. Not a single sign of him, not even a tentacle tip.

I know it's not uncommon for them to stay holed up and in hiding for up to a week and I don't think he'll starve to death because there are a few small crabs in the tank as well as several shore shrimp. But, as you know, it gets very discouraging and depressing to not find any sign of his existence - I miss him!

At what point do I carefully start removing a few pieces of rock to see some indication that he's still in there? I don't think there's any possible way he escaped but after so many days without a sighting you start to wonder.

Would I do more harm than good by moving some rocks to try to find him? I'm now wishing I had put him in a breeder net for the first few days.
Sue
 
i would just leave the tank be and wait....I like to spend as much time in front of the tank as possible just looking when i cant find them. mostly so the octo sees me and sees that i am not a threat.
 
I would not touch the rocks. I WOULD stop using the white light (this is counter to CaptFish's point). I am currenly experiencing the same frustration with our newest O.briareus but did spot him twice two nights ago by moving the red light around the top of the tank (I have not seen him since). I would also rerecommend keeping a red light on the tank 24/7 (or at least all night). IMO, leaving the red light on does nothing negative, helps acclimate them to it and there never total darkness.
 
CaptFish;189671 said:
i would just leave the tank be and wait....I like to spend as much time in front of the tank as possible just looking when i cant find them. mostly so the octo sees me and sees that i am not a threat.

Alright, when I sit down to watch some TV I will put a chair next to the tank, put on my friendliest, least-threatening face, and occasionally and nonchalantly glance over at the tank. :wink:

DWhatley;189672 said:
I would not touch the rocks. I WOULD stop using the white light (this is counter to CaptFish's point). I am currenly experiencing the same frustration with our newest O.briareus but did spot him twice two nights ago by moving the red light around the top of the tank (I have not seen him since). I would also rerecommend keeping a red light on the tank 24/7 (or at least all night). IMO, leaving the red light on does nothing negative, helps acclimate them to it and there never total darkness.

OK, no more white light, just the red one. I'll have to see what I can rig up this weekend to create a constant red light on that tank. Don't they (or didn't they) sell red Saran Wrap once? Or maybe I can find red transparent film of some sort to tape over the light fixture.

Sue
 
Alright, when I sit down to watch some TV I will put a chair next to the tank, put on my friendliest, least-threatening face, and occasionally and nonchalantly glance over at the tank.

That is exactly what i do. I find they eventually become curious of you and will emerge to investigate.
 
Alright, when I sit down to watch some TV I will put a chair next to the tank, put on my friendliest, least-threatening face, and occasionally and nonchalantly glance over at the tank.

It has occured to me that we may not know a threatening face. One of my favorite sci-fi series (Sector General - James White) often brought this out and suggested that smiling with teeth showing (especially to a species with no teeth) might not be positive :biggrin2:

We keep the octopuses in the "breakfast" room (we should probalby call it the aquarium room). They see regular traffic (including the dogs commings and goings) but also see us daily sit down to supper. Supper time almost always brings them out to observe.
 
DWhatley;189677 said:
It has occured to me that we may not know a threatening face. One of my favorite sci-fi series (Sector General - James White) often brought this out and suggested that smiling with teeth showing (especially to a species with no teeth) might not be positive :biggrin2:

Man, you're making this tough, but if I want to be successful in this hobby I guess I have to go to some extreme lengths. OK, friendly, warm, receptive smile, no teeth. How about if I just get on E-Bay and look for an octopus costume? :sly:
 
How about if I just get on E-Bay and look for an octopus costume?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Remember that most octopuses are cannibalistic :biggrin2:

Marine aquariums are still very much DIY and once you start caring for exotics it gets even more so. The simplest (and likely ugliest) solution is to add a red light to the aquarium (it could shine in near the top from the side if you have an opaque top). If you use something to turn your current light red, IT HAS TO BE HIGH TEMPERATURE compatible and not retain heat (I thought about something like a silicone drain mat - silicone is very heat resistent but retains the heat and could cause other problems). If you have a clear top under your hood and want to color the light by placing something on it, again it must be high heat tolerant and must cover the entire hood.

There are red LED light strips available if you can figure out a way to use them (the Xmas lighting type that are about $10). Potentially, you could wrap the LED rope around the aquarium near the top, outside the cover (I have not tried this). Alex is experimenting with this type of lighting for his new aquarium and there is a sticky in the Tank Talk forum with other suggestions. Whatever you come up with (successful or not) adding what you try to the sticky will be helpful to others.
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top