Daffy (A)- O.hummelincki

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I posted pics the other day, but I was in hurry to get out the door so i didn't post an update and i forgot to come back...

Daffy is great. still on the shy side when it comes to play amd contact but as long as there is glass between you and him he is a blast. He spend 75% of his time out and about during the day and I see only a little action at night right when I go to bed. His lights come on at 9am and turn off at 7pm.

I have been trying these guys at a colder temp then i have in the past and it seems to agree with them. Both Donald and Daffy's tanks are set at about 73*F. I was afraid it would affect how active they would be but it doesn't seem to the only thing i have noticed is they eat FAR less then any of my other octos. They each eat only one shrimp every day or two. i leave a dozen live shrimp(from the local bait shop) in their tanks with them at all times. Every now and then I will feed them a frozen one just for kicks.
 
I looked up the average monthly temperature for Haiti (where most of the hummelincki we can get come from (?) and found that it is as low as 78 in winter and 83 in summer. 73 may be a little cooler than their natural minimum temp, however the 78-83 figure is surface water temp, and even 30 feed deeper than that is likely to be a few degrees cooler, so maybe 73 is not unnaturally cool for them. I've kept several octopus, all of them bimacs, which I read only live twelve to eighteen months. I find that they live well over two years if I keep the water at the cold side of their natural temp range (or a little below), and feed them sparingly (two or three times per week). At 56 degrees they were less active (natural annual temp range is 58-68), so it's good to see that yours is still active. I think the low temp, and/or the reduced feeding, significantly extends their life. I would even suggest restricting food down to 75% of what they eat when food is always available, and only increase it if they start getting smaller, or try to eat tank mates. Did you drop temp to try to extend life span, or for some other reason?
 
I know you and Roy agree on the minimal feeding for longevity but none of my Caribbean's seem to have any inclination to overeat. One hummelincki was a huge eater (full medium-large shrimp 6 days a week) but all the others have eaten far less in the same environment and I have not seen an increase in appetite with warmer water (due to not having the air on last summer). When I pinned Roy to some numbers, he was feeding about the same total food quantity but fasting more often. Most of my animals have been comfortable with 1 fiddler or a small table shrimp 6 days a week and choose to fast on their own one day a week. Ocassionally, I will get one that does not refuse food, ever (Diego is like this). There may be longevity benefit but because he was so young I have not denied him food and he gets quite pissy if supper is late. I can't claim older aged animals but I can claim normal aging and mostly interactive octos with this method.

Dave, may I grab a couple of your hummelincki closeups for my TONMOCON talk? I don't have any that show the details of their spikes (very different from bimac and I want to show a comparison).
 
73 may be a little cooler than their natural minimum temp, however the 78-83 figure is surface water temp

72* is the average winter water temp around here. And they are native to FL, so I should be fine. the year we had the huge die off of species was when the water went below 68*, but I can only dream of the day i could get my house that cold, my house is about 71* with my A/C maxed out.

Dave, may I grab a couple of your hummelincki closeups for my TONMOCON talk?

Of course! use whatever you want, any octopus.
 
If you remember way back :biggrin2: I was surprised you kept the tanks so warm but was glad to know the briareus had done well when I spent the summer without air and their tank temps exceeded 80. I do think that hatchlings may need the warmer water but my hummelincki did well between 72 and 75. Level_Head and I have bandied about the idea that perhaps the warmer aquarium temps have something to do with the females of that species seeming to brood so quickly after introduction.
 
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Daffy is doing great. I was worried these guys were going to die around the same time but maybe not. Daffy continues to have a good appetite. His coloration is still great, no fading or greying at all. I still cant get him to come to my hand in the tank. he is just too shy. outside the tank he loves it and will play on the glass as long as you want. but as soon as i lift the lid and place my hand in the water, he flattens himself and slowly creeps away to his den.
 
:cry: RIP Daffy

He had been in decline for the past week. First I noticed he was not eating all his shrimp. then he started spending more and more time in his den, and finally yesterday he was out, looking pale and weak. I just got home for lunch and he is being consumed by six shrimp and a star fish. vicious mongrels have you no respect for the dead.

:angelpus:
 

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