H.P. Lovecraft - A. aculeatus... I think...

[skywindsurfer]

I know what it's like trusting others with your tank. I had my family tend some of my tanks years ago just for the weekend only to come back and find them totally ruined due to over feeding. We are trying to teach our kids all about nature. Everything they have (toys, clothes, et cetra) is animal related. I hope they grow up to be nature nuts like their ol' man. lol

 

[SabrinaR]

So I went crabing in the tank lol I found it thank God. Still no crawfish. I just cant imagine were its got to.

I think HP was up all night last night. She came out last night to eat that crab and this morning was up till 8 after which she ran to where ever her den is and has been hidden ever since.

 

[SabrinaR]

I find that everyday until I see HP I am holding my breath and praying that she will live. She isnt on any kind of a schedule which makes me nervious, and though shes supposed to be diurnal I feel like shes spending more and more time out at night rather than the day.

I put a live crab in a glass jar with a mesh top wrapped with a rubber band in the tank. Maybe this will be a way that she will get used to where her food comes from. Though I have been giving her shrimp on a stick and she will take it, she wont come to me to get it, I have to touch her arm with it then shes all about it.

 

[CaptFish]

though I have been giving her shrimp on a stick and she will take it, she wont come to me to get it, I have to touch her arm with it then shes all about it.

I had to coax waldo into taking the shrimp in the beginning too. He still does not come to the shrimp but once I get it with in an inch he pounces. On a few occasions I startled him with shrimp and he inked and went to his den, but I try again an hour later and he takes it.

Do you have 'Moon lights' (Blue LEDs) in his tank. I have noticed Waldo loves to perch directly under the one I have in his tank. I should have two but I dropped one in the water so half his tank is dark at night and half in dim blue. He is always on the blue side and likes to perch right in the brightest spot at night.

 

[SabrinaR]

The light on the tank has a white moon light on it. When I kept the living room lights dimmed but the tank light off she would come out onto the glass.

I dont really care if shes out in the day or night, though day time would be more fun for me, I just want her to survive and be happy in her home. From what I have read waiting to know can take as long as 3 weeks but even then I have no idea how old she is or will live.

I know its the stakes of the game but its hard sometimes. I hate not knowing.

 

[DWhatley]

I know its the stakes of the game but its hard sometimes. I hate not knowing.

Unfortunately, it does not get better. You do learn to recognize the beginning of the end but then you will go through denial until they stop eating. Sad but part of the octopus keepers experience.

 

[SabrinaR]

Intellectually I get it... I knew it the first time I read that an octopus only lives a very short while... and I have grown to "understand" more as I have read the various articles as well as the personal experiences of the other people here. I guess it’s truly one of those things that you really can’t understand till you have been there. I am getting that everyday that HP is with me. Everyday I hold my breath. Everyday I feel like I can breathe again once she’s out. And once she’s actually dancing around.... forget about it... I could watch her forever.

I watched her for a long time tonight. She has some shore shrimp that I put in the tank on Wednesday and I just watched her swim around and try and catch them (sometimes she does actually catch them). I tried to put the crab in there but I don’t know if it was to fast, to mean, or what but she wasn’t having it tonight. She came out around 3 this afternoon and was out up until a few moments ago when I finally got her to take shrimp off the stick. (Which I just saw her toss)

I guess she isn’t really that brave an octopus though that’s understandable.

When I went to give her the shrimp this last time I had to make sure that she saw me and the stick from out side the tank. Earlier I just tried to let it touch her arm and she quickly hid. So, this time, from the outside I showed her what I was doing and she watched me the whole time. I had to move slowly but deliberately so she would see no problems with my approach. She sat at the front of the glass watching me with my stick as I removed the lid and danced the shrimp in front of her... I touched an arm with it but she hid under a smallish cave. She didn’t flee to the back of the tank which was progress. While she was in the cave I took the shrimp and touched it to her. That’s when she took it. I would like her to trust me. I hope I can find a way for her to feel that she can, but for now she’s just as shy as can be.

 

[skywindsurfer]

I kind of have the same issue with Bubbles. She's hiding a bit more than usual and so I have to crawl back behind the tank. But the second she sees me she comes out and sits on top the pile of rocks where her den is, waiting to be fed. Except she doesn't run when I get the shrimp next to her. Once it is about an inch or so from her, she literally throws herself at it remarkably fast. Though this wasn't always the case. Sometimes I used to have to dance it infont of her den and sometimes even wedge it into the entrance of the den for her to take it. So all I'm saying is just relax and let it happen. I understand your concern, but I'm sure it will all turn out fine.

 

[SabrinaR]

Camera phone pictures

 

[skywindsurfer]

Really nice photo.

 

[DWhatley]

Very cute pose! Most octos seem to like to hang out in flowing water and we frequently see them around koralias and returns. The most interesting things I have see was one of the briareus, KaySoh, using the suction and rough build up on a Koralia to assist in shedding her sucker pads.

 

[SabrinaR]

I have to say I am very glad that I followed yalls advice and got a smallish octo for my 55 gallon. The one I got from Tom was HUGE compared to HP and HP fits this tank PERFECTLY. She can swim around and hunt and even watch TV if she wants too lol. All and all it was a good choice I think.

My husband doesnt know it yet but I am already planning my next octo tank shshsh dont tell him lol. I think the next tank will be a 125 gallon tank so that I could get some of the larger octos... OR if something like what happened to Capt and Lmecher with the O. vulgaris I will have options.

Should I look at a long tank or would a 4x2x2 be a good choice for a larger octo?

 

[DWhatley]

I am already planning my next octo tank

MTS happens

 

[SabrinaR]

Ok I'm slow what does MTS mean?

 

[DWhatley]

Just to be one ... try googling MTS Aquarium, it won't take long to figure it out.

Of course one member tried MTA with a typo and came up with the old Metropolitan Trans Authority (now known as BART I think) and the infamous folk song