How do you know when octopus is full?

[schackmel]

I know from every other tank I have kept that fish will eat whenever you put food in there tank, so you have to be careful to not overfeed.

However, how do you know your octopus is full? I have a bimac or a linka????? Havent figured it out yet

Anyway we are day 4 and he has ate 2 emerald day I got him at store, 2 the first day, 3 yesterday and 2 today. The minute I put them in the tank he demolishes them. So what is your all experience? I dont want to overfeed but I also dont want to starve him?

Oh yeah, he is a smaller octopus (the LFS said he was still failry small) for a bimac

 

[DWhatley]

Young octopuses eat much more and more frequently than older ones to sustain their initial growth. However, Roy has recorded an observation with his 3 year old bimac (oldest we have on record at TONMO) that feeding less seems to be a major factor in extending their lives. If I recall correctly (Roy, please correct me if I misspeak) he feeds (fed) a couple of crabs every other day. We feed our every day until they show no interest and then skip one day of feeding during the week. This has not led to an extended life but seems to sustain the normal expected life.

 

[Joe-Ceph]

I've always assumed that my bimac would, if given the chance, eat as much as it could, which would certainly be much more than it needs. I feed every third day unless my bimac shows me that it's hungry (by trying to eat a cleaning crew snail or some other tank mate which would normally be ignored). If it's that hungry, I switch to a smaller piece of food every other day. I noticed that for a few weeks before she laid eggs, my female bimac was much hungrier (not surprisingly). I keep the water toward the colder end of normal (60 F) and feed sparingly, to increase life span (assuming that works).

 

[Neogonodactylus]

We feed our bimacs primarily live grass shrimp. They are given as much as they will eat in a few hours three times a week. After each feeding the remains of the the shrimp are removed.

Roy