I have TWO Bimacs!!!

[girlfish]

Well it's settled. The Wonderful Boyfriend is going to solve the problem by buying a hexagonal tank (yes I know I've got a bottom dweller, but I will have to build the reef up with live rock as much as I can.) Ed's looking forward to having a nice freshwater aquarium after the bimac is done with it. He says he wants a Jack Dempsey....? I don't know my freshwater fish and am only interested in cephalopods but hey, whatever makes him happy!
Now I have a few months to look for a good deal on a new decent-sized hexagonal tank.... and I am the bewildered owner of TWO bimacs! (I learned MY lesson about pet stores and ordering octos, that's for sure! I'll stick with Fish Supply.)

 

[girlfish]

If both of my bimacs continue to do well and grow, and one is in a smaller tank than the other- any thoughts about "sharing time" between the two tanks? If I ever decided to switch them into the two tanks so that each could have time in the 75 gallon, maybe every month, I wonder if that would make an escape attempt more likely, since it might be harder for an octo to come back to a smaller home after he's seen a bigger one.....?

 

[cthulhu77]

Don't be too hard on the local store...most of them are fish/ coral only places and they don't know too much about cephs...out here, I never know what I am going to see...
re: he is going to run into some problems with J. Dempseys in a 46 Hex...they will outgrow it fast. Any chance you could talk him into a 55? A fifty five would be cheaper, but I know it takes up some more space...use your feminine wiles!
Glad to hear everything worked out well for you!
Greg

 

[girlfish]

I could probably talk him into a 55 gallon. He likes the hexagonal tanks though, and you have to special order the 55 and 60 gallon hexagonals, and they're double the price from what I see so far....hmmm...

 

[cthulhu77]

the problem re: dempseys, is that they are an elongated predatory cichlid that likes a lot of horizontal swim space...so any hex is going to be a bit of a snag...they would be great for dwarf cichlids though!!!
Good luck!
Greg

 

[Nancy]

You might look over here in Dallas, too. Some of the stores carry a big supply of tanks.

Nancy

 

[girlfish]

Thanks Greg! Then I think he'll go for a 55 gallon, since the pet store near me has a special for the tank, cabinet, top, and light for $250.

 

[cthulhu77]

Way to go Girlfish! You will both be way happier with the 55...good deal too! Send us some pics of the octos when you can...
Greg

 

[girlfish]

Yeah, I must be a great girlfriend because now he wants to compare the 55's with the 75's....oh what, oh what, have I got myself into....this habit is waaay too addictive... But I won't get the big aquarium until this little octo starts getting big. He's tiny in that 12 gallon, and it's easier to keep cool and change the water in that little tank. Once I get the big tank, I'll be fighting to get that thermometer down...
I've named my bimac from Fish Supply "Edwina" after Ed because he bought her for me....
I'm thinking of naming the extra bimac "Mishap" or "Boo-boo."

 

[girlfish]

And WHAT is the deal with this Jack Dempsey fish?! Ed's so excited to have one. He tells me he won't be able to have anything else in the tank because this fish will be so mean....Well, I shouldn't think it strange- I have tanks set up for only one little beast each also.

 

[cthulhu77]

Well heck...how about a 125 with a chiller??? We (guys) are all the same...everytime Shanlyn asks for something I just say "ok"...now if she would only ask for a large ceph tank...hmmmm?
Hey, you never know!
Greg

 

[girlfish]

Yep- I love the way men love nothing more than to step in and solve a problem for a poor girl in distress. I'm just trying to raise two baby bimacs here

 

[cthulhu77]

LOL...yeah, yeah...I know. Shanlyn is more excited about our impending cuttlefish breeding attempt than I am though...should be fun!
Dempseys are a fairly large (8"+) predatory cichlid that have some fascinating behaviours...if you want to have a lot of fun, buy a bunch of youngsters, raise them for a year or so until they pair off, sell the rest and watch the pair raise their young...very cool! If you are cold blooded enough, you can feed the babies to the octopus(es) ! Or perhaps trade them to your local store for more food n' stuff!
Greg

 

[girlfish]

I think Ed would be up for that. His latest email:

The bigger the tank the bigger the Jack Dempsey will grow.
I want one at least a foot long.

One day I will ask you," Has anyone seen the cat??? I haven't seen him in days...."

 

[cthulhu77]

Dempseys are cool...but how about a Bichir? Piglet, one of my females, enjoys biting off the tails of her feeder fish so she can catch them easier, and at her leisure...yikes! (her main diet is pelleted)