Isis O. bimaculoides NEW OCTOPUS Surprise from my Husband!

[cuttlegirl]

As if to add insult to injury I discovered a leak in the tank. I have no idea what to do now Its a slow leak but I dont know how long it will hold.

When it rains, it pours. I think I would just wait if it is a slow leak and see how she is doing, I think you don't want to introduce anymore stress in her life, by changing her environment..

 

[CaptFish]

I think the the dry time is 24hrs., I'm looking for my tube so I can read the label.

 

[Joe-Ceph]

I'm assuming that you have a glass tank, and that the leak is near the top of one of the vertical seams. I'm also assuming that it's true that you can't lower the water level to below the leak because your overflow can't be cut down. If that's all true, I have a suggestion. Use a furniture clamp to press the two pieces of glass that comprise the seam together, squeezing the little strip of silicone that is between them. That will do two things: 1) probably stop or at least slow the slow leak. 2) add structural support to the seam so that the water pressure inside the tank can't cause the seam to pull apart even more. just make sure that you pad the metal ends of the furniture clamp with wood or paper or something so that they can't chip the glass, and tighten the clamp good and snug, but don't go nuts.

Is there anyway to chop down your overflow so that the water level in your tank can be below the leak? If the tank is bottom drilled, it should be possible, but if it's side drilled it could be tricky. just make sure that you dont' make it too easy for your octopus to clog up, or escape through a modified overflow.

 

[DWhatley]

As a precautionary note, if you use silicone, be sure it is aquarium grade (inside or out). The silicones that are NOT marked aquarium grade are held in ammonia where the aquarium versions are usually kept in liquid form with vinegar. I thought about CaptFish's repair but the vinegar takes awhile to dispapate (longer than the dry time). If you can bend the acrylic (heat gun needed) and totally fill any air space rather than using two pieces, it will help prevent further seam leaks (Be sure to clamp both sides while drying) but anything stopping the leak will help with containing further splitting.

 

[Joe-Ceph]

THANK YOU! I will do exactly that... I can buy some 1/4 inch acrylic and silicone the hell out of it.

silicone doesn't stick to acrylic, so while silicone will form around a piece of acrylic, and may mechanically hold it in place, simply by virtue of its shape when cured, it will not adhere to acrylic. Use glass if you want silicone to stick.

 

[SabrinaR]

I think Joe your suggestion is a good one... I didnt know silicone wont hold acrylic so its good I checked back. The leak is a very very slow one... thank goodness. So we have a tiny bit of time to figure out what were gonna do.

On the Isis front... Is yellowish brown a good color for an octo to be... To me she looks more yellow but my husband says he sees brown too

 

[cuttlegirl]

When my large acrylic tank sprang a leak at the seam (it was an old lobster tank), I used tie-down straps for a truck with a ratcheting buckle. I put it around the perimeter of the tank and tightened them (but not too much). Doesn't look great, but it did the trick.

http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratchet-Straps-Tie-Downs

 

[SabrinaR]

Update on Isis. I finally got a good look at her and she doesnt look good at all. She is sort of a yellowy white color and has what looks like bruises on her mantel. I would have thought if she was going to she would have recovered by now... am I wrong?

 

[DWhatley]

I have only had the one experience to draw from so I can't be a lot of help. With Octane, the places on his skin that were over exposed turned grey and it was clear that his skin bothered him (likely why he started eating his arms). On occassion we see animals come in from the wild with odd markings (like scars or places that can't color) but the animal does not seem to be effected. Since she is still alive and not trying to remove parts that hurt or irritate after 24 hours, my guess is that she has a chance to recover. It is hard to tell if she is more mentally or physically compromised right now but dying octos I have seen usually look whitish grey.

 

[SabrinaR]

Thank you.. I could kiss you right now. This whole thing has been such an ordeal and nobody in my family really gets it. They could understand if it was a dog or cat you can cuddle with but an octopus... well thats just a fish... nothing to get attached to. They try to be supportive dont get me wrong, but in the end they dont get it so their support while appreciated come across as forced. When I read that you think there could still be hope it brought tears to my eyes. I so need hope right now because I am not ready for her to go yet.

 

[DWhatley]

I went back to Octanes thread and tried to remember the details (this was my most painful experience ever with octopuses, he was a terrific animal and I was trying so hard to push the end out just a little more with the extra water changes so the eye sting is understood and returns just remembering and sharing your situation). Your family may not quite get octo affection but they do get the human hurt so what seems to be forced may be the difficulty of seeing you in distress. I know I am not a good comforter when we have family tragedy because I never know how or what to say to help.

 

[SabrinaR]

You are probably right... I am horrible at comforting my husband. Last year he was having some pains in his chest so we went to the doctor. The doctor ordered a stress test and it was in three day... So what did I do? I tried to make him move a stove, rearrange the sofa's watch the kids... by the end of it he was furious with me and when he finally pushed I broke down sobbing saying I did all of that because you have to be ok and by doing all of this it proves that you’re ok. I guess it just stings and I am mad at myself for this having ever happened so I am over looking or rather underestimating their sincerity.

 

[DWhatley]

That sounds so like something I would do. Sort of the wrong thing for the right reason.

 

[SabrinaR]

Exactly.

 

[Joe-Ceph]

Update on Isis. I finally got a good look at her and she doesnt look good at all. She is sort of a yellowy white color and has what looks like bruises on her mantel. I would have thought if she was going to she would have recovered by now... am I wrong?

I would describe bimacs as having a mottled brown and yellow pattern that changes color and pattern (and texture). From the verbal description, it doesn't sound unusual to me for a bimac. Even patches of white are not unusual. Is she refusing food? When you try to feed her or at any other time, is she able to change color (that would be good). I suspect that you might be wasting a lot of perfectly good anxiety. I still haven't heard anything that makes me expect her to die soon.