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Jocco's Tank Phase 3

Jocco

Vampyroteuthis
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Dec 21, 2014
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386
Location
Staten Island, NY
We think we have enough cleaner critters.

Ordered an octopus today.

Now onto octo proofing the lid, red filter for light, sourcing live food, and adding another den.

We are going to try to have the octopus eat clams and hermits upon arrival. For a while. Our LFS seems confident they will help us get hermits for cheap. We are going to check bait shops too.
I have seen links here for live food too.

We found a fake rock that mimics a den. We want to put it on the back wall of the tank, up high, to give any critters a refuge or the octopus another den to hang in and see us but feel protected.

We were thinking of using magnets or the plastic velcro stickers (like the ones that come with an ez pass). Is one option better than the other? We would like to make it removable for cleaning purposes.

Should we put a mesh on the output flow tube?
 
Depending on the species of octopus you put in the tank, hermits are not likely to be enough food (there really is very little meat and the carapace is useless to them). Clams are a good occasional food but not an everyday source and many species will not be able to open them (most will eat them freshly opened and offered on the half shell - you can keep them alive in the tank until they are served if the octo does not open them itself). Check your bait shops for small bait crabs (LFS is way expensive) of any saltwater or beach variety (beach animals, like fiddler crabs, can live in saltwater in most cases even if they are technically freshwater but lake and river animals - like crawfish - cannot. When an animal is eating well a live crawfish can be offered but needs monitoring as they are short lived in saltwater). Live bait shrimp are great for larger animals but can be a challenge to catch (good for enrichment but, again not as a daily feeding source, these can also be left in the tank but monitored as they tend to do best in cooler water). Dead (including thawed frozen table) shrimp are usually accepted. I recommend starting with eye sized pieces on a skewer. Once this is easily accepted, larger pieces are usually accepted. Dead food left in the tank is very often ignored and should not be left overnight. Larger animals do well with blue crab claws (we get ours at the local Asian market and search for only the loose claws in the live crab bins and then freeze them - do not freeze whole crabs and do not get the frozen as they will be cooked).
 
Still no octopus.

LFS said their guy had one, but it didn't ship. I'm guessing it died or escaped. Bought some extra hermit shells today. One of the hermits got desperate and moved into a waaay too big shell... looked ridiculous trying to lug it around. It quickly jumped into a new shell, but it is a longer horned shape and I think it is having issues navigating... funny funny.
They all hopped shells a few times now, and I can only recognize Jerk Face because of his claw colors. Probably for the best... it is only a matter of time until...

THE OCTOPOCALYPSE!
 
I am raising some fw crawfish to see how they will work as treats for the octo and hope the new hatch will be good for future hatchlings (no female octos in residence). I finally gave 2 to Shelby but it was hard to do even though the large batch are not individually distinguishable. I don't think I will be able feed out the two largest (and most appropriately sized for feeding) that are in their own little tanks :roll:
 
My brother kept an insane fw tank when I was much younger. I remember being able to lay down next to the tank and "fit in it". I'm guessing now it was 100+ gallons.
He had red and blue crawfish, oscars, angels, and a bunch of other fish that the craw or oscars ate. Very aggressive, very messy.
 
Added 3 emerald crabs, They already attacked a patch of hair algea. I'm excited.

This waiting limbo is tough.
 

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Aggravated!!!

I tried last thursday to do a full tank cleaning, wash the skimmer cup out etc- and at the end, the skimmer wouldn't regulate. Got water all over the place. Shut it off, and scheduled a maintenance. They said no problem. Roc stayed home last week waiting, and nada. Called around 4pm and they said.. ohhh.. not today, next week.
LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO KNOW AFTER THEY SAID "OK, SEE YOU SOON."
SO then they said today was the appointment.
I took the hit and stayed home today, once again, called at 4pm and, NADA. The guy had no clue he was to come out to us today. If I felt like taking a hike, I could walk to the store, which really boils my blood.
This time I told them 10am Thursday. If we miss another work day, I'm going to lose it on them.

Also, still no octopus.

And the green crabs died. THIS TIME... I saw the big one (last one to live) get too close to Sir Stewart the pistol shrimp's lair... it took a couple of shots to the face. Spent the rest of the day falling off the rocks... then I found the cleaner shrimpies picking on the dead body in the am.

Bugger.
 

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