- Joined
- Oct 2, 2009
- Messages
- 1,462
WOW! Thats amazing!
I can see how you might be a little nervious about trying again... that was a pretty scary moment to to watch. Even though you had already said what happened I was still sitting on the edge of my seat watching to see what would happen.
Great Job!
I can see how you might be a little nervious about trying again... that was a pretty scary moment to to watch. Even though you had already said what happened I was still sitting on the edge of my seat watching to see what would happen.
Great Job!
).
Cassy was much harder to coax out of her tank. She has been nocturnal since the mating and not at all social but has come out and danced for Tatanka early in the mornings. We ended up half disassembling the LR before she finally came out enough to get her into the bucket at roughly 9:40 PM. Once she was in the split tank she was fine and did not appear (using coloration as a go by) at all disturbed. It took Tank about 20 minutes to greet her. He peeked out of the LR several times but until she stayed close to the tube, he would not come out. When he did, the coupling was as fast as the first go round (likely an instinctive self-preservation move) but, unfortunately, they met on the uncleared part of the tank. We attempted to encourage them to the other side but they would have nothing to do with going back through the tube. At 2:00 AM (four hours after they embraced), Cassy was still fully beneath his webbing. Initially, I was panicked (again) but with a little observation, we could see his webbing move with her breathing so we took Roy's advice (sort of since we did intervene at the beginning) and left them alone, at least until 2:00 AM. I had seen Cassy move around under the webbing several times but there was no sense of panic. At one point she seemed to stretch an arm or two, extending one up the tank wall, but did not grab for LR or seem to try to escape. Over time she would free small parts of her arms and at one point I could see a small amount of her mantle. However, if she moved her mantle, Tank would cover her completely again. By 2:00 I decided it was time to free her from her amorous suitor so I put my fingers on Tank's arms and he gave no resistance when I pushed him slightly back. Cassy had no desire to leave and simply sat on the back wall and let me pet her gently. They both played a little with my fingers Both used their suckers to gently hold on but neither pushed nor pulled. Since Cassy was not at all thankful for the offered release I let them remain together for another hour. I found it significant that neither one seemed to mind my intervention and were completely docile. Should a preditor attack a mating pair I suspect it would be a easy dinner of two (or as Neal put it, buy one get one free). By 3:00 AM (5 hours after their meeting) I decided it was definitely time for the party to be over. I quickly reassembled Cassy's tank and proceeded to be a bit more insistent trying to coax Tatanka away. This time he agreed to leave and, once free of his controlling grip on Cassy was quick to exit to the other side (again, I am guessing this is a self-preservation instinct). Cassy thought about following but chose to go into the LR instead. This put Tank on the empty side of the tank, Cassy well into the LR and Neal asleep on the couch. I tried to get Cassy to come out but she would have nothing to do with the idea so I scooped Tatanka into the pitcher (easy in but keeping him there just to cross the room was difficult and if the lid had not been open, he would have be on the tank instead of in it). I think I saw a single spemataphore loose in the tank (if it looks like a large version the pictures of we see of sperm, something like a bright white polywog). At the point that Cassy's mantle was almost exposed, I did see (and hopefully photographed) Tank's hectocotylus and the spermataphore channel. I am sure I have Tank in Cassy's aquarium now but oddly, he found her den almost immediately and later came out and "sat" in the same spot she normally uses when not on the front glass. Checking just now on the pair, Cassy does not seem overly happy to be in the new environment. She is high up on the aquarium wall (arms are not cork screw, thankfully). Tatanka is denning behind the LR but not in Cassy's den. Here are some quick pictures. I took way too many and went through two batteries. Once I sort through them, I will post the most significant ones and splice together another video. The parts of Cassy that are visible can be identified by the white color where Tatanka is wearing green.
beautiful!
detailed photos of your setup. I know just what to do with the 2nd tank now master. 
& waits patiently
