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But it's eating! And that's a BIG bonus.
Merkury - O.briareus
- Thread starter Cerulean
- Start date
Day 5 The Big Fake Out
Both pieces of shrimp were found uneaten this morning on the tank floor. This means in the span of 5 days, she has only eaten one Mithrax and one piece of shrimp. Disappointingly, not even the three Mithrax (which she had previously pounced upon) have even been noticed.
I'm calling around today to see if there is any fresh shrimp in this town...
Both pieces of shrimp were found uneaten this morning on the tank floor. This means in the span of 5 days, she has only eaten one Mithrax and one piece of shrimp. Disappointingly, not even the three Mithrax (which she had previously pounced upon) have even been noticed.
I'm calling around today to see if there is any fresh shrimp in this town...
Found fresh shrimp. One, I repeat, only one store in my whole city carries fresh shrimp (from the gulf). Somehow I ended up going inthe employee entrance and they had to let me walk through the kitchen along the front line in front of all the customers waiting to pay. The guy who finally took my order laughed at me when I said I only wanted 2 of their smallest shrimp, and then gave them to me free of charge. One of the patrons who witnessed the whole thing said to me "here, let me hold the door for you on your birthday--you can tell everybody an old guy held the door for you today on your birthday." Being a vegetarian, and feeling very out of sorts, I felt compelled to blurt out "it's for my octopus" as I sheepishly headed out to my car--which fittingly I had left running, which made it feel so much like a getaway car. It all felt very neorealistic. Another Felini could have been born out an incident like this.
ANYWAY. We will see if she eats this piece. The took it straight away just as she did the other pieces. Only time will tell...
ANYWAY. We will see if she eats this piece. The took it straight away just as she did the other pieces. Only time will tell...
The first piece of fresh shrimp was not found tonight when I came home from work. AND, she took another piece instantly when I offered it to her. I actually think I saw her eating this one. I could see it under her webbing toward the center of her body. I really think this is the best sign I've had since bringing her back home with me.
I know I responed to your earlier post but I guess I never pushed the post button. We all get some weird looks and responses from time to time. Depending on where I buy shrimp I will get interest, disbelief or a receipe and then there are those who don't know what an octopus is. One of the funniest stories I remember from a reef forum was reported by a young man buying panty hose and a femine product for filtration. He was in the checkout line with an attractive young woman and found her mother glaring at his purchases as he was trying to flirt.
I guess the guy thought I was too poor to purchase more than two shrimp. He seemed a little condescending at first. It's a weird little store. They sell raw seafood, but they also cook it for you in house and you can eat in their dining room. Very strange.
On a tank progress note, I have a handle on a 75 gallon custom tank and stand that could be perfect. Although, the more I think about it, it seems very cramped to put a (potentially) 3 foot animal into a 2 foot wide tank. If I'm looking at the photos correctly, this tank has the overflow box on the short end of the tank. Something I don't recall seeing before.
On a tank progress note, I have a handle on a 75 gallon custom tank and stand that could be perfect. Although, the more I think about it, it seems very cramped to put a (potentially) 3 foot animal into a 2 foot wide tank. If I'm looking at the photos correctly, this tank has the overflow box on the short end of the tank. Something I don't recall seeing before.
One of my very old tanks is set up that way, sort of. This was a custom tank that is now about 15 years old, designed by a friend that has passed away. The tank builder liked the design so well he began offering it as a standard. The overflow box was actually designed as a small filtration sump/chamber but we gutted it and drilled the tank on the other side of the box so I have a rather large overflow area. We have split the return to alternate between entering just after the box and then at the far end of the tank and all my corals do better in this tank than any of the others (it is an octo tank so only a few softies and gorgonians but they flourish wonderfully). If I were to set up another rectangular tank, I would defintely do it this way again.
Unfortunately, I don't know and can't ask. Al might have said at one time but that was too many years ago. A lot of all-in-ones (what they now call the orginal set up) are designed this way but I think yours is designed to be a room divider so the side overflow is for esthetics. It is however, designed similarly with the overflow area being blocked from view. I believe LMecher set up her new tank similarly. If you have a bit of DIY in you examine the returns to see if it is viable to add piping to have them return at both ends using a SCWD as I think this is part of the reason it does so well. Our SCWD is on the outside of the tank but I suspect that if this tank is drilled for a sump it is bottom drilled and putting it in the return should not be too difficult (we side drilled ours). It may not be drilled at all and the overflow IS the sump.
One of the nice things about a room divider style tank is that there should be doors on both sides of the cabinet, making access a breeze. Do you have the tank measurements? It looks like it is larger than 75 gallons, especially if it is 2' wide (a standard 55 is roughly 12" wide by 48" long and 21" high).
Here is our build out thread when we took over the tank from our son. If I remember correctly, it is roughly a 62 gallon tank but we don't fill any of the octo tanks to capacity, allowing an extra air space between the top and the water to discourage exit.
One of the nice things about a room divider style tank is that there should be doors on both sides of the cabinet, making access a breeze. Do you have the tank measurements? It looks like it is larger than 75 gallons, especially if it is 2' wide (a standard 55 is roughly 12" wide by 48" long and 21" high).
Here is our build out thread when we took over the tank from our son. If I remember correctly, it is roughly a 62 gallon tank but we don't fill any of the octo tanks to capacity, allowing an extra air space between the top and the water to discourage exit.
I suggest looking for a fiddler crab at your LSF and giving it a try. It she takes it, then order on-line (they are much cheaper and the supplier I mentioned is excellent). These are accepted by almost every animal. Another pickey eater food is a freshwater crayfish (you might find these in a local stream). You need to remove it soon if uneaten (they won't live long in saltwater, where the fiddlers can be left in the tank) but we had one brooding mother that would eat them when she would not eat anything else. Because these are freshwater, the general acknowledgement is that they should not be given as a staple but right now getting her eating regularly is important.
Thanks for the advice. I have checked all the stores I visit already. None are in stock. I guess I could try Petsmart.
On an aside, I just read on octopus.com that baby Briareus grow to 75% of their adult size in only 17 weeks. This is astounding, and if true means two things. 1) this little girl is truly a baby, and 2) if I can get her to keep eating, I will need another tank FAST.
On an aside, I just read on octopus.com that baby Briareus grow to 75% of their adult size in only 17 weeks. This is astounding, and if true means two things. 1) this little girl is truly a baby, and 2) if I can get her to keep eating, I will need another tank FAST.
She is older than my two but not by a lot I think. Here is a growth comparison photo (third picture is a composite of hatching day and a photo taken on August 1st) at 9 weeks. They are now two weeks older. The picture is of Tatanka, the smaller of the two. Cassy is probably 25% larger and almost twice the mantle girth. The arms on your little one are considerably longer from what I can tell so just guessing, I would say she is maybe a month older. I'm also just guessing with backward guestimates but I suspect that rate may be slightly exaggerated, however, the need for her pemenant tank in the very near future is not. [edit] Well, my guessing is wrong. I looked back at the chart I have in the species info forum and it actually says that their exponential growth period (adding 6% weight daily) is only 15 weeks.
It also just hit me that mine won't eat table shrimp at this age (I had thought this one older until now). They ARE eating shore shrimp, hermit crabs removed from their shell and tiny fiddlers. I think the meat of the table shrimp is too tough for them right now. The are refusing to eat their first food, mysis and am not sure if they eat some of the Cyclop-eeze we put in the tank. Amphapods are likely to be eaten as well but they have emptied my tanks of pods now. Remember, they have to be able to chew it up enough to pass through their donut shaped brain.
If you still have a link to the growth info you found please add it to our species info on briareus thread.
It also just hit me that mine won't eat table shrimp at this age (I had thought this one older until now). They ARE eating shore shrimp, hermit crabs removed from their shell and tiny fiddlers. I think the meat of the table shrimp is too tough for them right now. The are refusing to eat their first food, mysis and am not sure if they eat some of the Cyclop-eeze we put in the tank. Amphapods are likely to be eaten as well but they have emptied my tanks of pods now. Remember, they have to be able to chew it up enough to pass through their donut shaped brain.
If you still have a link to the growth info you found please add it to our species info on briareus thread.
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