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mesh questions

Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
13
I am in process of setting up my octo tank. I have researched feeding and have a tank set up for the fiddlers, emeralds, and other shrimp to feed it.

I am wondering about the mesh on returns for the octo. I was thinking about getting screen material but read that is too fine and will clog. Somebody recommended using gutter guard. Is this what you all mean? http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=11632-205-85198&lpage=none

Aren't the holes too big? I read that they can escape through the size of an air hole opening. Plus how do you attach it? Rubber bands?

I am thinking about getting a bimac.

My tank has a secure lid and I will have that lid duct taped down, but want to make sure he has no way to escape inside the tank. The tank has a built in filter area in the back of the tank and read that some use astroturf to prevent them from entering? Anybody use that?

Also how do you all stimulate your animals? I was thinking of getting some plastic baby toys, maybe plastic keys, large lego blocks and alterante frequently. I also have some PVC tubes of different shapes for it to hide and play in.

Just so you know, I have currently have a 135g reef tank that I have had for several years, a Golden Puffer that I have in a FOWLR tank, a seahorse tank.....so I have the experience of saltwater, will just be my first octopus tank and want to make sure I have everything perfect for when the octopus comes in. My LFS is looking for one for me now. The tank has been up and running for over 2 years, but has been empty for couple months since my peacock mantis died of old age after she laid an egg sac.

My nitrates, nitrites and ammonia have always run at zero in the tank. I did just test for copper which was zero also (thought it would be but wanted to make sure before I did anything) I have my own RO/DI filter and already do frequent water changes on my tanks

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated Thanks in advance for any help
 
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Wow sounds like your got all your bases covered and your ready!

That gutter guard is the exact same one I used to cover my return, I used zipties to hold it in place.

As for the lid the ducktape will work but may end up being a pain is the @$$. I just glued a cheap padlock clasp on mine and used a piece of bamboo feeding stick to hold it closed, probably cheaper than a roll of tape.

Toys......This is where I have struggled, so far my hand is My Octo Legs' favorite toy, but I have had some success with a fishing float tied to a lure with the hooks cut off. at first I dropped all kinds of PVC and kids toys and submarines, but they all failed. Dwhatley had a good one for SueNami
 
Thank you so much!

The shop got my octopus in a couple days ago and it was eating very well, active...so I picked it up today.

I have placed the gutter guard over all my openings. They had it in a hamster ball so I figured I would leave him in there for a couple days so he can settle in!

I stocked up on emerald crabs and will be ordering some fidlers soon

Here is a picture of him tonight in his ball. He is rolling the ball all around the tank
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Me being as creative as I am :} I have named him Mac the Bimac! LOL
 
One small problem with Mac - I believe he may be Linki the hummelincki. Can you find out where he/she was living in the wild? They are hard to tell apart in pictures and I have never owned a bimac to make a good distinction but the short, thin front arms, eye shape and false eyespot (I think the center bullseye of the bimac is dark where hummelincki's is yellow/orange) make me think hummelincki. The only care difference will be the temperature (hummelincki is a warm water octo). I am not sure my call on the eye shape is an identifiable difference but I know hummelincki has a rounded bottom iris and believe the bimac has more the traditional rectangle.
 
bluespotocto;142993 said:
Cool make sure you make a journal. Also if it is a bimac what is the temp of your tank?

The tank is between 71-72 degrees. I currently do not have a chiller on, but will keep an eye on it and if it rises I have a chiller I will put on it!
 
schackmel;142995 said:
The tank is between 71-72 degrees. I currently do not have a chiller on, but will keep an eye on it and if it rises I have a chiller I will put on it!

75-78 is better for hummelincki (72 is not out of range for winter) and I am pretty comfortable with that call. If you can find out where it was caught, that should eliminate temp concerns and clarify id but I will be on Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico.
 
dwhatley;142997 said:
75-78 is better for hummelincki (72 is not out of range for winter) and I am pretty comfortable with that call.* If you can find out where it was caught, that should eliminate temp concerns and clarify id but I will be on Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico.

thank you! I will check with the store and see if they can find out. The LFS worker told me it was a Californian Bimac but I dont know how true that is! She has kept several octopus in past but....

I will snap some better pictures as soon as possible! I have a better camera that will hopefully help in the ID!
Again, THANK YOU! It would be cool if it is Linki and not a Mac! :roflmao: but am prepared regardless. I am sure the temp will increase this winter when the heat is turned on and with the lid on It had been an open topped tank with my peacock so I know it will go up. Would be nice to not hook up YET another chiller if I dont have to
 
Nancy has a great shot of Ollie's ocellus in her bimac care article that may give you a definitive answer. I don't know how well the "chains" show in person but a good photo will often pick up what the eye doesn't see live.

Here is a post for helping to id hummelincki. Unfortunately the eyespot is not clear and I missed the curved iris observation. Additionally, the hour glass may only apply to males or to adults ... still working on that one but here is a great shot of the hummelinckin ocellus on Carol's Oscar.
 
If the bimac is very young, the ocellus will probably be too small to make an accurate ID, but the photos of bimacs along with photos of the ocellus should help a lot. The at-rest color of the bimac is a mottled gray (like in the bimac care article photo) and there is some yellow in the pattern.

When the octopus is a little larger, it's not at all difficult to see the ocellus, especially when the bimac is hunting, eating, etc. If you can get a better photo, please post.

If your octopus is really from California, it's probably a bimac, but then, LFSs don't always have accurate information. If I had to guess, I'd agree with D.

Nancy
 
Here is a pretty good pic of my bimac. You can see the chain a little bit. The circle looks like a bimac but the orange part looks kinda odd for a bimac.
 

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There is one other observation I have made between the two but I am not sure if actinic light makes a difference and I know sometimes it does not show. The sucker tips on the bimac seem to have an orange/peach cast where the sucker edges on aculeatus and hummelincki have a blue/purple coloration. For whatever reason, I have never seen the purplish ring color during acclimation but it is always there in the tank and is either a result of the lighting or stress/stressless state of the hummelilncki.

Bluespotocto, the chain shows up very well if you enlarge the photo. If you will look at the link to the article, you will see the yellow (albeit faint) outer ring on Ollie as well.

There is a project I have been toying with since joining TONMO and I think I am getting close to being able to start :roll: by collecting bits of photos that will help with our most commonly collected and creating some kind of ID sheet :mrgreen:.
 
I cant say this picture is any good but I released him out of his ball today and now the eye spot is blue-purple now (and has been for an hour or so)

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I will try to get better pictures when he settles in a bit

When he is resting he is a grey-white color (just like my rocks) It was hard to tell with the ball so hopefully I will see his tentacles better now he is free
 

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