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Mimius five month anniversary/tank stand

Thanks, I can't wait for the water, sand and live rock to be in so it can start to cycle. I will post more pics once the tank is functional and I can explain the octopus proof lid and overflow arrangement.

Ian
 
Detritus said:
I will post more pics once the tank is functional and I can explain the octopus proof lid and overflow arrangement.

Those little bits of creative design and DIY are, for me at least, one of the most enjoyable parts of the hobby. Now that my automatic top-off is finished I'm considering a noise cancellation system involving a microphone and a speaker attached to a circuit board.

Dan
 
Sounds hi tech Dan. Maybe try just a microphone so we can listen to the noise in the water of the tank. I bet with all the pumps etc., its pretty noisy compared to the ocean!
 
Detritus the tank looks really good, and looks really well made too. I'd interested in a better look at your octoproofing too. :biggrin2:

Dan do you have a link to that noise cancellation circuit? That would be a great idea for my new chiller.
 
It would be of my own design, so no, no link :smile:

If you do a google for noise cancellation circuit you can find wiring diagrams for a headset, but mine would probably be a lot simpler.

Noise cancellation doesn't work in most environments. It seems to work best when you're trying to protect a single point (as in an earphone) or trying to silence a single point. What I'm worried about is dispersion inside, outside the sump and the stand.

Dan
 
Well, unfortunately things have taken a turn for the worse with Mimius. Last night when I got home from work, I saw the protein skimmer going like crazy and Mimius turned upside down with its mouth exposed and arms wrapped around itself. Even worse there were two of Mimius's arms being eaten by brittlestars in the corner of the tank. Mimius's den was completely broken apart. There are several observations:

1. No sign of eggs in den (did the brittle stars eat them? Did they hatch and die, causing the skimmer to go nuts?)

2. Mimius's eyesight seems to be almost gone. She explores with her arms, but does not seem to use her eyes to look around anymore - not even at me

3. Mimius still refuses all food and has not eaten for over a week now(doesn't even seem to see fiddler crabs or emerald crabs).

Still being relatively new to octopus keeping I have many questions and few answers.

1. Could Mimius's hiding behavior, poor eyesight and lack of appetite be a sign of just senescence? Maybe there was never an egg mass in the den(I got Mimius on August 25, 2005 - and she has an armspan of perhaps 12 to 14 inches at the time).

2. Since Mimius has not been eating, could the brittlestars be hungry enough to attack Mimius? The two missing arms were both severed at exactly the same place about 1.0 cm distal to the mantle. Could Mimius have shed the arms when attacked by the hungry brittlestars?

3. What can I do now to help Mimius? Food is refused and live crabs are not even seen. The new tank is cycling but I don't want to shock Mimius with a transfer considering her situation and stress.

This morning Mimius was still alive and had created a new den. Her coloration was normal and breathing was not laboured.

Any insights or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Ian
 
Well, quite a lot has happened! I'm glad Minimus has recovered. No one else has ever reported something quite like you've experienced, so I'll just do the best I can to answer.

Probably there were eggs, because Minimus did den and show other signs, like refusing to eat. They could have been infertile. Mimimus may have eaten them herself. Bristle worms can eat eggs and I imagine a large brittlestar could, too. Was there a big fight and the den was torn apart?

It is possible that the brittlestars weren't getting enough to eat - you need to feed them!

Some species do have arms that will break off.

Failing eyesight does sometimes occur - we've seen eyesight decline and even blindness in bimacs that live a long time and lay eggs.

Actually, if you were to move anyone to the new tank, maybe it should be the brittlestars! You're not around to protect Minimus during the day.

Minimus may not be able to see or sense the live food. You could try touching the food to her suckers - works well with thawed frozen shrimp, but I don't know whether she's used to that. A feeding stick would come in handy. However, it's not unusual for some species to refuse food after egg laying - then all you can do is make her comfortable.

Nancy
 
Wow...I am amazed that she recovered. Sounds like there may have been a battle. Towards the end of Ink's life, she lost her sight and also her ability to control her legs. The fact that Minimus did recover enough to put together a new den I think is a good sign, and as Nancy suggested, keep offering food by letting her feel it since her sight is gone. Please keep us updated!

Carol
 
Thanks for the suggestions all. Mimius ate a large peice of lobster last night and doesn't seem too worse the wear for having six instead of eight arms. Breathing is normal. I moved the brittlestars into the new set-up last night as well.

Yes the den was literally torn apart! I really have no idea what happened. I will keep you posted on Mimius's (hopefully) recovery.

Ian
 
Mimius has passed away. I went home last night and of course first thing I did was check on Mimius, and found her dead. I am very sad at the passing of this incredible animal. I keep reviewing everything that was done, but I think It was simply senescence that caught up with her. Almost seven months in captivity for my first octopus is not too bad I think. Her arm span at death was just over four feet and head and mantle size is about six inches. I will miss Mimius dearly, such personality.
 
:sad: RIP Miminus...And yes....7 months is a very good record.....And I too think it was senescence....Ya know each time I loose an octopus it saddens me, but I hope you will as I have decide to try again at some point. They are truly fascinating creatures, and for me, worth the limited time we have with them.

Carol
 

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