[Octopus]: New Bimac

[Baffels]

Hey folks. After a little shipping debacle, my small bimac is here. Acclimated and got him in the tank. Moved around a bit, did some narly color changes and I havent seen him since. He was pretty sluggish coming out of shipping, is there a time frame where I should go looking to make sure he is ok?

Tried to get him to come out for food this evening, but no go. Put a crab in there for him to snack on his own time.

Pics to come once I see him again...

 

[tonmo]

great, @Baffels, congrats!! Looking forward to this journal.

 

[Tomh]

Yes he is probably a little stressed from shipping. Also small ones are very shy at first. Let him be! He will eat and come out in his own time. Don’t panic if it’s not in a few days. You will find remnants of the crab. He will probably eat at night first. Thanks

 

[Baffels]

Update. He's taken to a little cave he made, comes out once in a while to stare at us for a bit. He has had two emerald crabs, both of which he ate. I have tried shrimp and salmon as well. He has not liked either. He took the salmon pretty fast, but I found most of it later in the tank.

Any advice on getting him onto frozen? Emerald crabs are expensive, lol.

 

[Hadla]

You can try fiddler crabs, they’re a little cheaper. My last octo only ate fiddler crabs, I tried red claws and they weren’t touched didn’t really go after anything frozen but she was an older briareus so I think she was stuck in her ways lol

 

[Baffels]

Couple images. This is where Otto sits and watches me at my desk. Couple pictures of him munching on an emerald crab. No luck on getting him to eat anything not live, he takes it and shoves it back at me. Ordered some fiddlers online for now, Emeralds are expensive, lol.

 

[Elessar333]

You can try fiddler crabs, they’re a little cheaper. My last octo only ate fiddler crabs, I tried red claws and they weren’t touched didn’t really go after anything frozen but she was an older briareus so I think she was stuck in her ways lol

Where can you get fiddler crabs? None in WI!

 

[wise_s]

Where can you get fiddler crabs? None in WI!

Fiddler Crabs; live; dozen - Live Brine Shrimp

These PUGnacious and colorful little saltwater crabs have a variety of uses. From being excellent sand-sifters in your tidal marine aquaria, to prime bait for sheepshead and other fish during outings where landing the big one is the priority! Or perhaps you would just like to add some diversity...

livebrineshrimp.com

 

[Baffels]

Fiddler Crabs; live; dozen - Live Brine Shrimp

These PUGnacious and colorful little saltwater crabs have a variety of uses. From being excellent sand-sifters in your tidal marine aquaria, to prime bait for sheepshead and other fish during outings where landing the big one is the priority! Or perhaps you would just like to add some diversity...

livebrineshrimp.com

I tried to order through them and they emailed me saying they no longer offer those prices. 1 dozen fiddlers shipped would end up being almost $80. Wayyyy to much.

 

[wise_s]

I tried to order through them and they emailed me saying they no longer offer those prices. 1 dozen fiddlers shipped would end up being almost $80. Wayyyy to much.

That's unfortunate, though purchasing more than a dozen may be a better deal(then again, maybe not). I'm not a fisherman but I do know that some bait shops carry live fiddlers as bait for sheepshead. I've never found one that would ship, so you'll have to visit in person. Something to note about fiddler crabs: they are "seasonal" and may be difficult/impossible to find during the winter months (I always had difficulty getting them from December/January to March). When using them as food, either stock up on a couple months worth or look for alternatives (clams, other crabs, shrimp, etc.).

 

[Baffels]

Well, since yesterday Otto hasnt come out of a hole in the rock. Not even for food, starting to get a little worried.

 

[tonmo]

By all accounts, one day is no problem! I've read many happy stories here where owners have gotten worried for days (understandable) but their cephs emerge vibrant once they're comfortable and acclimated to whatever might have caused them to retreat. Hard to know, but just a word of encouragement

 

[Baffels]

Otto is doing great. Ill upload some pics/videos when I get home tonight. He spends his days tucked wayyyy into his rock. The evenings he sits on top and watches me at my desk. He's eating frozen (clams, shrimp and salmon so far) but still prefers a good emerald crab.

I did put a couple damsels in the tank. He half ass chases them around sometimes, but puts very little effort into it.

 

[tonmo]

Great to hear he's doing well! I've always heard damsels end POORLY for the octo; you might reconsider! Here's one good thread, but there are many many more stories in our forums:

[Featured]: - Tankmates - What Works and What Doesn't

It Works Until It Doesn't With a small amount of arm twisting :wink2: CaptFish has written a detailed paper about about his experience with placing fish in an aquarium with O. briareus. Ultimately, I hope to provide it in a better format but chose to retain the pictures and created an all...

tonmo.com

 

[Elessar333]

Hey folks. After a little shipping debacle, my small bimac is here. Acclimated and got him in the tank. Moved around a bit, did some narly color changes and I havent seen him since. He was pretty sluggish coming out of shipping, is there a time frame where I should go looking to make sure he is ok?

Tried to get him to come out for food this evening, but no go. Put a crab in there for him to snack on his own time.

Pics to come once I see him again...

Don't know if you were told/aware of the same thing I was told, when getting my larger bimac (who is doing Great, btw), but the online retailer stated Bimacs like cooler temps, like in the low 70s. I resurrected my chiller and mine seems to be less shy. In fact, when I wave at him, he comes out for a bit of raw shrimp or a crab (pithos). Had him now for about 11 days. Of course, it may also be a factor that larger ones are more confident. Anyone else want to comment on these thoughts?