New Octo from Live Aquaria!

[SabrinaR]

Can you see his mantle moving "breathing"?

 

[kpage]

yes

 

[SabrinaR]

Ok fine in regards to water quality is a generic term which really doesnt help me or anyone else help you... what are the pers now? Also do you have an air pump that you can put somewhere to add more O2 to the water that way? I have found that a great deal of people... me included put one in the sump/refugium to help with O2 levels just in case.

 

[SabrinaR]

The only other advise I can give you is to leave him be for a while. If you notice something is off with the water I would do a water change. Good luck.

 

[kpage]

I put an airstone in the sump. Water quality: Nitrites, nitrates, ammonia and copper are 0, pH is 8.0 and salinity is 1.026-1.027

I forgot until now to direct the outflow of the filter to the surface to help with the oxygen like I did with Curla, could that have made that much of a difference? I didn't use an airstone before but I put it in anyway.

lol ceph keeping can be so nerve racking at times! totally worth it tho, I just want my little guy to be ok

 

[DWhatley]

I wish I could give you something known to do but that is not the case. I make it a practice, regardless of the standard checks to change out at least 5 gallons of water when an octo starts acting oddly and do additional water changes during senescence. Does it help? Elephant + Rino but it helps me mentally because I am DOING somthing. It does add more O2 to the water and if you pour slowly, and allow a lot of air contact, all the better. My senescent animals seem to live a slightly more active ending (which may or may not be desireable) but the key words are seem to. If you have some aged water (not mixed today) it won't hurt but it may not help. If your water temp is a little high, this may help a little there as well.

Unfortunately, age with aculeatus (or probably more correctly the Abdopus complex) is a dice shoot. They come in various sizes and the range seems to be greater than most. I have mentioned that briareus seems to be one species that mantle length and arm thickness give us a better clue than most but even that seems to fail on occassion. Octos from the same brood are sized differently. This could be partially genetic if the female mates (as seems to the case as more observation occurs in the wild) with multiple males but we just don't have any pat answers.

 

[SabrinaR]

I think it could but it depends on how much gas exchange you had in the water from your overflow before you turned them up. Keeping an airline in the sump at all times helps me worry less about the O2 needs. Its the only thing I can think of without being there and having more information. I hope the little guy is ok.

It really is nerve racking sometimes. Cephs are the most difficult and rewarding aqua species you can keep from my limited experience.

 

[kpage]

Well I think that O2 levels may have been the problem, he seems a little calmer. He is still white ish,didn't take the frozen food (although I did put in 6 ghost shrimp right by his den that he may have snatched when I wasn't looking) and in the same spot with arms curled, but he isn't corkscrewing them and I don't think he is breathing as heavily. I think he is just spooked now. I turned the lights off and will let him be the rest of the night. I'll get some crabs tomorrow as well. Hopefully he will be ok and won't be to scared of me in the future..

 

[kpage]

Yes I understand about the age, I hope that isn't it. My water seems perfect and the temp is fine so I won't do a water change, but I'm adding a 10gal refugium tomorrow. I have it filled now, just want to let the salt dissolve and see if there is any copper before connecting it to the main tank.

And I totally agree on the difficulty and reward of ceph keeping

 

[Lmecher]

And I totally agree on the difficulty and reward of ceph keeping

Me 3

Sounds like you are doing all you can, it can be very frustrating. The picture you paint reminds me of My Ollie, I found him out in a corrner with all his arms curled . (however he was colored beautifully) The first thing I noticed were his eyes, pupils were huge, then I noticed he was not breathing. I know others have noticed dialated pupils just before death. I hope not to make you fret unnecessarily, just relating an observation. Keeping my for good news soon.

 

[kpage]

Yes it can be! Ok well this guy's pupils are slits so that makes me feel better!

 

[kpage]

New Octo from Live Aquaria!

Well I just woke up to find him dead. I got the body put before leaving and I'll call live aquaria later. I don't think this was through any fault of mine since the water was good and acclimation process not rushed. I guess I'll PM Sulley about the hummelincki in a bit. See if they can ship it, but first I want to make sure my tank is 100%

 

[tonmo]

New Octo from Live Aquaria!

Sorry, kpage.

 

[SabrinaR]

Im so sorry. Live Aquaria still has them in stock so they are most likely going to replace the animal. I wouldnt contact sulley just yet if I were you.

 

[kpage]

New Octo from Live Aquaria!

Why? I would still rather have a hummelinki. Obviously I would wait a bit to get it so I can put my tank under the microscope.. I got him out pretty fast, but I'm doing a water change as soon as I get home.