New octopus

[Nancy]

Do you have lots of amphipods in your tank? It's possible that your octo is feeding on them. That's what little Ollie die, and she was about the size of the bimcs you have now.

Nancy

 

[DHyslop]

I hope that's the case, I do have plenty of amphipods.

 

[DHyslop]

Ivar isn't doing so well. This morning we found him on top of a rock. While he's moved around a little he has curled the tips of his arms and is neither breathing very discernably nor reacting much to stimulus. I tried to offer him some thawed krill on a skewer but he doesn't react to it. I also tried dangling a small female fiddler over him, similarly no reaction. I'm not sure why he stopped eating a few days after he arrived: he has plenty of food and shelter and we've left him pretty much alone to do his own thing.

 

[monty]

for Ivar. Knowing you, I'm sure that you have checked all the water params and and done water changes and anything else you could think of, so I won't toss out suggestions from the peanut gallery...

 

[DHyslop]

Yeah, the water's pristine. I've been keeping the Oregon crabs in the tank with him because they like to disarticulate their smaller fiddling cousins in my feeder bin--but I doubt having a half dozen crabs wandering around the tank would be stressful for him. I wouldn't complain if I had a bunch of little donuts walking around my apartment.

Otherwise I can't think of anything. We got him and he waited a couple days before eating (makes sense, stress of shipping), then a few days later stopped eating again.

 

[monty]

Yeah, the water's pristine. I've been keeping the Oregon crabs in the tank with him because they like to disarticulate their smaller fiddling cousins in my feeder bin--but I doubt having a half dozen crabs wandering around the tank would be stressful for him. I wouldn't complain if I had a bunch of little donuts walking around my apartment.

Otherwise I can't think of anything. We got him and he waited a couple days before eating (makes sense, stress of shipping), then a few days later stopped eating again.

have you tried any non-crustacean food items? Perhaps he fancies escargot or clams? I know octopets shipped clams with their young bimacs... It does sound like his behavior is showing something more wrong than just dietary distaste, though...

 

[corw314]

Keeping fingers crossed for him.... I went out and bought some of those tiny hermits from the LFS and this morn I see the remains of one, hopefully from Spike....Please keep us posted....

 

[DHyslop]

He's got plenty of snails in the tank (of no less than four genera, even) but no clams. A few small hermits, too.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[Brock Fluharty]

Blinky hadn't eaten in nearly a week, but I did find an empty snail shell about 6 inches from her den. She's only been out once, and that was right when I put her into the tank...

 

[Zeus Zoso]

You probably just got a shyer one. Some of mine come out and some hide a lot. I'm sure everything will work out.

 

[DHyslop]

Poor little guy didn't make it.

This has us a little bit frustrated because we believe we did everything right, took it slow and did our very best to give the animal a good home. We can't write this off as a sickly animal since he did eat a few times after his arrival. This suggests there's something wrong with our system, but if so we have no way to determine what! Given that we're hesitant to order another, but see limited options:

1) order another, cross our fingers
2) stick with cuttlefish (and ungodly mysid shrimp bills)
3) get some clownfish

What do you guys think? I guess we'd like some external input.

 

[cuttlegirl]

Poor little guy didn't make it.

This has us a little bit frustrated because we believe we did everything right, took it slow and did our very best to give the animal a good home. We can't write this off as a sickly animal since he did eat a few times after his arrival. This suggests there's something wrong with our system, but if so we have no way to determine what! Given that we're hesitant to order another, but see limited options:

1) order another, cross our fingers
2) stick with cuttlefish (and ungodly mysid shrimp bills)
3) get some clownfish

What do you guys think? I guess we'd like some external input.

Sorry to hear about the little guy. Try to remember that in the wild, only a couple of the young would make it, sometimes after the initial die-off, there is another die-off of animals that have something else wrong with them - it may have had nothing to do with your system. It may have been a genetically defective octopus that was kept alive longer by the extra care that Zyan provided and in the wild it would not have survived. The shock of shipping and re-acclimating may have been too much for it.

I vote for cuttlefish - only because I have a few extra . But at least they would be Chubb's and Checker's nieces and nephews...

 

[monty]

sorry to hear it.

I'm inclined to say "try again," since there are bimacs available now, and that's not all that common lately. Maybe he was just sick, or had a birth defect, or something. Since you're extremely good with the technical aspects, I am less inclined to tell you than some people that they've overlooked some water quality issue or other technical problem. But just in case, re-check everything, then re-order, is my

 

[Animal Mother]

Man that's a bummer. Sorry Dan.

I'd say take a good look at the other members posts who recieved one over the next few days and if they have better luck, order another one. Surely your setup is up to par.

 

[sorseress]

I'm really sorry. As careful as you are I can't believe it was anything you did (or didn't) do. Since there are still some bimacs available I'd say go for it.