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Newby to cephs - octo still hiding

Joshua Wyss

Hatchling
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Mar 11, 2014
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1
Location
Findlay, OH
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Hello TONMO!

My name is Josh and I have recently ventured into the ceph world. Picked up my octo one week ago and got him acclimated to his tank. All was well up to this point. Upon release into his tank he ran around for a while then hid behind a rock...what I expected pretty much.

When the lights went off he came right out and was checking out his new home. Even started to hunt a bit with a hermit but have up to go explore some more. I went to bed after about an hr of watching him.

Got up the next morning and looked and looked and looked. Couldn't find him. Left for work and came home that evening. Looked some more and still couldn't find him.

Well, it wasn't until yesterday, lights off, had my phone flashlight and was looking into the tank. Saw a quick glimpse of an arm sliding back into an old tube worm skeleton.

How can I get him to not be so shy and come out? I picked up a little food container today and I'm going to put some krill in it tonight to try and give him some entertainment. But I'm worried that if he doesn't come out he won't get fed.

Thoughts...suggestions?
Thanks!
 
:cuttlehi: Joshua!

We have very recently seen two (now three) animals that may be this same species (based upon general look and, what appears to be a false eyespot on the mantle - false eyespots are usually found on the webbing just below the eyes so this is unique). There is a possibility that what appears to be false eyespots is just the two branchial hearts showing through rather transparent skin. Interestingly, one of the others is also in Ohio, and one, Octonaut is in FL. It would be helpful if you can quiz your supplier to try to find out which body of water this one originally called home. The other two seem to have quite long arms but this one may be Florida's most common dwarf, Octopus mercatoris. However, typically it will show either red or white coloring and not brown/tan. It would be a good idea to read over both these journals for ideas on feeding and observing.

It is it like the other two, it will likely be a dwarf species and nocturnal (links above are to their journals). You will want to place a red light on the aquarium for viewing (great for watching, terrible for photography). I leave a red light turned on on all my tanks 24/7. It is on in the daytime to avoid adding yet another timer and all night to avoid a totally dark time that may be slightly more desirable for true nocturnals. The red light does not bother the diurnals that sleep all night but lets me see the early AM/early PM (crepuscular) and nocturnals when they want to come out.

In general, small pieces of fully thawed table shrimp (about the size of its eye) and small fiddler crabs are your best bet for food. The shrimp can be offered on a traditional feeding stick or bamboo skewer (found in groceries for making kabobs). Most dwarfs do not become overtly interactive but there are always individual exceptions.
 

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