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Octopus Mercatoris Babies

Indiana OCHO

Blue Ring
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Oct 12, 2006
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My eggs are hatching. Now for some questions. I have plenty of food that should be delivered today, but I am debating raising the babies together or separating them. If I leave them together in a small critter cage in the aquarium i can make sure there is lots of food available. If I separate them into chambers I am concerned that each one may not have enough food available. question #1 So what do you think?

Next some eggs have eye spots but have not gotten darker like the ones that are hatching. Question # 2 I will continue to leave them in the tank and watch them but does anyone know if that means they didn't make it or could they have been laid after the others and still be viable? I think mom will probably go later today. She can't figure out what end is up. It is kind of sad to watch but the babies are so very cool. They still have egg sacks and they are moving around the tank.

Thanks in advance for the advice. I will try to get pictures of the little guys if i can. :bugout:
 
Indiana OCHO;84641 said:
Next some eggs have eye spots but have not gotten darker like the ones that are hatching. Question # 2 I will continue to leave them in the tank and watch them but does anyone know if that means they didn't make it or could they have been laid after the others and still be viable? I think mom will probably go later today. She can't figure out what end is up. It is kind of sad to watch but the babies are so very cool. They still have egg sacks and they are moving around the tank.

Thanks in advance for the advice. I will try to get pictures of the little guys if i can. :bugout:


You can leave the eggs for now - in general it is not good if the babies still have their yolk sacs - they may have hatched prematurely. Some may make it, but they will not eat until their yolk sacs have been absorbed. Sorry about the mom :sad:
 
For #1 perhaps you should go with the shotgun approach: I'm sure you'll have plenty of hatchlings so put some in rearing chambers, some in the critter cage and then let the rest fend for themselves in the tank.

Dan
 
Dan,

That is exactly what I am doing. They are still hatching as we speak so I can answer question #2 myself. They seem to get clear in the eggs then hatch then get the color back. Probably the stress of hatching. The live food arrived today right on time so all is in order. I am pumped. I can't believe I just watched an octopus hatch.
 
How are the hatchlings doing?

Are you sure these are Mercatoris? How big are the hatchlings? We are experiencing a very different hatching (I have not been on TONMO much this week watching mine) and I am curious to compare. I suspect we have different species so if you know where your mom came from, please let me know.
 

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