Ollie - New O. briareus

[Lmecher]

I had another peppermint shrimp spawn last night. Still have all my shrimp, it is puzzling that Ollie hasn't taken any yet, maybe he is not interested because he is well fed?? They sure are pesty at feeding time. My son, gave feeding a go last night. Ollie came out and seemed interested. He moved from one side of the tank to the other, gave Justin quite a show. When the shrimp came too close, Ollie would push it away. We gave up after a half hour. I guess he just wasn't that hungry. Olllie was hanging out afterwards so I snapped a photo.

 

[DWhatley]

Peppermint shrimp seem to be relatively good at evading octopuses. I had a pair in the 45 and one has managed to survive two octos (Beldar and Creepy). The other got too curious when Beldar arrived. IME briareus don't hunt visually so they have to feel for the critters. This may be partially why all briareus seem to take the feeding stick near the top rather than at the end. I think they may be quite far sighted and just cannot see anything closer than their arm length, depending on their web and chemo receptors more than their eyesight.

 

[Lmecher]

The past couple days Ollie seems a little more reluctant about taking food. He touches it than dissapear. He reappears on the other side of the tank, he has tunnels underneath the rocks so you never know just where he'll pop out. I feed in the same spot each day so he knows where to come for the food. It seems as if he is playing with me. How long should I be waiting there holding the feeding stick?? Last night I stood there for almost a 1/2 hour while he touched/retreated/dissapeared/ reappeared then touched/retreated etc. Is this becoming a game? Now I love spending time with him, any interaction is good. Is this normal behavior? He had perfected the snatch and run, feeding time had been so fast in the past, I'd say don't bilnk or you'll miss it. Finally after taking the shrimp, I snapped a quick photo as he was retreating to enjoy his dinner, sorry about the glare.

 

[Nancy]

Since he does eventally take the food, maybe it is a little game. He isn't afraid that he won't get his dinner.

Briareus often feed by floating down over a rock or piece of caral, and then flush out all the creatures living there into their web. They also seem adept at catching shore shriimp that float by, much better than the O. bimaculoides that we've kept.

A bimac (O. bimaculoides) that I kept developed a whole ritual around feeding. It started by my petting her head, then she danced by my hand along the front glass, worked her way back, touched my hand with one sucker, and they she expected her food.

You could try changing what you're offering her occasionally, and give her live food from time to time (a crab, a shrimp). But I never saw anything wrong with the longer version of feeding, except when I was in a hurry!

Nancy

 

[Lmecher]

I do give him fiddlers now and then. I have never seen him hunt for them, but I find the empty shell in the morning. I usually don't mind the play except as mentioned when I am in a hurry or when a guest wants to see him.

 

[Lmecher]

I finally had the opportunity to take a video of Ollie. I am giving the crab in a bottle a try, he gave it a couple touches but I think I will try it again without a cover.

 

[DWhatley]

This will seem a bit unkind but I have come to the conclusion that briareus are the dumb blondes of the octo world. If I put a shrimp in an open bottle, I have to lay the bottle on its side before Creepy will find the shrimp (in spite of feeling the bottle and putting the tip of an arm in when it is upright). SueNami did figure out how to feel inside a topless container though.

 

[Lmecher]

That was not unkind, more like accurate. I think I am going to try it topless but upright. If I lay it down, the crab will most likely crawl out and defeat the purpose. Does that make the crab smarter that the octopus?? Will let you know how Ollie does.

 

[DWhatley]

Does that make the crab smarter that the octopus??

No, but only because the crab will run immediately INTO the octopuses den

 

[Lmecher]

No, but only because the crab will run immediately INTO the octopuses den

 

[sedna]

I put hermits in a bottle for Lerxst. I have the bottle mostly on it's side but prop the mouth of the bottle up just enough so the crabs can't get out. Lerxst will even come out in broad daylight for a bottle o' crabs.

 

[Lmecher]

Ollie got the crab finally. I tipped it as far as I could and placed the jar near one of his favorite hiding spots. I didn't see him get it but I found the crab remains in the morning. I put another crab in the jar so he makes the association of the jar with yummy food. This morning the crab is still there Am I doing this right? I don't want to sabotage myself at this stage.

 

[DWhatley]

There are definite known things you can do wrong while keeping an octopus but they don't involve how to make it interactive . Each has their own personality and the long time keepers have different experiences with each one (I know Carol will agree with me here). Patience is about all I can offer in the way of suggestions. That being said, you can try only offering the food every other day as this works best for Creepy (who did finally take a piece of shrimp from an upright container the there day).

 

[Lmecher]

I will skip a day then, maybe if he's good and hungry that will motivate him. I took a video of Ollie eating a shrimp on a stick but my husband just couldn't keep him mough shut and kept talking even after I told him it picks up even the littlest sounds. One of the kittens started playing with the wooden heart hanging on my cabinet, klunk klunk klunk. Nothing went right.
I am determined to get a feeding on film. will try again.

 

[DWhatley]

If the video was one that you REALLY want to post there is free software that can remove the sound. Let me know if you want me to dig up one of them for you to look at. Also, check your camera manual. Everyone had to listen to the Braves game for the longest time after I first got this camera (and the dogs barking) but I eventually discovered that there is a mute mode (sound off or sound set to minimum value) and I have set that is the default. I kind of miss hearing the tanks running in the silent films but think is it better than the extraneous noises. Lastly, there is software that will let you add a sound track. I never do this but it makes the video very effective and is amazing how well motions seem to go with the music.