Oscars Journal

[corw314]

Oscar is doing very well. He eats on a daily basis. Jess and I need to go collecting. It so easy to just go to the baitshop for green crabs, but I know he likes the local snails as well. We tried the defrosted tiger shrimp and he rejected it. He plays on a daily basis also with the green lego and the baby keys and I have found him watching the tv. He also will sit perched on the cleaning magnet watching me. And I have to admit.....I flashed him as he was eating a large green crab but it does not seem to have affected him as he still comes out when he see's the camera.

 

[corw314]

Today was 3 months for Oscar. He is eating about a dozen bait crabs every 2 weeks. The shells are 3" on the crabs. He inks more than others I have had, just very aware if something or someone different is near his tank. The other night I was reading the paper and turned a page and looked over in time to see him swimming to the back with a cloud of ink in the water. His ink is very think and stringy, almost mucousy. I think Oscars a male as he does have one arm that is quite shorter than the others. He is very active, always hunting, swimming from different angles, playing with the green lego, always seems to be up to something except after a large meal, when he sleeps for a few hours. Not very social though, as he seems content to observe and only seeks me out when he is hungry.

 

[DWhatley]

Neither Octane nor OhToo's ink was/is like that. Their's is very thin and disappears quickly. Are you sure he is not combining ink and elimination when he does this? I have seen "stringy" from both. They are all three definitely the same species. Both of mine kept/keep the hectocotalized (sp?) arm tip well protected and curled up (the only front arm on OhToo that has not been recently truncated). I wish Octavarium had better photos of his female though (particularly the eyespot) as I think there are differences or there are two caribbean two spots. Serendipity did not show the purple edge on the suckers and her eyespot was quite different.

OhToo needs a long immobile period when he eats as well. Initially, he would take his food to his den but now he often eats it while out on the glass but stays curled up and almost catatonic until he has finished and rested. I don't remember noticing this with Octane, however.

 

[corw314]

Funny you mention about OhToo staying on the glass. I always thought this was a sign water conditions need to be checked but Oscar has been doing this for a few weeks now. He has a favorite spot in the back corner of the tank by the heater. When he's hungry he's all over the tank, playing with the lego, pulling the plants down, grabbing for the one smart shore shrimp that's resided with him for 4 months now but after he eats he curls up on the glass and does not move for a good 24 hours.

 

[corw314]

Oscars new home.

He's so odd. I've never had an octopus stay out continuously on the glass unless there was something wrong with the water. His new strategic perch!!!

 

[DWhatley]

It there a water flow (return outlet or power head) near by? OhToo was alway on the glass where the water was moving but I moved the Koralia after he managed an arm injury (not sure how) since I have seen him sticking his "fingers" inside. Now he does not come out much and between removing Mr. Green Jeans (serpent star that would investigate OhToo's food) and moving the power head, he has become more recluse (but eating well).

 

[corw314]

There is no flow directed where he was perched. Now the question is.......Who's watching who???? (And I know I'm due to scrub algae but when that is Oscars newest hang out.....)

 

[cuttlegirl]

Awww, that makes me want a kitten and an octopus!

 

[DWhatley]

Carol,
I forgot to mention that OhToo inked two weeks ago (just after my post ) and his ink was mucusy looking like you described (no other odd bits though). He inked for no particular reason two or three different times that week (the slightest of startle perhaps but no unusual activity near his tank) and has not done it again since. Neal brought up the question as to whether or not they may need to ink on occassion to elminate and refresh and perhaps the mucus looking ink is old ink that needed to be expelled. Do you always see this kind of ink from Oscar or just the time you mentioned it?

 

[Animal Mother]

The couple of times I remember Einy inking, it was thick and gooey.

 

[DWhatley]

My mercs' ink has always been thick, black and collectable with a brine shrimp net but was not really mucusy like this. Octane's ink was always very thin and sepia brown.

 

[corw314]

Oscar has not inked since even while being stalked by 2 ferocious kittens.....He actually has seemed to have matured as his skittish behavior has diminished. And every time he did ink, it was as described. Interesting!

 

[corw314]

Not sure what happened, if it's maturity or what but Oscar has been tolerating the flash, in fact chases me if I go from one side to the other when I have the camera. All of a sudden he is very aware of the world outside of his tank more so since the kittens have joined us. Interesting!!! And makes me very happy I'm not spooking him!

 

[corw314]

Came home to every aquarists worst nightmare....power outage....At first by flashlight we could not find Oscar. He's pretty much spent most of his time with me out in the open, either perched on the cleaner magnet, or up in a corner. Tonight we looked everywhere and were starting to fear the worst, even though my tank is ducked taped to a T, I thought he panicked and got out. We finally spotted him balled up in a lower corner of the tank with every shell he could grasp pulled up to his body. I felt so bad for him cause obviously he was very upset with the silence and darkness. Power came back on about 2 hours later and he's back to his old self. I forgot to mention one of his new past times is squirting water against the canopy. You hear this blast of water against the top so loud that it startled Jess.

 

[DWhatley]

He's pretty much spent most of his time with me out in the open, either perched on the cleaner magnet, or up in a corner.

Another of those interesting points about the individuality of octos. 'Tane would be out during the day (but did not wake up until about 2:00 PM) and would go to a dark alcove behind the LR, above the bottom substrate to sleep, just at lights out (sometimes parts of a second before the timer turned the lights off). His den was not well protected and he never sought a door. The only times he slept in the open were on occassions that a power outage would cause the red nightlight to default to white light and would shine down into his den (it took us awhile to realize why he would be restless and not sleep well, removing the nightlight ended the nighttime wandering and he returned to normal all night sleeping).

OhToo and Serendipity have chosen "underground" caves that place them directly on the sand with LR above. 'Dipity could not be seen but OhToo can't stand not being able to observe so he has cleared his opening and keeps a snail shell inside the den. OhToo is often awake in his den and only comes out for about an hour at a time (but multiple times during the day). When he is actually sleeping, the shell is used to block viewing.

Sleeping in the open and being afraid of the dark is certainly individual behavior. It makes you wonder about his wild habitat and what would make the dark scary.