My chocolate chip starfish is evil!
I was given a new octopus by my seafood supplier yesterday (again, it was meant to be food. It was a freebie since it was an extra from an order another customer had made). It looked slightly bigger than Seven and seemed responsive and had beautiful color changes, so I wanted to try and save it too. It would have ended up in my supplier's freezer if I didn't get it so it was worth a shot.
I placed him in a holding tank with some of the extra rocks and the starfish (who had been living peacefully with Seven for over three weeks now) and some snails. I figured I'll see if he survives the first couple of days first before deciding if I will seriously pursue keeping him. He declined to eat this morning and just stayed hidden under a rock. "He's probably just stressed", I thought. He remained there all day until I left for dinner.
When I came back home some 4 hours later, my holding tank had all sorts of bubbles. I tested the water and the nitrite and nitrate levels were crazy high. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't figure out what. Until I realized that the starfish was missing. Searched the rocks, and there I saw it. The starfish had the Octo's arms pinned
. I got it off. Four arms were dead/unresponsive, one tore off when we were moving the rocks (or was it the starfish). Two were okay. Two had bite marks all over them, one really weak.
I separated them already but I highly doubt the new octopus will survive.
I'm gonna have to get rid of the starfish. Wish I searched the forums before I got him (he was free too, ugh). I guess I've been lucky that Seven and the starfish has peacefully coexisted all this while. Or then again, perhaps that's how Seven's other arm disappeared.