Squid - O.Briareus...

corw314

Colossal Squid
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Tom from Toms Caribbean emailed me last week he caught a tiny baby octopus on the reef. I've been without too long so I said yes. This past Sat it was tank maintenance. The catching of so far 11 local crabs relocated to a 10 gallon tank. Set up of a 5 gallon critter pen within my 70 gallon. He shipped yesterday and arrived at work at 1pm. More later when I have a real keyboard....So...now that I am on a real keyboard...upon arrival I opened the box and found 2 bags, one with hermit crabs he graciously included for food and a tiny little cold octopus, curled up the size of a nickle. Being I was at work, I had already brought not only a heating pad, just in case...but had housekeeping bring me a black garbage bag so I could float him in the freshwater tank to warm him up gradually. It worked great! Every time I checked him I saw a little more movement and by the time I was ready to leave work, legs were uncurling just feeling around. So we get home and I start the dripping process. As I checked on his progress, he started to change colors whenever I peered at him. Guitar lesson time was approaching fast, so after 45 minutes, I carefully put the bag in the critter keeper and he came out immediately . He took a few laps around by the little filter I put in for circulation, but chose a spot on the lid and has been there since. He bobs his head every time I peak to see what he's doing. I'm going to defrost some prawn and see if he has any interest but I don't want to freak him. Very cute!!!
 
Based on arms, eye and mantle shape, I vote O.briareus. Odd that they eyes don't show blue at this age though. If prior experiences hold he may seem to be ready to interact about now but will revert to being shy in a week or so then very gradually become human friendly.
 
Good news!!! Last night I opened the critterpen door and offered a prawn. I could not see how close I was to him, but felt suckers all over my finger with end result, the offering being very strongly pulled from my grasp and I observed him in eating position for almost an hour. As of this morning he's nowhere in sight so I'm hoping he's still contained in his temporary housing!
 
Oh boy....I guess I should really try to get the last large crab out if that's the case!!! He's doing good! My sons told me he was pacing all over the little tank sticking arms out of the holes. I swore he got out, but this morning, I tapped on the glass and out flies a few arms. Now he's positioned upside down on a clam shell watching us. I'm going to offer another piece of prawn in a few. Also ReefsToGo sent me a replacement order of snails, hermits, a nudibranch....speaking of can this be in the same tank as an octopus? I really do not know. But point being I have lots of food in there now and I have to say I was very pleased with this second order. Anyway so far so good. Have to start thinking of a suitable name!!
 
I don't think I would put the nudibranch in with the octopus, it is too much like a snail without a shell. I have never tried it for that reason especially after LittleBit tried to eat a cowry bigger than her mantle and did eat one of the half shelled animals I had kept with other octopuses (its black, looks like a cross between a snail (white half shell) and a nudi and the name starts with an S (Scutus antipodes), I just can never remember it, this one was born in my tank and I would like to find more to keep in other tanks :roll:)
 
So you think the octopus would eat it? I've never had one of these before. Very strange. The tank is teeming with life! Reefs2go did really good! Anyway, the octopus was out last night. He has moved to the large shell. I noticed an eye sticking up through the top of the shell where it was broken. He's been eating every night. I shot a short video, and will try to upload it later today. I have a piece of an old fishing pole I use to poke things around or spear and take out old food. I was retrieving a piece of old prawn when he emerged and flung his whole body onto the pole. Times like these I wish I had my camera ready! Only stayed on it about 10 seconds and then retreated back to his shell. Seems very curious and wants to get out into the larger tank but so far he is staying contained. I think his legs are thicker already. If that's the case, the growth rate should be amazing!!!
 
I am not sure about O. briareus, I KNOW LittleBit would have eaten an unprotected soft bodied animal based on the snail (limpet) loss and I suspect any octo would because it is such an easy target. My green serpent star attacked one the minute it hit the tank.
 
So after almost 10 days of no sightings whatsoever in the critter pen...tonight I decided to explore the shells and see if he was still in there. No octopus....I lifted the critter pen to take the top off of it and see arms flailing under the critterpen....Guess who's been out in the 70 gallon for 10 days??? ( Di....you were right!!!:smile:)Grabbed armfuls of prawn and is happily munching towards the back of the tank. I need to think of a name. My oldest son Rob wants to name him Squid. Not Squidward...just Squid....He's never named one in all the years I've had them so Robert this ones for you....Squid it is...
 
Squid inked yesterday night...I tapped on the tank and I saw legs emerge from a piece of coral. He came out and went to the side and was sitting watching, looking greenish. Puffed out a light cloud of ink and disappeared. No pics as of yet....Tonight I want to remove the critterpen. Hopefully the movement in the tank, he will be curious and show his whereabouts again.
 
I think the jury is still out on the use of a small container for the first week or so. The idea is to get them eating and accustomed to humans before freeing them to the tank. I don't attempt this but many people do, particularly with smaller animals in a large tank. I don't recall anyone having an animal die because of using an interim containment cage and there may be some antecdotal evidence that they start eating better sooner and are potentially faster to accept humans as their food slaves.
 
I have done this with 3 of the octopuses I have enjoyed over the years, Squid being the 3rd and being too smart to stay in it!! LOL...Anyway years ago, I had a very tiny O'Bimac, Smaller than a dime. Named him Little Pumpkin. He grew a little but never got larger than a nickle. We were thinking he was one of the runts that would not have survived had he been out in the wild. For me it was a way to keep track of his consumption as well as getting him used to me. Squid escaped before I could establish I was the food God....Good news is yesterday, I saw arms reaching out and quickly got my piece of a fishing pole and pushed prawn towards the arms. He grabbed the fishing pole and kept it for a few minutes and then retreated with the prawn. I can see him with a flashlight now so happy to say he is doing well out in the 70 gallon.:smile:
 
Wow....I'm just looking at the date Squid joined us. It's been over a month since he arrived. Still very much in the hiding phase. No sightings at all since a week ago. My tank has so many hermits and snails, I am sure he is dining on them. Saw remains of a tiny hermit crab yesterday. Hope to spend some time observing this weekend and doing tank maintenance and hopefully we will have a sighting once again.
 

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