Take 2

sedna

Architeuthis
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The new briareus from Tom just got here- immediately an improvement! The packing job was great, even so the temp inside the styrofoam container was 56.4F. I gave it a moment to get used to the light before fully opening the box- hard to wait. When I saw it- total opposite of Tuesday. Much younger, responsive to me, looks in good condition. Floating the bag as I gather supplies, more soon!
 
Oooh, now I'm not so sure... Certainly more active than the last one, but when I put it in the bucket I noticed what looks like an abrasion on it's mantle. Also, maybe the activity is more panicky than I'd like. Sg in the shipping bag was 1.028.
 
Well, it's almost 3 hours in the bucket, the temp is much better but the pH is still pretty different. The shipping water was 7.4, but my tank is 8.0. The water in the bucket just measured 7.8, so we're getting there. This octopus definitely has a tear in the skin of it's mantle. It also looks like the webbing between the front two legs is somehow damaged. The octo is active and interested in me, so I hope that's at least a good sign...
 
Oh no! Can they recover from damage on the mantle? You'd think so since the arms can regrow, guess it depends how severe. Does it look deep? I hate acclimation and the following few days. My nerves are wearing thin.
:fingerscrossed:
 
I'm not sure what's up with the skin, but now it is in the tank and it OWNS the barnacle! It moved right in and has it's eyes peeking out on the rest of the room, watching us. It made one quick swipe at one of those monster shrimp that Tom sent, but it wasn't interested enough to come all the way out of it's hiding place. It's coloration is really cool, more mottled than I remember past briareus... It is behaving just fine despite having something "out of the ordinary" with the skin.
 
Whew! what a relief. :biggrin2: I am very happy for you.
I have just past the 3 hour mark acclimating mine. I am going to step it up, I don't know if prolonged acclimation is good. Did you take photos of the release?
 
Interesting that it took the barnacle. I have only had mercs to do that and have assumed it has something to do with not having a second entrance/exit. I have fingers and toes crossed that TakeToo makes it as he is already proving interesting.
 
This morning Elise was the first one to remember that Julie is 12 today. My first waking thought was about the octopus... Does that make me a bad mom? I did take some photos, but getting ready for the b-day party (and regular Fri. morning volunteer at one school, PTA prez doing Popcorn Friday at the other, busy day ahead), I haven't had time to post them yet. Also, when I acclimate I only keep the blue light (if any) on, so coloring looks off in the photos. This morning it is all pulled into the barnacle, but tell tale signs in the substrate (little piles of obviously sifted aragonite) let me know there was activity some time after lights out. I'm hoping a day with no one around will help it get used to the new home.

That joubini I had took right to the barnacle... The eyes on this one are a little different for a briareus, too. I was hoping for a fertile female briareus, but I'm happy with anything healthy. Right now it is pulled into it's hole with one eye on me- just like they do after eating. I'm not sure it did hunt anything down, but that's the impression I get now.

Gotta go volunteer, I'll post those photos tonight (hopefully will get better ones) in the midst of a slumber party!
 
Acclimation pics

So I got all the books shelved and was able to sneak home long enough to upload the photos. The photo in the bucket shows the irregularities in the skin. As I was watching it last night, it seemed fine as far as behavior, I wonder if those are scars from some kind of skirmish? When I checked on it just now, it seemed to be doing a good job of denning up, with a shell to use as a door but the door is open now. Reminds me exactly of how that last joubini went straight to brooding... Of course, I haven't seen enough of it to say what it is yet. I'm just happy to see a nice, calm respiration rate and "normal" behavior from a nocturnal/ crepuscular animal!
 

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Wish I'd gotten more pics of that joubini... The thread was called "Tom's Pick," for anyone (D) who wants to compare photos- the few that there are.
 
I'm going with your diagnosis. The buldging very round eyes just don't look right for a merc and the arms don't look robust enough for an O.briareus. I have ONLY seen the barnacle accepted with O. mercatoris but have not kept O.joubini (I may have had a post brood female once but she went into the tank and I never saw her again).
 

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