[Octopus]: Twitch - O. Bimaculoides My birthday surprise!!!

I'm hooked! I think Twitch has doubled in size since March 14th. He now comes dashing out of his plane when I come home from work, especially if he's hungry as he has identified me as the food Goddess....lol....I have not released him from the pet home as of yet. I plan on letting him loose in another 2 weeks or so now that he is getting friendly. He ate a piece of shrimp the other day and I have more crabs coming from Coldwater Marine today. I tried to collect some mud snails, but it's still too cold.
 

Attachments

  • 20140401_195626_resized.jpg
    20140401_195626_resized.jpg
    729.8 KB · Views: 201
So what's the story with Coldwater Marine Aquatics? Do they go out and catch them per order? Are the collection/resale laws less onerous in Oregon than California? Should I order one tomorrow? :smile:
 
@DHyslop ! Long time no see!

Stu (@AquaticEngineer ) gets a variety of animals but bimac only show up occasionally since they are not very common that far north. He sees more O. rubescens and GPO's than any other cephs. They do have a website but watching his FB page is likely to be the fastest way to know what is available.
 
I lurk now and then to see what's going on :smile: Life has been keeping me pretty busy but I've been thinking about cephs again now that the kids are old enough to enjoy them, and I've got a house full of tanks and equipment anyway. I also have an unlimited source of saltwater crabs a block from my house in Narragansett Bay.

Has there been much hobby experience with O. rubescens? I've seen them at the Seattle Aquarium, but are they as personable and diurnal as bimacs? I'm sure the water has to be even colder than for a bimac.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Carol. Twitch seems like a fine young gentleman.

Dan
 
Last edited:
Hijack :oops:- Still not much hobby experience with O. rubescens for both the lack of availability and the cold water requirements. Several years ago @Neogonodactylus declared them a new favorite and @Taollan who worked with them for his master's (and is now a professor and starting a ceph lab at Walla Walla) is still enamoured with them. I considered trying to keep one several times but the water temperature requirements negate the practicality (keeping our house cool enough for my chiller to maintain the temp is just too expensive). Like the bimacs, @AquaticEngineer gets them from time to time but you need to put your name in the hat and wait.
 
No problem with hijacking...lol.... I have good news. I opened the top of the critter pen and it took Twitch 2 days to discover it was open. 2 days to finally show us where he was. I was worried I was back to a 2 week period of try to spot the octopus but to it I was tapping on the tank and he came out from under a rock! :smile:
 

Attachments

  • 20140427_211550.jpg
    20140427_211550.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 287
I have a much better pic of Twitch's new home. He chose a large shell right in the middle of the tank so he can watch his humans. Very happy to see empty snail shells accumulating by the base of the shell. I ordered more crabs from Cold Water Marine and expect their arrival at work on Thursday. Should be interesting to hear the comments once my residents hear I got a live delivery to my office! :smile: Very happy at how nicely Twitch is growing and his interest in the world outside his tank is growing!!
 

Attachments

  • 20140430_053517_edited-1.jpg
    20140430_053517_edited-1.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 326
My goodness!!! It's been a while since I checked in. How time flies and how my teenager keeps me busy!!! Twitch is now the size of a large apple curled up. His mantle is at least 2" long. He is now eating green crabs I can buy at the bait shop. I collected snails from the inlet and he has quite the pile outside his shell.
 

Attachments

  • 20140615_154724.jpg
    20140615_154724.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 185
Wow, been awhile since I jumped on over here :oops:

Glad to see Twitch is doing well and getting big! I think he's still the last one we've been able to get from anyone :frown: Becauase of that though, my business partner is setting up a bimac breeding system seperate from our holding system with some input and help from Lloyd Trueblood who's been working with them ( A colleage Taollan referred to us for small live food to feed his baby bimacs)

Also, the O.rubescens are available pretty much all the time upon request if anyone wants to give em a go, even took one to MACNA with us this last weekend to show off :smile:
 
@AquaticEngineer I saw that you donated the MACNA ruby to the local aquarium. Did it get much attention at MACNA? I know most attendees are coral and fish people so am curious on the attention given to an octopus.

I have a cold water tank now (I know, I know said I would not do this again but could not pass up this opportunity) but not cold enough for O. rubescens (and it would try to eat my nautilus!) and need to look for a few inexpensive additions (had to do with the shipping costs - I miss reasonable shipping but don't expect we will ever see it again).
 
Twitch has grown to the size of a grapefruit curled up. He is now disconnecting filter tubes...which I just discovered yesterday...eating daily and has now been with me 5 1/2 months. Will have to work on updated pics as the pound puppy we brought back has been taking a lot of my time. Glad to hear there maybe captive bred bi macs in the future!!!
 
Today, 8 months since Twitches arrival, I removed her body. I am thinking a she, as 6 - 8 weeks ago she disappeared and must have been guarding unfertile eggs as I had no sightings for the past 6 - 8 weeks. I am sad as this is the end of this tank for me. We are moving it in February to our home in South Carolina to await our full-time arrival. I do still have a 40 gal. salt in my bedroom but this houses Nemo, who came to me as tiny as 1/4 inch with a deformed back tail, hence the name Nemo and I do still have a birthday jawfish, going on 2 1/2 years now in that tank. I am wondering if the warm tank is why Twitch denned only 6 months into her stay with me. I do tend to think the warmer water speeds up their life span.
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top