What are you feeding your octopus?

[Bimacfanatic]

One more cool thing, I put some crabs in a clear box,
and closed it with rubberbands, and my bimac pried it
open and got the crabs. No training or anything. It was
pretty cool.

 

[Armstrong]

Would cooked frozen shrimp be ok for an octopus or would it better if it were raw?

Otherwise i'll be feeding the octopus raw scallops, live crabs and frozen squid. I'll have a better selection when I go to ChinATown Philadelphia in 2 weeks were they sell a variety of live seafood.

 

[91lxstang]

i wouldnt feed them cooked..... i would just do raw..... mine seems to like raw shrimp but not as much as live fiddlers and the occasional crawdad

 

[Nancy]

Food must always raw or live - if it's frozen, be sure it hasn't been cooked.

This is why we can't use frozen crab - it's almost always cooked.

Nancy

 

[91lxstang]

can i feed my octo live oysters

 

[Armstrong]

can i feed my octo live oysters

Lol, definately. I forgot how Oysters behave though if your talking...giving it to them whole. Otherwise, their still alive if you give them the oyster without its shell.

 

[91lxstang]

i would jut split it open alive and give it to him

 

[Armstrong]

i would jut split it open alive and give it to him

Ya, then that works. I just caught loads of mussels at the shore. Im going again this whole week and collecting whatever I can like sea shells and rocks for the octopus tank. I also caught a moon jellyfish which are common and its in my tank. Im getting rid of it though as soon as the octopus arrives.

 

[Armstrong]

I just bought raw shrimp today and have been trying to feed it to the new octopus, but it wont accept that either. It pushes it away like it did with the small crabs. I guess I should try hermit crabs now. Kinda suprised its not eating crabs or shrimp.

 

[DHyslop]

I just happened to find a source for live mussels, shipping included:

Maine Bait

 

[Armstrong]

Today I just tried feeding my octopus a clam, different species of raw shrimp and squid...it won't accept either. Lol, very picky. I also bought a live crab, bit its huge and im going to have to kill it and feed it to it peice by peice. I just dont want to kill it.

 

[cuttlegirl]

Today I just tried feeding my octopus a clam, different species of raw shrimp and squid...it won't accept either. Lol, very picky. I also bought a live crab, bit its huge and im going to have to kill it and feed it to it peice by peice. I just dont want to kill it.

You could try just taking the claws off (it doesn't kill the crab) and see if the octopus could handle it. How many times bigger is the crab than the octopus's mantle?

 

[Armstrong]

You could try just taking the claws off (it doesn't kill the crab) and see if the octopus could handle it. How many times bigger is the crab than the octopus's mantle?

The octopuses mantle is about an inch or so long. The crab is about 7 inches across, but I just killed the crab. I tore off leg peices and the octopus is just touching it, but isn't eating yet. Should I try giving it the claws instead?

So far...the octopus won't accept things it should be eating. It wont eat frozen raw shrimp, fresh raw shrimp, clams, oysters, squid...or even blue crab which I bought live and killed. I think it's kinda odd and I wouldn't think it just feeds on hermit crabs.

The blue crab is twice the size of the octo, but even dead it wont touch it. I thought octopuses sometimes attack things larger than itself. Im gonna have to just go with hermits now. However, I really dont like the idea of feeding it 1type of food. Mabye my octopus is super picky.

 

[Nancy]

Don't the claws have a lot of meat? You might try those. If you've just killed it, put some of the crab into the freezer to try later.

Nancy

 

[Nancy]

Armstrong, why don't you go to the places where Carol hunts for octo food and find some hermit crabs? They'd be the best food for your octopus right now. Don't bother with the other types of food - crabs will suffice.

Nancy