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What are you feeding your octopus?

never owned an octo myself but a guy at the lfs had a blue-ring (naughty naughty i know) and he fed it anything he could collect from the beach or dives - mainly pipis cos they are so easy to store!!! (big box of wet beach sand- make sure to wash them first cos the beach sand can be dodgy!) and other small shellfish but also live sw feeders and small crabs he could catch!!!
 
When the octopi I've taken care of were young, I generally fed them small shore crabs found around some of the docks where I live, and occasionally a chopped up piece of fish/squid. (Some don't like the dead stuff as well, unfortunately) The older ones always like live crabs, of course, but I have one now that is peculiar and will gladly go for mussels. Which is excellent, since live crabs are hard to come by this time of year...
 
I buy about 300 fiddlers from the bait shop when they are in season for $5 the lfs sells 2 fiddlers for $5 I keep them in one of those rubermaid containers with a fluval 4 in it and those floor buffing pads so the crabs could hang out on above the water
when I run out of fiddlers and they are out of season I feed my bimac frozen shrimp from the market with a feeding stick
My last bimac even took a big blue crab from the fish market killed it but when it couldnt drag the crab into its den the octo left it I took the rest of the crabs stuck them in the freezer and broke them in pieces about a quarter of the crab was given every day
 
As far as I know, ghost shrimp are freshwater, and my last octopus snatched them up as fast as I could put them in the tank. They were more of a variety treat than a staple food. I don't know personally if there are any dietary concerns about using freshwater animals as a primary food.
 
yes i had forgotten about the copper issue but also, freshwater things have very low nutrient value even when live compared to marine so while they can sustain other freshwater organisms, they arent balance or rich enough in proteins for marine things...

BUT remember that there is a lot of value in the octopus having to catch its own prey! it keeps it exercized and happy!!! sounds like this is not crucial but it is necessary for all creatures livelihoods!!! remember to feed live food regularly but not as the staple food - ie once a week to once every three days maybe?
 
moron_aaron said:
hmm...ive been feeding mine with live crabs for far...and the occasional thawed shrimp....about 1 time a day because she rarely comes out of her den and usually is guarding her eggs...

oh your feeding your octoppus mother food wow thats not to often when they have eggs there is some straing thing that may happen if you dont like the mother actualy eating her eggs ew that would make me so angry :mad: :mad: how are they doing I might raise baby octopus so Id like to get as much info as posable :hmm:
 
My local bait shop has had a never ending supply of green crabs all winter!! I buy 1/2 dozen and they always give me more and put them in a 15 gallon feeder tank in my kitchen, run by an Aquaclear 400.
 
i wonder if they would like nassarius obseleta , ive had the astrea snails and the nassarius vibex snails before and my octo loved them , though they are expensive.
but if they like obseleta
i can get them for $20 for about 350 of em

which would be a good food source plus they are the size of a dime,

what do you guys think
 
I know, this is an 'old' thread
But what do people away from the ocean do... I want a bimac, and want to plan well in advance (IOW, the tank is still freshwater, no i do not use copper and it has never been exposed to copper)
 

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