Witicker - A. aculeatus

Joined
Dec 4, 2008
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505
Got my octopus from live aquaria when i got home today immediately started acclimating. Acclimated for about 1:30 to 2:00 then put it in. I wanted an linki but it is really boring to have an empty tank so i saw that live aquaria had one in stock so i got it in it came in.I just put it in the tank it was peeking out through all the caves and just looked now and is about half way out! Not sure of any names yet if i find out it is a boy i think his name might be witicker!:lol: (My friends told me to name him that). Not sure if it is a female. Any one got any ideas(hope it is not i hate when they lay eggs it is so hard to watch them kill themselves)? Its mantle is about 1 in so i am pretty happy about that. Here are a few pics that i got of it right when i put it in.
 

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Well about 10 mins after i put him in he cruised back behind all the rock work peeking up under and the side at me. After he was done with that he kinda settle behind some open rock area and stayed there for a while kinda in the open. I put my hand near him and he immediately started feeling and tasting with his suckers. After that he moved to what i think might be his den(Beans old den:cry:). When i got up i saw he had a hermit crab and was trying to eat it i think. In his new den he is half way out half way in. I am a little worried though. When he was sitting out in open behind the rocks he was letting his arms get blown by the current. I think he might of still been a little over helmed and didnt know what to do. He has good color and is breathing very lightly which also kinda worries me. I hope every thing goes ok because he is the perfect size aculeatus.
 
Heavy breathing is often seen with stress. I don't think I would worry about light breathing as I have seen mine do that trying not to be seen. The arms blowing in the current may also be part of his/her camo.
 
Many people have reported that the octos like to sit in the overflow or powerhead return current. I have wondered if it helps their breathing or cleaning functions.
 
Ok good i was a little worried about that. He is still in the same spot when i got home but he looks good. Has good color and is still breathing good. The current i have set up goes right behind right were he is sitting so it makes sense.
 
Well he is doing great hasnt really came out in the open yet to explore that i know of. He ate a clam 2 nights ago and kinda sat in the open to eat it. My computer is right next to the tank so i look at him quite often and he is always peeking at me which i think is a good sign. Still havent gotten and id for sex yet but i think he is a she(wanted a male so i didnt have to see the whole egg thing again:cry:) not sure about it though.
 
I got some pics when he started coming out some more and exploring. Right now he is about half way out in the open i am excited about that!:cool2: Hasnt eaten in 2 days put a clam in and hasent eaten yet. I am going to order some fiddlers and shore shrimp. In the last pic thats the peeking thing he is doing in all the caves and crevices.
 

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I came in to turn off the lights and was very happy to see this!(look at the pics) By seeing this i think he is a he(maybe). It seems he keeps his 3 rd right arm curled quite a bit. But I Dont see any enlarged suckers on the under side. Has any one also had this trouble? As I right this he is cruising around the sand and rocks exploring a bit.
 

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Maya showed too much interest in the overflow so we put a piece of acrylic with drilled holes across it on the inside and added a cover (hers was designed assmall built in sump - now just an empty box - taking the full width of one end of the tank, our primary cover does not extend to this section). Until she started her den rock collecting, she would stick her "fingers" (ie arm tips) into the slots but never more than that after the acrylic (first day) was in place. We added the acrylic because of other stories of octos ending up in sumps through the overflow. KaySoh's overflow has a strainer cover over the bulkhead (a good thing because Pesky spends a lot of time in it) and the hex tank (Bel's tank) has a sponge inside the overflow. Needless to say, I recommend octoproofing it.
 
Ya i have heard of that. My last aculeatus(beans) would swim up there and squirt water when she wanted some attention or was hungry.:lol: My mom didnt like that a whole lot.:mad: It kinda ruined the wall.:tongue:
 
I have a positive ID on sex(i think). I think HE is a male. I have been seeing the curled 3 rd arm and i finally got a look at him on the glass and saw enlarged suckers. I have also come up with a name. His name will be WITICKER. So will one of the staff members please change the title to Witicker - Aculeatus. Or you could do the A. Aculeatus if that is right.

Witicker is doing great every night when i start my homework that takes a good 2 hours:bugout: I get to watch Witicker swim around and watch me when i get bored of doing home work. Not sure where his den is exactly couldnt find him when i got home. Then he came out, didnt see where though. Hasnt eaten in 2 days(that i know of). He has only munched on one of the clams that was put in the tank. I do think though that he is eating hermits of snail because there population seems to be dwindling.
 

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