Another picky eater

[Aaron]

When I first got my (adult) bimac a week ago - he was happy to eat frozen clam the first day and frozen shrimp the second day ... Then he started to refuse them ... So I was feeding him living ghost shrimp for a couple days .... Then he started refusing those too so I gave him a medium sized hermit crab which he happily ate. I can't really afford to give him a hermit every day ($7) ... so I bought some living clams in Chinatown for him and put them in the tank. I'm not sure though if he is capable or even interested in eating the clam or if it's just another item he will pull in as part of his "fort". Do other people feed their octopuses living clams? Does anyone know where I can buy medium sized hermit crabs that aren't too expensive? How can I get him to go back to eating frozen food?

 

[cuttlegirl]

Hmmm... if you were offered frozen shrimp, and then fresh shrimp, what would taste better? Octopus can be picky eaters. Your octopus may not like clams. You can try mussels or scallops. You can order some crabs or shrimp from aquaculturestore.com or try to find a cheaper source of hermits...

 

[Nancy]

Take the clams out of the tank - our members have not had success feeding them, except for baby clams (very small).

Take cuttlegirl's recommendation about ordering the fiddlers - much cheaper.

You can try a live mussel, then crack it open and offer it. It's messy stuff, so remove it promptly if uneaten.

Some octopuses like scallops, thawed frozen krill. Have had less luck with fish (even fresh) and lobster.

Nancy

 

[Aaron]

It's beginning to look like he's starving himself

I just don't understand it - my last octopus ate for a few days and then starved itself to death. It looks like the one I have now is doing it too (he's an adult - fully grown Bimac). He also ate for a few days and then stopped. Everything is as it should be .... he has a place to hide, all water parameters are fine ... (no ammonia - no nitrite - nitrate less than 20 and dropping - water temperature at 69-72 degrees - Ph at 8.2 - salinity at 1.026 - low level light at 10 hrs a day - tank is 8 months old - two small urchins are in with the octopus) .... There's a hermit crab in with him now but he won't eat it ... he won't eat anything I give him ... not scallop, or shrimp, or clam. I ordered some fiddlers ... but I have a feeling he'll ignore those too ... Is there some type of syndrome going on here?