2015 edit: Roy posted a photo of Calioctopus aspilosomatis that looks very much like the unknown Macropuses (aspilosomatis was originally placed in the Macropus complex macropus is now listed in the Callistoctopus genus) we have seen, including Beldar.
Thales FedExed me one of the two macropus complex octos that were in his care. It shipped via TN this time and not Indiana and the weather was excellent so temperature of the new arrival was not an issue (thankfully). I am posting one acclimation photo with sizes PSed in but I am not likely to get many of any quality because of the tank shape, location and red light.
Acclimation: She was pale and unresponsive and I was a little goosey even though the water was good and comfortably temperatured. When she was so lethargic, I realized I had failed to add my normal air stone and she picked up noticably with the additional gas exchange. The water parameters were close to my tank's and I don't like the extended acclimation process (the one I lost I took 3 hours with because of the temperature difference but it is the only one I have acclimated for that long and the only one I have lost in the first day - probably not releated to the acclimation but I am not comfortable with taking that long with an easily stressed animal).
First Night: No sign of her she remained nameless and unseen. She had quite greacefully slipped into the LR after release and no amount of pleading would bring her forth. I stuck a piece of shrimp on a stick and embedded it in the sand in hopes her curiosity would get the best of her or she would want the hermit that climbed the stick and was having a feast. I think I saw every pod, snail and shrimp in the tank but only LR octo eyes.
Second Night: No sightings (I did break down an use a flashlight, as did Neal). I added a very dim nightlight to the back side of the tank in hopes of discouraging night time denning there (it is very dim and may or may not go out during the day because of the sensor). I checked every couple of hours from a distance of about 30 feet and Neal checked early in the AM but still nothing. I put a fiddler crab in that could not be located (they live for weeks in that tank if not eaten). At least the pepermint shrimp, thorny star and hermit crab had not all congregated anywhere other than on the piece of shrimp I had in there yesterday (thorny added today).
Third Day: About 7:00 AM she was out on the sand. Neal had gone over to check on her, not expecting to see anything and by the time I got there she had retreated to a cave but stayed where we could still see her for a few minutes. She looked a lot like a frog but Neal's suggestion of "Kermit" is out. We kind of want something to do with Valentines day (being Friday the 13th, Jason was out too and no massacre tie-ins) but nothing fits (Cupid is has an interesting story but we both don't like the name ).
Fourth Day: Sent this note to Thales on her behavior:
Saw her out this AM for about 2 hours. She spent the first hour eating a hermit (large) and I have not seen the two fiddlers that were put in the tank so now I am concerned about how much to feed her/him. When finished, there was a wild wierd dance (I think it takes them time to adjust to climbing on acrylic - saw similar problems with Octane and somewhat less with OhToo) and an awful tucked in crouch with cork screwed arms at the top of the tank on my observation side.
TERROR
I moved to the opposite side of the tank and THEN things got normal! I saw the most incredible display of mimicing I have ever seen. She/he moved to about mid tank with arms and body set in a straight line, maybe 1+ foot across the tank wall. The mantle was extentened at least twice resting length and she looked like a huge walking stick. There is some current at this position and you would have no clue what you were actually seeing - no pics - maybe after she adjusts
She did come over to check me out once but then went back to the original side and danced about. Trying to get a good look at the arms was maddening as they don't stay still (no more cork screw though! I have learned that that is a definite stress sign).
I noticed one arm shorter than the others. It is not curled like a hectocotylus is usually kept and is the third left arm. From reading, I know this can sometimes be a reproduction arm but not sure if it is by species or individual. This may be a regenerated arm but the tip looked distinctive, I think
I am in love!
Fifth Day: (today) We still have not seen her out at night, only in the early AM. Today I was afraid I had missed her because I went to bed at a more normal time (I have been staying up so that I have seen her on the late night side of morning
) and did not get up until about 8:15ish (Bailey wanted out or I would have missed her). She was dancing around on glass (acrylic) and continued her dance for about 5 minutes before retiring. I put two more hermits in last night but I don't think she ate them. I will put in another fiddler (the two other offerings have stayed vanished) tonight as well.
Unfortunately, these may be the only pictures I get of her so I am including a link to a couple of photos a diver posted on another forum
Thales FedExed me one of the two macropus complex octos that were in his care. It shipped via TN this time and not Indiana and the weather was excellent so temperature of the new arrival was not an issue (thankfully). I am posting one acclimation photo with sizes PSed in but I am not likely to get many of any quality because of the tank shape, location and red light.
Acclimation: She was pale and unresponsive and I was a little goosey even though the water was good and comfortably temperatured. When she was so lethargic, I realized I had failed to add my normal air stone and she picked up noticably with the additional gas exchange. The water parameters were close to my tank's and I don't like the extended acclimation process (the one I lost I took 3 hours with because of the temperature difference but it is the only one I have acclimated for that long and the only one I have lost in the first day - probably not releated to the acclimation but I am not comfortable with taking that long with an easily stressed animal).
First Night: No sign of her she remained nameless and unseen. She had quite greacefully slipped into the LR after release and no amount of pleading would bring her forth. I stuck a piece of shrimp on a stick and embedded it in the sand in hopes her curiosity would get the best of her or she would want the hermit that climbed the stick and was having a feast. I think I saw every pod, snail and shrimp in the tank but only LR octo eyes.
Second Night: No sightings (I did break down an use a flashlight, as did Neal). I added a very dim nightlight to the back side of the tank in hopes of discouraging night time denning there (it is very dim and may or may not go out during the day because of the sensor). I checked every couple of hours from a distance of about 30 feet and Neal checked early in the AM but still nothing. I put a fiddler crab in that could not be located (they live for weeks in that tank if not eaten). At least the pepermint shrimp, thorny star and hermit crab had not all congregated anywhere other than on the piece of shrimp I had in there yesterday (thorny added today).
Third Day: About 7:00 AM she was out on the sand. Neal had gone over to check on her, not expecting to see anything and by the time I got there she had retreated to a cave but stayed where we could still see her for a few minutes. She looked a lot like a frog but Neal's suggestion of "Kermit" is out. We kind of want something to do with Valentines day (being Friday the 13th, Jason was out too and no massacre tie-ins) but nothing fits (Cupid is has an interesting story but we both don't like the name ).
Fourth Day: Sent this note to Thales on her behavior:
Saw her out this AM for about 2 hours. She spent the first hour eating a hermit (large) and I have not seen the two fiddlers that were put in the tank so now I am concerned about how much to feed her/him. When finished, there was a wild wierd dance (I think it takes them time to adjust to climbing on acrylic - saw similar problems with Octane and somewhat less with OhToo) and an awful tucked in crouch with cork screwed arms at the top of the tank on my observation side.
TERROR
I moved to the opposite side of the tank and THEN things got normal! I saw the most incredible display of mimicing I have ever seen. She/he moved to about mid tank with arms and body set in a straight line, maybe 1+ foot across the tank wall. The mantle was extentened at least twice resting length and she looked like a huge walking stick. There is some current at this position and you would have no clue what you were actually seeing - no pics - maybe after she adjusts
She did come over to check me out once but then went back to the original side and danced about. Trying to get a good look at the arms was maddening as they don't stay still (no more cork screw though! I have learned that that is a definite stress sign).
I noticed one arm shorter than the others. It is not curled like a hectocotylus is usually kept and is the third left arm. From reading, I know this can sometimes be a reproduction arm but not sure if it is by species or individual. This may be a regenerated arm but the tip looked distinctive, I think
I am in love!
Fifth Day: (today) We still have not seen her out at night, only in the early AM. Today I was afraid I had missed her because I went to bed at a more normal time (I have been staying up so that I have seen her on the late night side of morning
) and did not get up until about 8:15ish (Bailey wanted out or I would have missed her). She was dancing around on glass (acrylic) and continued her dance for about 5 minutes before retiring. I put two more hermits in last night but I don't think she ate them. I will put in another fiddler (the two other offerings have stayed vanished) tonight as well.Unfortunately, these may be the only pictures I get of her so I am including a link to a couple of photos a diver posted on another forum
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). If the tank does not have an edge, you can easily add an inside rim with a few sticks of acrylic and silicone and then cut an acrylic top to rest on the inside edging (a little tricky if the tank is not square but if the edging is wide enough, close is good enough, a center support bar will need to be added as well but it is no more difficult). An acrylic hinge is recommended but simple to install with silicone or acrylic cement. Tap Plastics has everything you would need if you don't have it locally and I can give you more details on our various setups if you get serious. We drilled holes in our acrylic tops (THAT was a pain but a piece of peg board as a template keeps it neat) for heat escape. Lowering the water level (not mandatory but recommended) can be problematic with an overflow but the grooves can be cut down if you don't mind a permenant adjustment. The whole top process might take a day or a weekend depending on the kids activity 
. We are seeing her between 5:00 and 7:30 every morning (well, I slept past her wake time one day). If she is not out during that time, I can sit on the couch for about 5 minutes and she will show up and dance with my fingers (on the outside of the tank) for a long time. Once the room is well lit from the morning sun, she disappears. I see a lot of skunk stripes and all kinds of unusual configurations from her but still won't risk the camera.
