[Octopus]: Brainiac - Finally have an octopus :)

Pennyworth

Wonderpus
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Dec 13, 2013
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My octo from LiveAquaria arrived today, and was billed as a Medium Indonesian octopus.

I know it has a high probability of being a O. Aculeatus, although I'm not nearly well versed enough yet to be able to really have an idea.

I had an ammonia spoke overnight which was troubling, because a sand shifting starfish died...preparing to do a water change and then drip acclimate it. I don't like that he is in the water for so long but he seems to be doing well...

I will look forward to keeping a journal and documenting his/her progress. For a name...I'm thinking Brainiac :smile:

HujaiaPl.jpg


I will try and get some better photos but it's hard with my camera phone...which is all I have.
 
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Thanks guys :smile:

It seemed to go well, although haven't seen him since I put him in. About to review video I kept recording at night to hopefully see some cool stuff.

Here is a short video of introducing it to my tank, and it even seemed to ink at a point.

 
I was getting worried but know they tend to be shy at first.

Almost exactly 24 hours after being introduced into the tank he is starting to show himself...fed him early with a skewer and he gently took it, no tug of war.

P1pyHyS.jpg


Wasn't expecting him to be so small, hoping the spider decorator crab is not a threat....
 
If it is truly Indonesian, I have no clue as to species. With the images you have been able to make and the size of the animal, the closest my limited exposure comes is to suggest O. mercatoris (a Caribbean dwarf).
 
Well, dang. I was hoping it was just young and would grow larger...was definitely hoping for a larger sized one, but it's still incredibly cool :smile:

Maybe LiveAquaria would exchange it if I complained, since it certainly isn't a medium size. Or at the least, refund the price difference.

If it is a Dwarf Octopus then is the crab (being larger than it) a threat?
 
I've been thinking on the crab and the answer is, "I don't know". Predators and prey often reverse rolls with size differences but I am not sure what your crab eats. I think I would consider putting it in the sump until you can find enough information on its eating habits as crab species have a wide range of food choices (some eat live, most scavenge and some eat algae). You will need to find this crab by both name and image as the common names are often applied to different animals. Welcome to the world of home marine aquarium keeping, often with the blind leading the blind and facts are slow to stabilize.

Note that my guess, is just that, a guess based upon general looks (very dangerous with octopuses) from a few photos. However, the more I look at the images, the more mercatoris traits I see (note the three white marks below the eye). Take a look at my Gallery and view the last row of images (placing your cursor over the image will tell you the species). Here is one of Roy's (@Neogonodactylus ) portrait images of a merc for clearer details. If you can clearly qualify that this is a Caribbean and not Indonesian species, LA is likely to respect the mistake and make things right if you firmly but pleasantly explain the problem noting that this is an adult that will not live long and not a small specimen from the ordered group.
 
Thanks D. I agree, the octo does look an awful lot like a mercatoris based on other photos. The crab is a spider decorator crab, or Camposcia retusa, and can be aggressive when hungry. I feel like it would be ok since my 3 peppermint shrimp survived, and I haven't seen it be predator like at all since I feed it, but just to be safe will move it to the sump.

I will contact LA and update with any news.
 
This is a long overdue update, but Brainiac didn't make it. About three weeks after I had it, I hadn't seen any sign of it and had an ammonia spike, so assume it was dead. Three weeks later, I moved and had all my animals in good water waiting while I made new water to transfer everything back.

When moving my live rock it jumped out at me...I was shocked..all this time it had still been alive. It went pretty deep into my rock...I tried setting up my tank as fast as I could, but wasn't able to save it in time. I wish I had had somewhere ready to put it...I just had no idea it was still alive. I really should have assumed it was just in case...lesson learned...and still feeling pretty bad about the poor guy.
 

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