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Declining Appetite...

Joined
May 31, 2006
Messages
54
Octopus #3, who had previously been eating while #2 went through his bout of lost appetite, has recently been eating less and less each day by about .3g of shrimp. Otherwise he seems normal. #2 is eating normally again, though I think the octos are a little bored. I was concerned about the filter in his tank. It was not meant for a 50 gal, but it was all I had in the meantime. Octo #1 died of unknown causes, and when I tried to reuse his filter, I nearly got electrocuted because of a massive short. I was afraid maybe the increased water load was doing something to the filter that might be effecting the octopus. I removed the filter, since it seemed to be not doing so well anyway. Could there be some kind of weird electrical thing that could have harmed/upset the octopus? Any ideas on how to get him to eat again or what might be wrong?
 
Spocktopus;77670 said:
Octopus #3, who had previously been eating while #2 went through his bout of lost appetite, has recently been eating less and less each day by about .3g of shrimp. Otherwise he seems normal. #2 is eating normally again, though I think the octos are a little bored. I was concerned about the filter in his tank. It was not meant for a 50 gal, but it was all I had in the meantime. Octo #1 died of unknown causes, and when I tried to reuse his filter, I nearly got electrocuted because of a massive short. I was afraid maybe the increased water load was doing something to the filter that might be effecting the octopus. I removed the filter, since it seemed to be not doing so well anyway. Could there be some kind of weird electrical thing that could have harmed/upset the octopus? Any ideas on how to get him to eat again or what might be wrong?

This is just me from the peanut gallery, but I think you should report your water chemistry test results along with this sort of query... if you think the filter's not cutting it, then testing to assess the situation seems like the next step. A water change might be a good idea, too, but I don't know enough to be sure, so I'd wait to see what the real tank experts have to say on that, but they'll have a lot more to work with if they know your water situation...
 
So are you saying you do not have any filtration running on the tank right now? I know water quality affects their eating.
 
Water quality has been decent, better than it has been before when they were eating more. I'm starting to see a decline in appetite in my other octo as well. They are in separate 50 gal tanks both feeding off the same sump. There is a bio filter anda UV filter hooked up, and the other tank has an in tank filter as well. I have ordered 2 new, larger, in tank filters to help with mechanical and carbon filtration, but they have not arrived yet. Other than the appetite change, he seems fine. Same with the other octo. Could it just be that after being in the lab a wihle they are just less hungry?
 
Ok, I checked the water qualit again today. Nitrates were between 15 and 17 ppm. The source I have say that nitrates can be up to 20 ppm and have the octos be ok. That having been said, these readings are in the upper end of that range. What is a good way to bring nitrates down? I have been doing daily 10 gal water changes from the sump. My tanks are 40 or 50 gal and I'm not sure how much the sump holds (it's a big black barrel).
 
Ok, I did a 25 gal change today before feeding. They still aren't eating any more, but maybe it takes a while for the change to take effect. The problem is, I can't take out all 25 gallons at once. I can do a 10 gal change max at once, and then I have to supplement it with additional 5 gal changes...so it's not a complete change of 25 old gallons for 25 new gallons. Do you think they might just be bored/sick of their food? It's all they've been eating for a couple months now.
 
I opened a fresh bag of shrimp for them today, hoping that it might have been a freshness of food issue. However, #3 grabbed at the shrimp and stick initially enthusiastically, but he did not take the shrimp off the stick. I wonder if it is something about the stick he does not like? Although he is not eating it afterwards when it has fallen into the tank. #2 is readily taking his food from the stick. Other than the eating issue, both octos are behaving normally.
 
I don't know...I'm not sure how old they were when they arrived. I've had them for 2-3 months now. But one of them isn't eating at all. Do you think they might just be nearing the end of their lifespan?
 
The place were you purchased the octopuses might be able to tell you how old they were when you bought them.

How large are they now?

Nancy
 
The larger has a mantle length of about 2-3 in. and the smalller about 1-2 in. I fed them crabs today (I only had two!) and they took them. As far as I know they are eating, so maybe I just need to vary their diet some. My problem is getting to a store or finding enough crabs.
 
Ok, I caught some more crabs today. #3 grabbed one eagerly and killed it when it wandered close to him. I found the crab when he left it dead with the legs pulled off. However, the body was still mostly intact except for a hole at the back of the shell, and I think the meat was still inside. Is he eating the crab? If not, I'm not sure what else to do...
 

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