Different Behaviors of Your Octopus!!!

[corw314]

Hi everyone!!!! Heres a thought for a new topic! Just everyday behavior of your octopus when you're interacting with him!!!

Hermin, last night was sitting at the water line, in the front of the tank, 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the water all balled up. I thought OH NO!!! Somethings wrong!!! At first I thought maybe his arm was stuck about the water line. So I started splashing to moisten it. He started squirting water at me. Right in my face!! Did it everytime I splashed him!!! Cracked me up!!!

Anyway, he was in the flow of the air bubbles, which he does sit in at times. Sometimes he positions himself right above the bubbles near the surface! Wonder if he feels he's in a jacuzzi???

Strange creature! I feel really lucky I am approaching the 4 month mark!!

Carol

 

[Colin]

Hi Carol, happy Xmas!

Yeah my bimac can quite often be seen totally covering the wooden airstone in the tank. The webbing between the arms puffs up like a balloon when it fills with air and the octo has to really struggle to stop itself floating to the surface! That is quite funny to watch!

C

 

[corw314]

Hey Colin! Happy Holidays to ya too!!

I think Hermin has eaten the one lone damsel I couldn't catch. The fish is missing today. Ya know I thought he was eating something yesterday, cause of where he was sitting, and his position.

Yea!!!!! Now I can remove the pet home, I was hoping to trap the little critter in!!! Although I have seen Hermin go in it and almost looks like he's playing inside it!!! SOOOO, maybe I'll leave it!!!!

Carol

 

[Colin]

You could try using the pet home as a feeder to keep his brain working. Try putting in a live crab or something with the door open a little to see how long it takes him to figure it out????? just an idea lol

C

 

[corw314]

Hey Colin!!!

I have a pissed off octopus! This morning he was plastered to the front of the tank looking for his feeding source!!! I had one green crab left. He watched me put it in the pet home. I closed the door loosely and since he's been stalking and studying it from all angles! He knows the doors open cause he snuck the end of his tenacle in it.

Pretty amazing. You can tell he's thinking!!!

Carol

 

[Colin]

LOL yeah! But im sure you have to agree that although he's pissed off it is a much better thing to get that old doughnut brain working LOL

Something that works well is to use the cassettebox of an audio tape. Give it a clean, put in a craba and close the door! Then the octo has a new thing to figure out how to open!
Think we need to make a list of octo brain teasers?

C

 

[J.Scott]

Here's a few suggestions for making your Octopus work for it's food.
My vulgaris has cracked all these.

Cassette case is good, but a bit too easy, I use a couple of spots of super glue. Not too much though.

Lego is great, if they can't work out how to open it they just bust it appart. Most entertaining.

Fish food tubs with screw top lids. Drill a hole in the bottom so the Octo can stick it's arm in but can't get the food. That will keep it busy, especially if you fill it with air.

Small bottles, float these and stuff a bit of shrimp in it.

Pint glasses upside down on the aquarium base with food underneath.

I'm sure there are plenty more, just use your imagination. Make sure that there are no metals and all plastics are food grade. Don't put anything in you may want, mine hides most of the stuff!

My Octopus will soon get bored if it cannot touch the food, especially if it's dead. Provided the arm can feel the food it will spend ages trying to get to it.

J.Scott

 

[corw314]

Hi J Scott!

That's some great ideas! I especially like the idea of legos!! Hermins approaching the 5 month mark??? That's amazing in itself!!! Tonight he had a tug of war with a fiddler crab and me! I'm amazed at how strong he is! Right now he's done dining and sitting 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the water at the top of the tank. Is this a usual behavior?? In all the ones I've had over the years, I never had one do this. This was how I discovered he will splash me back! Tonight, I was messing with his 1/2 out of the water and he deliberately splashed me in the face again! Took me by surprise! :o

Carol

 

[J.Scott]

My largish O.vulgaris is now over 8 months old. It knows when feeding time is and will climb right out of the water, unless I get the food in quickly. Vulgaris have a bit of a reputation for climbing out. One feeding time I got distracted, in 20 seconds it had climbed right out took the food container, and the of course the food. I heard a noise which was my Octopus plopping back into the aquarium with it's prize.
It often squirts me too, but luckily it normally hits the covers so I don't get soaked
My little bimac is about 3 months old and has never made any attempt to climb out. But I guess it would be easy to train it.

Have fun

J.Scott