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Fluval Flex 32.5 Small octopus

We did a 30% water change and moved the rock, eggs and Harlie into a breeder box. Almost all the eggs had eye spots now and we were preparing for them to hatch and were trying to decide how to feed them. We asked around for any live meat smaller than 1/8 inch and ordered Brine shrimp.
 

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These eggs look like they are in great shape. Ideally if you really want to keep them around as long as possible, you will separate the individuals into their own separate areas inside the tank. I've done this before with a bead organizer or plastic jewelry case, but it can be fussy to get it set up with a mesh screen on the bottom and proper flow etc. This will prevent your babies from killing each other.

For food, they probably don't need live food at the beginning of their lives. I've fed bimac hatchlings small cut up pieces of grass shrimp and they love them. Depending on the size of your hatchlings the brine shrimp may not be large enough but ymmv. You could probably also do pieces of crab meat or pieces of fish meat, but the fish meat turns bad fairly quickly and can't be left in the tank for very long.

Good luck!
 
I have the entire set of eggs in a breeder net box. I'll take a picture with a ruler, but I think the eggs are about 1/16 inch long. Now you can really see the babies, they are getting color and the eggs are almost full. They should be hatching any day now.
The picture is on day 24.
 

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I have put Harlie in a separate breeder box. She ate two crabs, so I think she might live somewhat longer.
I'm going feed the babies some small shrimp when they hatch and hope for the best.
 
I put Harlie in a separate breeder box. She ate two crabs, In the hope that she might live a little longer.
I will try to feed the babies small shrimp when the eggs hatch.
The most troubling issue just now is the chemistry, the pH goes down regularly and I repeatedly must add a buffer. I don't know the cause, nothing else has changed in the aquarium; I assume the babies metabolism is the cause. Does anyone have any ideas?
 
amazing! Where to from here?? We haven't had babies in the forum for some time; traditional exit strategies included sharing / shipping to other TONMO members for care. Maybe there's a lab that could support as well -- do you have an LFS that can support / take any on board? The sad reality of course is that even the best and most progressive labs struggle with excess, so there may be no easy answers. Do you have other staging / holding tanks?
 
The eggs hatched Monday the 23. I have been waiting for live brine shrimp to arrive. Today the shrimp arrived and I put quite few in with the babies, We'll see what happens. I also bought prel-larval shrimp, but they turned out to be too big. I put Harlie, the mother, in a separate mesh box. I think she is eating one fiddler crap every other or every third day.
I have only the one tank. If you know any one or want to let the world know, they are free for the pickup to anyone that wants to try to raise them. They are only 1/8 inch long and have not eaten since they were born. I hope they eat the brine shrimp today.
 
I have the entire set of eggs in a breeder net box. I'll take a picture with a ruler, but I think the eggs are about 1/16 inch long. Now you can really see the babies, they are getting color and the eggs are almost full. They should be hatching any day now.
The picture is on day 24.
You’re getting some amazing pictures of these eggs!!!
 

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