Got my new Briareus!

[DWhatley]

It won't hurt. Octos are still a relatively uncommon pet so experimenting with lighting, feeding times etc. and posting the results (or lack of them) is helpful to the rest of us.

Tom emailed me a few minutes ago and it looks like I am going to try my first briareus if all goes well. I e-mailed that I wanted it but have not heard back from him and don't know if he has other takers as well. It was one of those very strange things. I was walking up to my office wishing one of my contacts would have an octo (so sad to see the OhToo's empty tank and I pass by it to and from my office) this week. I had not been away from the computer for 15 minutes but there was a new e-mail from Tom . I really did not expect one for a couple of months yet and I hope I don't regret not waiting for a smaller one. Time will tell.

Guess I am going to have to take back what I said about his red Vet (I drive a small two seater as well so the statement was all in poking fun at ourselves).

 

[runn3rb3an]

Haha Congrats! I hope it works out a little better then mine is. aghh if iI can only get him off the glass! I might have to scrape him off soon. its been almost 2 months now. I find it hard to believe it hasnt eaten yet though. Is it even possible it could survive this long so far without food?

 

[runn3rb3an]

still hasent touched the ground from what I can see

 

[Nancy]

I don't think your octopus could go that long without eating - could it be eating amphipods or crabs or other things in your tank?

And how do you know its not moving around while you're asleep?

Nancy

 

[cuttlechris]

my briareus spent about a half hour on the wall. Then shot straight for the den area i had intended for it. I'm assuming you have a nice place for it. Mine was timid, but not THAT timid. water parameters?

 

[runn3rb3an]

I don't know that it hasn't touched the ground yet while I was sleeping. It could of but whenever I check during the night he is still there. This morning I woke up to a horible grinding noise which I later relized was my octos arm in my until now ultra safe powerhead. He lost a little bit of flesh but he is ok. I also did a water change and while doing this I decided to make him touch the ground at least once. So i netted him after wrestling with his arms for about an hour and put him right in his intended den. He proceeded to crawl right across the rock and plaster himself on his usual spot on the glass. At this point I have no idea what to do. Could it possibly be the feeder shrimp or feeder crabs? There are about 8, 1 inch shrimp and 4 crabs slightly smaller than half of it's mantle.

 

[runn3rb3an]

anyone?

 

[runn3rb3an]

I know I havent been on the thread for who know how long but I guess I should finish it up lol.

flex prettymuch stayed on the wall for another week or so. He would not eat anything I tried feeding him but he would play with his food and whatnot. I had a red tube which I would put a silverside in and he would stick his arm up it and grab the food and brought it down but would never eat.

I also could never get him off the powerhead. He wasnt stuck to it put if I pryed him off he would jump back on it and wrap it up, I dont know if it was because of the vibration or radiant heat but he liked it. He stayed on the powerhead for about a week and then I found him deceased on it. I dont think I will be trying another octo anytime soon and I guess I never really got the whole experience out of it but it was worth a try.

 

[DWhatley]

Thanks for the update. I am trying to get a better picture of aquarium longevity so it is very helpful in my quest to be able to put at least an approximate ending date. Since you only had an approximation, I used Mar 31 as the last date.