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GPO Health Issue

Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
1,740
I need some help with a reoccuring issue we are having with our GPOs. The last animal we had died shortly(within weeks) of getting this quarter sized sore that looked like something had desovled a small pit into its flesh. The animal didn't seem to be bothered by it. There were also small,dime to nickle sized white patches where the skin looked like it had peeled off. It also seemed like it was loosing its suckion disks. I would find some damaged or partially or completely missing from the arms. Now our new GPO is showing the same symptoms. The water chemistry is fine, so can anyone help me out with this?
 
Could prolonged expossure to large anemones do it? We keep about 40+ medium to large anemones of about 6 or more species in with it. I wish I could remove them all because every time a GPO touches one it jerks back fast.
 
I haven't been back to your aquarium for 5 or 6 years, but at the time the resident GPO was apparently getting stung from the large anemones in the tank. They were placed so the GPO had to pass beside or over them to get to the front of the tank. The octopus had visible lesions. I doubt if this would kill your octopus, but still, it's something to look into.
At the time I read an article in which public aquariums reported what was kept in their octopus display, and almost all included both fish and anemones.

I'm sure Thales will have some ideas, but you might also contact the Seattle Aquarium.

Nancy
 
skywindsurfer, maybe this'll help - I have access to a chapter of an Invertebrate Medicine textbook on cephalopods. Perhaps it'll give you some ideas.

PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.
 
Thanks neurobadger. I'll send that to you in a minute. Right now I'm currently trying to upload a few videos that I took of the damaged/missing suction disks and the wound that looks like a quarter sized pit.

Nancy; I've tried talking to my director about removing the anemones because I think there are way too many. I've even tried to get them to move it into a much larger exhibit where it could get away from the anemones, but I get the same response. So I got in there a little while ago and rearranged the anemones so he will get some reprieve, but I can't keep them from moving where they want.

Thales; here are last weeks water chems, but I've done some work on the system since I expect them to go down. No other inverts are showing signs of stress or damage.
SG: 1.020
PH: 8.48
No3: 15
Po4: 3.4
 
skywindsurfer;179199 said:
Could prolonged expossure to large anemones do it? We keep about 40+ medium to large anemones of about 6 or more species in with it. I wish I could remove them all because every time a GPO touches one it jerks back fast.

Sure.
What species? How big is medium and large? What are the dimensions of the exhibit?
 
skywindsurfer;179203 said:
Thales; here are last weeks water chems, but I've done some work on the system since I expect them to go down. No other inverts are showing signs of stress or damage.
SG: 1.020
PH: 8.48
No3: 15
Po4: 3.4

1.020 is about 26 ppt which seems too low to me. NSW is 34-35. I would have to look into that at work, and I don't think its the cause of your issue, and there are reports of them at the lower salinity.

What units are you measuring PO4 in?
What is the Ammonia and the Nitrite?
 
Ammonia and nitrite are 0 and I believe its in ppt, but I'm not sure. We have interns doing the tests, and I personally don't trust the results 100%. I'll have to get back to you with tank dimensions and anemone species.
 

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