Howdy from Austin, Texas!

[WTTW]

Hey y'all, my name is Walter, and I am so happy to be here! I've been lurking for a while learning a lot, but I figured it was time to make my formal grand entrance .

I was born and raised near Dallas, Texas, studied environmental science and biology for undergrad in Walla Walla, Washington, and then have been living in Austin, Texas ever since graduating. I was briefly in in Baton Rouge and Vermont, but for less than 6 months each.

I have kept reptiles my whole life (predominately Correlophus/Rhacodactylus) and so have a lot of experience building terrariums with communities of isopods, springtails, bromeliads, geckos, and more all living together. One thing I love about bioactive terrariums as well as saltwater tanks is the necessity of cultivating multiple, interconnected species relationships.

Two years ago, I went to H-mart to buy some beansprouts for our family's Christmas eggrolls, and I saw that they were selling live octopuses to be eaten. Ever since then, I have been learning about saltwater aquarium husbandry, and more specifically, coldwater marine tanks, as the species they are selling most likely live in cold water. It has been my dream to save one of these octopuses ever since, and am hopefully getting close to having a tank that is suitable soon!

From everything I have read on here about other folks' valiant attempts to do the same (DWhatley, davelin315, ACC4) I recognize I will most likely be setting up an "octopus hospice" where stressed and weakened octopuses can live out their final days alone. But I still want to try dangit! I've set up an instagram and youtube account to chronicle my foibles. Here are the accounts if y'all are curious:
https://youtube.com/@project.saveocho?si=qiBDNficfiFU6T39
https://www.instagram.com/project.save.ocho/

If anybody knows any resources/people in Austin working with coldwater species or any cephalopods for that matter, I would really appreciate any connections! A place to source live food regularly is the last hurdle I have yet to investigate fully.... Anyway, here are some pictures of what my tank looks like now (I appreciate thoughts/advice on rockscaping too) and then some of the terrariums and geckos I've built, just for fun .

 

[tonmo]

Welcome, @WTTW -- and thanks for being a TONMO Supporter!

That's an amazing setup! A former TONMOer (@cthulhu77, who, like @DWhatley has sadly passed) was a big reptilian keeper as well, and left a legacy of interesting posts across a spectrum of ceph topics over the years. Same goes for @Colin, who is now a park ranger in Scotland and hasn't visited in quite a while, but he was an engaged bimac and cuttlefish keeper "back in the day."

Thanks for sharing your channels. Do consider starting up a Journal when you stand up a ceph tank, we'd love to follow along here! Some platform enhancements are on the way here in '24 which I expect will make cross-platform integrations a bit more compelling. More to come on all that, for sure.

Two years ago, I went to H-mart to buy some beansprouts for our family's Christmas eggrolls, and I saw that they were selling live octopuses to be eaten.

Firstly, I'm interested in learning more about your family's Christmas eggrolls. ... Related to live octopuses in markets, yes we've had many rescues over the years, here's a classic thread on that:

Rescued an octopus from an Asian Food Market today

Stopped into an Asian Food Market today and was saddened to see a bunch of octopuses in a tank, all dead with the exception of this one and possibly another one, but this one was moving around and looking very sad to be in there... it's different than buying a "don't encourage them" type of...

tonmo.com

Looking forward to following along with your adventures!

 

[Tomh]

Beautiful setups!!! Welcome If your interested in get an octopus pm me? Thanks

 

[WTTW]

Beautiful setups!!! Welcome If your interested in get an octopus pm me? Thanks

Thank you, will do!

Firstly, I'm interested in learning more about your family's Christmas eggrolls. ... Related to live octopuses in markets, yes we've had many rescues over the years, here's a classic thread on that:

Hahaha, we don't make the wrappers but everything else we do! Every year it's a tradition to get the extended family together and all chop vegetables, stir fry, then wrap the eggrolls. Dad is outside with a beer and the fryer and it's really a nice time with a delicious reward at the end . Oh yes! That's where I was getting most of my guidance for conditions, hoping to perfect what parameters are best.

Thanks for sharing your channels. Do consider starting up a Journal when you stand up a ceph tank, we'd love to follow along here! Some platform enhancements are on the way here in '24 which I expect will make cross-platform integrations a bit more compelling. More to come on all that, for sure.

Oo exciting! I will most definitely set up a journal soon!

 

[tonmo]

Hahaha, we don't make the wrappers but everything else we do! Every year it's a tradition to get the extended family together and all chop vegetables, stir fry, then wrap the eggrolls. Dad is outside with a beer and the fryer and it's really a nice time with a delicious reward at the end .

love that!!