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Nancy

Titanites
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Moderator (Staff)
Joined
Nov 20, 2002
Messages
5,816
Location
Dallas Texas
Hi all,

I talked to Jim yesterday and we had an interesting discussion. I told him I would report back to all of you.

First of all, Jim is going to have someone answering emails and also someone covering the phone, so customer service should improve.

There is a new group of bimacs coming along but it will be 8 weeks or so before they're ready to ship. I told Jim that I thought - and some of you have also suggested - they should not be shipped until they're slighly older. Even if it means he'd have to charge more for them, it would be worth it because they'd be sturdier and have fewer problems with food. Both of us agreed that amphipods are very good food for these little bimacs - he's considering selling a kit with amphipods, fewer clams, and a bimac.

We discussed feeding and the octo deaths - the clams are not intended for long term feeding, just to help as you start the little bimac on frozen shimp and other food such as small crabs. Colin and I are concerned that people are unable to maintain the nutrition in the clams and this has affected the health of the baby bimacs.

Other news - Jim has improved the cuttlefish facility and it's been moved indoors. He is raising S. officinalis and probably one other species. More news later. It will be a couple of months for the cuttlefish, too.

I asked about The Great Bimac Escape - yes, they all made it. It happened at night, after they had been moved to another tank - the next day the tank was empty and there were no little bodies. Fortunately, the tank was outside and very near a salt water "trough", so they didn't have far to go. But the thought of all those baby bimacs escaping is something!!

One last note - I don't know whether you've looked at the website, but Octopets is now offering captive bred seahorses.

Nancy
 
Sounds like good news! I like the idea of having some amphipods in the kit--I know I have plenty in my tank, but the critter cage keeps most of them out.

Since it will be 8 weeks for the next generation, it sounds like he's taking the older shipping age idea to heart. I get the impression that lately they've been shipping around six weeks? My 75 needs to make the trip to Rhode Island in August, so I probably won't be in the market again until later in the fall, depending on how long it takes the system to restabilize.

Its wonderful that he'll have someone to answer emails. Good news with the cuttlefish, too! Is he going to try to breed them or is he just sticking to hatching imported eggs? I would love one of these if I could field a big enough tank. Breeding bandensis might be an eventual goal for him because it seems like people are always looking for them.

I would really like to see some pictures of Octopets. It sounds like a really neat place.

Dan
 
i agree with them being older
Megas was older when he arrived and hes doing marveoulous
maybe a mention on his Octo care page that the clams are for initial feedings ONLY and that supplimental food items are a MUST
Megas attacked and killed and procceded to devour his first thawed shrimp last night so hes welll on the road to clam independece

now about the ampipods my understanding is that these are SMALL things little bigger than you average flea? Does not seem like a meal for a hungry Octo

the event that should go down in history
the Great Bimac Escape of 2005
:smile:

and um if i wanted to grow clams as part of my filter system what should i feed them? anyone?

Good to hear that Jim is not getting to frustrated with our calls and emails.

keep up the good work Jim

thanks for the update nancy
 
Just received from octopets today:
"I will be shipping your octopus on Monday 16th sorry for the long wait..."

*does a huge happy dance*

WOO, and I might add, HOO!!! :biggrin2:

Pictures and updates about the whole adventure to follow soon after its arrival.
-Jared
 
Amphipods range in size from very small (babies) to maybe 1/2 inch - they're sizable enough that my baby briareus grew up on them and didn't have to touch the crabs or snails until she was over three months old.

Octos seem to find them very tasty. I had hundreds of amphipods in my bimac tank and Ollie searched for them long after she had eaten every one and had plenty of much larger food like crabs.

Nancy
 
Dont think I'd bother trying to keep clams in a system long term. Jim can because he uses a flow through from the sea and that is where they will get all of their food from. Much harder in the tank and rather than helping a filter they will actually pit more strain on it rather than help.

sensitive wee things.

Remember that the clams from octopets are just a starter food and no good in the long term and that any feeder animal whether it be clam, shrimp, crab or other is only as good as the food that it fed on itself!

EG if you are going to feed a crab to a cuttlefish make sure that the crab is well fed on a good quality flake food first and that way the benefit gets passed on.
 

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