learn from my mistake

[manny]

I figure it would be good to have a topic were we can post things we did wrong so other people dont make the same mistake here is mine for a start:

This morning my vulgaris got into the overflow ( my tank is drilled I guess its called an overflowcompartment) when I tried to get it out the pre filter was in the way so I removed it and after a few times I tried getting him out he got sucked into the hole I paniced thinking he might get stuck so I grabed one of his legs and off it came like nothing just ripped right off i didnt think that would happen though i have seen the shows when the eal grabs the octo and its leg comes off and he gets away I figured it gets bitten off .

Now after observing the leg for about 5 minutes moving around and reaching toward the side it gets touched on I gave it to my bimac (who at the time was eating a piece of prawn and released it though it was almost completely eaten ) to see his reaction after wrestling it off the glass that it would not let go of the bimac took it by the rocks and started eating it the leg is still moving 15 minutes later I feel terrible for ripping its leg off but now it maches my tattoo wich only has 7 legs HA! HA!

 

[sideways]

did you end up getting the vulgaris back out okay?

 

[manny]

yes he got sucked thru the overflow and whent right into the sump

 

[tonmo]

Wow, what an... "adventure"... Will his leg grow back OK? I have to imagine your vulgaris is pretty stressed! :?

 

[manny]

it should when I got it a month ago two of its legs were missing half way and they had grown back in that period

 

[Colin]

Hi,
one of my first octopuses was actually a 'pentapus' and it grew most of the arms back within about 2 months!
What an amazing escape technique!
C

 

[sideways]

not to sound cruel or anything...but I wonder what would have happened if you had put his arm back in the tank with him. I wonder if he would recognize it as his own or if he would eat it. Hmmm

 

[manny]

It crossed my mind but I felt bad enough for ripping it off

 

[rrtanton]

Not unreasonable that he might have recognized it as his own AND eaten it... If he recognizes that it's no longer attached, at that point what is it but potential food? Unless there are some specific biological risks associated with that sort of "cannibalism" I don't see why he wouldn't.

rusty