Hey y'all!
Little late but better than never on starting this journal! As some might have read we lost our first and very beloved "Octavia" (was actually a male) at the end of April. Being pretty sad was an understatement. When you spend almost a year prepping and learning about a new pet to bring home only to have it expire 2 month in was a tough blow to the confidence. I did not realize just how quickly and deeply a bond would form with an animal in an aquarium. Looking back though I believe he was at the end when we got him and due to lack of hands on experience I didn't want to see the signs. Its funny how you can research till you are blue in the face but when you are actually living your research you can be in denial.
Anyways, moving to happier times- a week after we lost Octavia I had Tomh send us another one. I had family that was flying in the following week and was looking forward to seeing one in a home aquarium so I had no time to spare. Our new little one was much smaller than our first being about half the size as Octavia was upon arrival. My husband decided we would call our new baby Davy Jones once we realized that it was a male. He came to us with a the second right arm being missing but to date it hasn't slowed him down one bit and is growing back nicely.
Davy, being so much younger took about 7 weeks from arrival to get comfortable in being out in the open. He spent the majority of his time in his den collecting his dinner via "door dash" as the fiddler crabs just seemed to run straight to the entrance of his den upon entering the tank. He came to us eating thawed squid but after about two weeks he started refusing them and only wanted the fiddler crabs and the half dozen live clams that were left in the tank from Octavia. Towards the end of last month I was finally able to get my hands on some more live clams to which Davy was thrilled! He tried to cram three of them into his tiny den at one time and was quite frustrated after moving several rocks around that not even one would fit. Unfortunately though after eating one, the others expired in the tank within 48 hours (I think we got a bad batch) that resulted in a very large water change and him digging around searching the sand bed for more. When my sister helped me aquascape the tank initially we had used barnacles and a pretty, empty clam shell we had found at the beach in the design. The clam shell was glued shut and adhered to the rock. Well Davy really likes clams so that sucker when he couldn't find the clams in the sand pulled that super glued shell from the rock and drilled into it! Can you imagine the disappointment he must have felt to find it empty after all that work? Poor guy! Lol! When I noticed what he had done I drove all around town until I could find some fresh clams and bring him some home.
Twice Davy has inked and both times I freaked out! The first time it was late at night. My husband, the dogs and cat were all sound asleep and I was sitting still by the tank just watching him when out of no where he jetted off with a small amount of ink left in his wake. I had just replaced the carbon and it was a small amount so I didn't worry too much about it as it wasn't stringy and dissipated very quickly. The second time I was taking his picture and I guess it bothered him? He inked more this time than the last and had a slight stringy consistency but not what I had expected after reading other's experiences. I did do a good sized water change this time though just to be on the safe side.
He now after about three months comes out quite a bit every day. He loves the TV just like Octavia did and if we are doing something in the kitchen or living room he usually wants to see what's going on. I wont lie the first 2 weeks he started coming out I was so nervous he was going into senescence like Octavia did. I held my breath every time I walked in the living room thinking I would find him pale and lifeless. I still catch myself doing it occasionally. If its dark and I notice him on the glass I will flip the room light on to check for the "cork screw arms". Thankfully though all is well at our home. During last weeks water change we made our first contact. It was brief and when he realized I wasn't going to let him take my hand into his den he let go and retreated. As active as he is when watching outside the tank he is very shy and hides when I am in the tank.
I have been busy planning out my tank upgrade- we are going from 70 gallon DT to a 150 gallon DT next year and I can not wait! Anything yall have found design wise your octos seem to enjoy/functions better I am all ears!
I will attach some pictures below of Davy I have taken since we got him! I hope y'all can get a fraction of the joy out of these that I have!
Little late but better than never on starting this journal! As some might have read we lost our first and very beloved "Octavia" (was actually a male) at the end of April. Being pretty sad was an understatement. When you spend almost a year prepping and learning about a new pet to bring home only to have it expire 2 month in was a tough blow to the confidence. I did not realize just how quickly and deeply a bond would form with an animal in an aquarium. Looking back though I believe he was at the end when we got him and due to lack of hands on experience I didn't want to see the signs. Its funny how you can research till you are blue in the face but when you are actually living your research you can be in denial.
Anyways, moving to happier times- a week after we lost Octavia I had Tomh send us another one. I had family that was flying in the following week and was looking forward to seeing one in a home aquarium so I had no time to spare. Our new little one was much smaller than our first being about half the size as Octavia was upon arrival. My husband decided we would call our new baby Davy Jones once we realized that it was a male. He came to us with a the second right arm being missing but to date it hasn't slowed him down one bit and is growing back nicely.
Davy, being so much younger took about 7 weeks from arrival to get comfortable in being out in the open. He spent the majority of his time in his den collecting his dinner via "door dash" as the fiddler crabs just seemed to run straight to the entrance of his den upon entering the tank. He came to us eating thawed squid but after about two weeks he started refusing them and only wanted the fiddler crabs and the half dozen live clams that were left in the tank from Octavia. Towards the end of last month I was finally able to get my hands on some more live clams to which Davy was thrilled! He tried to cram three of them into his tiny den at one time and was quite frustrated after moving several rocks around that not even one would fit. Unfortunately though after eating one, the others expired in the tank within 48 hours (I think we got a bad batch) that resulted in a very large water change and him digging around searching the sand bed for more. When my sister helped me aquascape the tank initially we had used barnacles and a pretty, empty clam shell we had found at the beach in the design. The clam shell was glued shut and adhered to the rock. Well Davy really likes clams so that sucker when he couldn't find the clams in the sand pulled that super glued shell from the rock and drilled into it! Can you imagine the disappointment he must have felt to find it empty after all that work? Poor guy! Lol! When I noticed what he had done I drove all around town until I could find some fresh clams and bring him some home.
Twice Davy has inked and both times I freaked out! The first time it was late at night. My husband, the dogs and cat were all sound asleep and I was sitting still by the tank just watching him when out of no where he jetted off with a small amount of ink left in his wake. I had just replaced the carbon and it was a small amount so I didn't worry too much about it as it wasn't stringy and dissipated very quickly. The second time I was taking his picture and I guess it bothered him? He inked more this time than the last and had a slight stringy consistency but not what I had expected after reading other's experiences. I did do a good sized water change this time though just to be on the safe side.
He now after about three months comes out quite a bit every day. He loves the TV just like Octavia did and if we are doing something in the kitchen or living room he usually wants to see what's going on. I wont lie the first 2 weeks he started coming out I was so nervous he was going into senescence like Octavia did. I held my breath every time I walked in the living room thinking I would find him pale and lifeless. I still catch myself doing it occasionally. If its dark and I notice him on the glass I will flip the room light on to check for the "cork screw arms". Thankfully though all is well at our home. During last weeks water change we made our first contact. It was brief and when he realized I wasn't going to let him take my hand into his den he let go and retreated. As active as he is when watching outside the tank he is very shy and hides when I am in the tank.
I have been busy planning out my tank upgrade- we are going from 70 gallon DT to a 150 gallon DT next year and I can not wait! Anything yall have found design wise your octos seem to enjoy/functions better I am all ears!
I will attach some pictures below of Davy I have taken since we got him! I hope y'all can get a fraction of the joy out of these that I have!
i.e., how's he doing? 
