my caribbean reef octopus laid eggs need some help...

[rickysreef]

no idea what to do know they look fine so far,I already can see the eyes ...with temperature will be the right one? should I separate the mother from the eggs? what should I feed the baby's ones they hatch??

 

[DWhatley]

DO NOT separate the mom from the eggs. Unlike most squid, octopuses need maternal care until they hatch. She will groom them constantly. Rather than rely a lot on memory, I will send you to my one success raising a pair of O. briareus (I am assuming this is the species from your description but can't tell from the eggs). If it is a dwarf (O. mercatoris), let me know and I will direct you to a couple of other threads where there were successes.

Unfortunately, I am the only member to have journaled a hatching through full life cycle of O. briareus so pickings are a bit slim. It would be most excellent if you can double the journaling.

Here is the journal I started just as Kooah's eggs started hatching. There is a backwards link in the first entry to her primary journal and forward links at the end for the two surviving hatchlings. I mated the surviving sibblings but the hatchlings did not survive. I can't give an explanation to the difference other than I don't believe the offspring were healthy as they started disappearing rapidly close to hatching time. The two that I observed had an obvious problem trying to orient and move in a straight line. Their short journal is here but is not recommended reading for positive ideas.

Feeding freshly killed shore shrimp supplemented with Cyclop-eeze (frozen, not dried ) and all the amphi and cope pods you can load into the tank is my recommended first food group. You will have to hand feed the shore shrimp (DON'T put them loose in the tank as they are likely to pick on the new hatchlings). Unlike the mercatoris' I have raised, I had no luck trying to keep this species in a breeder net and I often found them in the sock at the end of my overflow to the sump (alive). The overflow sock may not have been a bad home for them initially and I intend to try using an intentional set up for some of the hatchlings next time I have the opportunity.

and PLEASE JOURNAL the experience!!!

 

[rickysreef]

it is a O. briareus, thank u so much for the help i cant wait to see my new kids