my octo just got here !

my little girl (?) hasnt been eating and hasnt been exploring the tank for the last week/week and a half or so. the last time it was out i offered a piece of shrimp and she pushed it away with an arm. she keeps yourself pretty guarded in the den with several snail shells. still has brown color from what i can see. ive offered shrimp several times and i get no response. tonight she pulled the shrimp towards her, held on on to it for a minute or two, and then blew it back out. i hope shes ok. :fingerscrossed: all other tank mates seem healthy and are eating fine.
 
Is it out at all during the day? She may be a he and we are coming to the bad part. Try offering a new killed fiddler and leave a live one loose in the tank. On occassion they seem to need a change of diet but this too seems to be near the end of their short lives. If he eats again, you still have some time but if he starts coming out in the daylight then a week at best. Note, however, not all mercs come out in the daylight when their time is up.
 
nope. never out during the day. and its never refused food before. even if it wasnt something it wanted (frozen krill after i started feeding live. it would at least snatch it up and then spit it back out). and it keeps itself pretty well shut off in its den during all times it seems. tonight it seems at least interested in the shrimp but spit it back out shortly after. maybe ill get some live hermits to put in there.
 
If it is not coming out of the den at all - none, zero - then you would be correct in your initial thought about a possible brooding female. However, if the door is open or the octo occassionally leaves the den (putting a live crab in the tank might tell you this) then aging male. Wiley almost never left his den as he aged but he did not keep it sealed and would eat when handed food (literally). If she is brooding and had the opportunity to mate, then she should brood for between 6-9 weeks. I think Trapper (the grandmother) was in the aquarium a full 4 months before she laid her fertile eggs.
 
i have seen it out none. even late at night. it is stuffed in its den. i have to struggle to see it. sometimes it will be positioned where i can see its arms or an eye but other times it has several shells in front where you cant see anything. guess we will see what happens.
 
You can try feeding some frozen Cyclop-eeze to the tank and target the den area. You may not see her eating but she may do so without your awareness. Keep trying to feed her as it appears being successful may extend her time without negative impact (Trapper may have been just unusual but she lived 11 weeks post hatch and was fairly active during that time. She was the one that alerted me to the Cyclop-eeze when she would flail her arms in what left the breeder net and entered the main tank).
 
so its been maybe 3 weeks now since this merc last ate (as far as im aware). it keeps its den completely guarded with several snail shells. the last time i saw it out i offered food and it refused. that was several weeks ago, like i mentioned in my previous post.

still has its brown color, is definitely still alive, moving, and aware of its surroundings.

the serpent star in the tank usually hangs out by the octo den. im assuming thats why the merc has it closed up so tight.

i looked for eggs but saw none. but i cant see much of anything in there. it refuses to let go of the shells its holding. :tomato:
 
Don't be too worried if you see no eggs. It means she is protecting them well and she would keep the shells up even if the serpent was not present. I have had two broods and have yet to see an egg.
 
im just assuming it has eggs. based off what i read and how the merc has acted. i figured after a few days, it would have been out looking for food and after 2-3 weeks it would have died of starvation. but it is most def still alive !
 

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