New Baby Octo

[KDS]

Hi everyone! I got my octopus last Thursday (Marinedepot says he is O. Bimaculatus). He seemed to be doing very well. The first couple of days, he came out several times just to watch us and when we offered him some shrimp on a stick he was very curious about it and even touched it (but he didn't eat it). But now he won't come out even when we offer him the shrimp. There are three hermit crabs in there now. I would have thought he would have eaten them by now. I am very tempted to move the rocks to see if he is OK. I checked around the tank to see if he had escaped. I have the lights off because I thought maybe he would feel more comfortable and I don't let my little siblings bug him. Did I do something wrong? Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Nitrate-0, Ph-8.3. I don't understand why all of the sudden he won't come out? Any suggestions for a very worried octo keeper?

 

[Nancy]

Hi KDS,
Don't tear the rocks apart. Young octopuses do have a way of disappearing. He may be finding food in the tank and has just disappeared for a while. Is he small and are there amphipods or snails in the tank? He could be eating those. I don't think you did anything wrong and most likely he will reappear again.

Nancy

 

[dreadhead]

If you go digging around for him you will just stress him out more and prolong the time it takes for him to settle in.Try fiddler crabs they seem to be a favorite for octos.

 

[KDS]

Thanks for the speedy reply. My octo is very small. I bought some fiddlers for him and they were way too big. His mantle is probably only an inch long. I have those tiny snails that you get with your live rock but that is it. I was thinking of ordering some shore shrimp from Paul Sachs. Perhaps they would move around more and stimulate him to eat?

 

[Nancy]

KDS, you might call Paul Sachs and ask if he has some tiny fiddlers. He's been very helpful, but the crabs are different sizes depending on the time of year.

The shore shrimp might interest your octopus, but they can also be hard to catch, athough you might help him. A small piece of thawed frozen shrimp might also be good to try - don't give up, try again. I don't usually recommend this, but you could leave a small piece overnight in an open area (maybe even sitting in a shell) and remove it in the morning if it's still there.

Nancy

 

[KDS]

I put a small piece of shrimp in a shell and left it in the tank for a while (but not overnight so I could monitor it). No luck. I tired a piece of shrimp on a stick this morning. Nothing. I'd feel better if I just knew where he was What if I ordered some amphipods?

 

[KDS]

I spoke too soon. I went in later and offered the shrimp again and he attacked the stick. He tried three times to pull the shrimp piece off. I guess I put it on too far up. Anyway while he was out, he found one of the hermits and drug it back to his den. I guess I wasn't patient enough

 

[Bio Teacher]

KDS,

Just went through this with my new octo. I think I was expecting a hyper-active, rubik's cube-solving predator, and got really nervous and impatient when mine wouldn't eat at first and hid in its den constantly.
After a few weeks, it still hides constantly, but at least there's evidence of ghost shrimp carnage each morning, and that makes me feel better.

Cheers and congrats!

-Dustan