newbie food Q's

[Fishy1]

Hello !

I am a newbie and have only had my new octo for 3 days. It seems he's a hunter and wants nothing to do with anything frozen even if it's very fresh.

My LFS told me he likes ghost shrimp and snails, but I feel like he's only eating candy and am wondering what the equivalent in saltwater would be to a ghost shrimp?

I have so far tried to get nutrients in him with 2 kinds of raw frozen shrimp, krill and a clam. These were all ignored completely. Yesterday I got him 2 hermits and brine (he likes to play with brine, probably because it has no nutritional value what so ever). Both hermits are still scooting around unharmed. I have a mollusk, a clam and an oyster all alive in his tank, but since he ignored the first clam I am leaving those all alone for now.

In short, he's ignoring everything healthy and eating nothing but candy.

On the clam thing, I was very suprised he didn't go for that. I had trouble cracking that puppy open too! I thought you could cut through the back muscle and it would open...as if! I had to pry for a while all around it to crack it, then I put it in the tank with the top on open a bit and slightly sideways. I was wondering if I should take the top all the way off or put it in fully open for him. Maybe he didn't get it or I manhandled it to much??? Of course I didn't touch the inside at all.

He's happily trying to escape, as expected, but I want him healthy too! Any ideas???

This morning I put these in for him
I thought maybe these

Thanks guys!
Fishy1

 

[clownfish]

I would check your water quality mabe thats why he is trying to excape so much and why he isnt eating anything healthy. I suggest putting in a few fiddler crabs. No octopus can resist a fiddler crab you can get them reasonably priced hear Putting fish in your aquarium would just bother your octopus. If your octopus is being to lazy to get a hermit crab i highly dout that he will catch a fish.LOL it still has only been 3 days your octpus could still be scared out of its mind and not want to eat,just excape.

best of luck,

-Tom

 

[Jean]

Hi Fishy1 and

Go with live crabs and live marine shrimps. Try to only give freshwater food as a treat or absolute emergency food. Freshwater animals are deficient in the nutrients a marine critter needs.

I won't say more the other tonmoers know this topic is one I'm likely to get on my soapbox with!!

J