o. briareus II ! even smaller then the last one total impulse purchase

[DWhatley]

I am hoping that the daytime behavior is not a bad sign. I lost Inka today so I am very sensative to odd behavior and seeing one at this age out in daylight is unusual. However, unlike last night's viewing of Inka, your video did not show anything obviously amiss. The little one was responsive (the attention to your finger on the tank wall) and active so I am hoping all is well and this is just going to be one that adjusts well to light.

 

[corpusse]

I am hoping that the daytime behavior is not a bad sign. I lost Inka today so I am very sensative to odd behavior and seeing one at this age out in daylight is unusual. However, unlike last night's viewing of Inka, your video did not show anything obviously amiss. The little one was responsive (the attention to your finger on the tank wall) and active so I am hoping all is well and this is just going to be one that adjusts well to light.

I was a little worried because I couldn't find him yesterday and again today. After searching the rocks I noticed he was right on the sandbed! So I fed him and he even grabbed one of my fingers but just very briefly. Still just feeding PE. I'm going to order fiddlers soon but the weather has been 40 degrees here all week so I really don't think it's a good time for shipping. Maybe I will pick up some grocery store shrimp. He is probably getting too big for the PE Mysis but he is still grabbing them.

 

[sedna]

Oh, man, what a cutie!! Glad he's working out, it's so awesome to have such a little one!

 

[corpusse]

Wow I wish I had taken the video camera out.

Today I attempted to feed uncooked shrimp for the first time. I put a tiny piece onto the tweezers. Within about a minute my little guy came right out of the rock and he almost completely left the rock to grab the shrimp. Just 2 arms left holding onto the live rock. He was fully out crawling about and sizing up the shrimp. Which was actually still bigger then his mantle. He then slid over to the tweezers grabbing them completely and touching the end of my hand. Within 20 seconds he took the shell off the shrimp and pulled it off and retreated back to the den.

I have no idea if he will end up eating it, I have been told that the shrimp may be too tough for them so I will check out the tank again in an hour or so but I am pretty confident he will end up eating at least a good chunk of it.

I doubt he'll eat again tomorrow but we'll see. He has moved his den in the space piece of live rock to a spot where I cannot see him, but time and time again putting the tweezers in the tank has him coming out within 1-2 minutes. This is completely different then my last experience and while my expectations are much lower given I know first hand how reclusive they can be this guy has greatly exceeded my expectations. I am very curious to see how he continues to develop.

I will try for more pics and video soon, its just it can be hard to feed and photograph all at once

 

[DWhatley]

its just it can be hard to feed and photograph all at once

I was thinking the same about needing to take some interaction video of Diego tonight. Next camera (which needs to be a long time yet) will have an electronic remote firing component.

I am curious to see how much of the shrimp he eats and if he will accept it a second time. After keeping and raising several generations of O. mercatoris, I was convinced they would not take shrimp just to be proven wrong with Sleazy after she was an adult (we stopped trying when the young ones refused to eat it and never coorelated it with age until the briareus).

 

[corpusse]

As expected I found a big chunk of the shrimp this morning. I do think he ate some of it. Hard to tell by what was left as other creatures may have picked at it and it was starting to turn soft as well however I could not locate the octopus today and lately he has been coming out within 30-45 seconds of me putting the tweezers in the tank. So I think he got a good meal. I really don't know though. I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[DWhatley]

Be sure and try the shrimp again to see if you get the same result I was seeing. Initially we saw a chunck taken out (maybe twice) and then refusal to eat it at all. It was the nibbling that made us think that shrimp are too tough for the younger animals. Once they reach the age where they are not growing so rapidly, they seem to be able to eat it fine and the whole offering was consumed.

 

[corpusse]

Still haven't seen him since. I tried again tonight with a smaller piece of shrimp. I actually lost it in the tank so he may or may not grab it.

I do have fiddlers coming tomorrow so I'll toss a couple of those in. I don't think he died but he has become more reclusive. Perhaps due to a dislike of the shrimp

 

[DWhatley]

I don't think the shrimp impacted his behavior. I am actually a little relieved that he is acting normally. After losing Inka, I hold my breath when you post, hoping all is well.

 

[corpusse]

still no luck finding him.

i got 40 or so fiddlers today, i put one in a jar (no lid) and now i'll wait. if its not gone by tomorrow i'll release 2 or 3.

 

[corpusse]

Crab was gone by morning which unsurprising but good news I now know he is for sure still around.

I will put another one in the jar tonight.

 

[DWhatley]

 

[corpusse]

So I tried to find him again with the tweezers no luck, so I put another crab in the jar and what do I see? A single tentacle "waving" at me. He's right in the rock, doesn't look too comfy but it's very secretive.

 

[DWhatley]

I am glad you did not disassemble the aquarium THIS time (mostly I am glad you reconfirmed he is doing well though)

 

[corpusse]

I was out of town for 6 days but everything is still good. He is now on the opposite side of the tank but he ate about 4 fiddle crabs in the time I was gone (2 remained in jar). It's interesting that he did not go for the easy ones, but given the shells lying around he did eat at least 2-3 of the 4 I released into the tank. I released the 2 that spent 6 days in a jar so they can eat some detritus and whatnot before they themselves get eaten.