octo getting curious

[3000gtman]

me and my buddy were hangin out in my room watching some tv. not really watching the tv more like watching my carribean reef octo that i have had for a litle over 3 months. he is getting big, but anyways. he was looking and feeling around the top of my tank and everything is sealed. he felt for my protein skimmer. there are 2 ports that pump skimmed water into the tank. the pump is 480 gallons a minute. the holes r about the size of a nickle. i didnt think we would be able to get up there because of the water pressure and the size of him. manle length is about 3 inces maybe al ittle more and arms are about 14 inches maybe 1 or 2 longer. so he is getting big. but he ended crawling up on of the out puts and he dissapeared.it took me 2 minutes to realize he was in the skimmer. i shut off the pump. good thing i did research and got one with out a propellor. i just took the lid off got my dad to help me. we took 2 feeding sticks, since he is comfortable wth those and he crawled up both of them and when he had a good grip my dad pulled him out of the skimmer and back into the tank the octo fell. it took about 1 second for all of that rescue mission my dad went on. but needless to say the octo is fine and didnt even get hurt. since teh acident he has been out way more during the day. i wonder if that actually helped his learning experience and i hope he wont go back in there beacuse he should remember what a tight fit it was. let me know what u think. and he is in a 150 gallon tank just so u know he has a hell of a mansion to roam.
thanx
greg

 

[Jean]

Hiya

First you were really lucky that the octi wasn't mangled!!!!!! If I were you I would get some mesh or sponge and block those outputs!!! He will try again and you (& he!) may not be so lucky next time!

We use fine mesh (like fine dipnet mesh) and fasten it with a cable tie or similar.

Cheers

J

 

[corw314]

Wow! You were really lucky to be home and to watch! Glad it all went ok. Do you have any pics of your octo?

Carol

 

[3000gtman]

i have videos and some pix but i dont know how to upload them.
soon he will be too big to get in the inputs and they push out 480 gallond an hour so that is one hell of an amount of water pressure.
greg

 

[Jean]

i have videos and some pix but i dont know how to upload them.
soon he will be too big to get in the inputs and they push out 480 gallond an hour so that is one hell of an amount of water pressure.
greg

You would be amazed at the tiny size of hole an octopus will push through! Our 2m (10Kg) octopus went down a drain only 10cm in diameter. Basically if the beak can get through the rest will follow!

Plus we had one of our midgets crawl through the main seawater inflows and end up in the research aquarium room!

I reckon a little mesh is a small enough insurance policy!

J

 

[3000gtman]

put it wasnt a plesane experience so im sure he will remember it and its still there and he feels it but he never shows interest anymore since the incident. i am still gonna put somethin over it but dont oos have very good memmory
i was just wondering if he would remember the experience or not.
thanx
greg

 

[tjohnson]

I am not sure how well their memory works, I know they can remeber people or seem to, so I would imagine he could remeber the incident, or at least have a negative feeling towart the PS

 

[Jean]

put it wasnt a plesane experience so im sure he will remember it and its still there and he feels it but he never shows interest anymore since the incident. i am still gonna put somethin over it but dont oos have very good memmory
i was just wondering if he would remember the experience or not.
thanx
greg

I think they do have a memory (how good it is ...well that's debatable), but they can be persistant beggars too! Harry having escaped one night was so dry as to be nearly comatose (my description!) but revived after a bit when back in the water.......the next night we found him in the same condition.......so now the octopus tank is the only one sealed to the ceiling (with perspex/plexiglass doors to the tank) and all drains are covered!

J

 

[erich orser]

You were extraordinarily lucky your octo happened to go exploring while you and your dad were around to do something about it! Jean was right about their abilities - if the beak can pass, the rest shall follow!

 

[3000gtman]

the water pressure is 480 gallons an hour so thats hell of pressue will that hold him back when he gets any bigger
because he gets larger by the day
greg

 

[Jean]

the water pressure is 480 gallons an hour so thats hell of pressue will that hold him back when he gets any bigger
because he gets larger by the day
greg

Wouldn't count on it! our guy can get out against the pressure of a large venturi pump at a university research lab.....don't know the exact water pressure but it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more that 480 gallons an hour!

J