question about how to start feeding

[Chipdog]

Ok now that the rumer is that octopets is shipping I need some info on how to feed my bimac. I know about what kinds of food to feed (crabs, shrimp, clams, snails, hermitcrabs and such) I would like to hand feed my octo so I was wondering what people have done to get to that point. When it gets here should I have food walking around the tank or keep it out till it get used to the enviroment? I did order the clams from octopets also. Should I toss a few in the tank or keep them to feed by hand. Do I hand feed live food? Should I also have food running around the tank so the new octo can hunt?

Can you tell I am soaking up all this info? Everyone here has been so great with helping me out I just want to say thanks.

Chip

 

[Nancy]

Hi Chipdog,

There are various ways of feeding, but I think this works out the best:
Put out the clams, maybe 3 or 4 at a time, in a little plastic container (like a milk bottle lid) or a shell - don't put them in all at once. If you don't have a separate tank for the clams, you could use one of those little breeder or isolation baskets made of netting that hangs over the top of your tank.

It's good to have some live food available, too (amphipods, hermit crabs, snails). This may make it harder to tell whether your octo is eating, but will help make sure your octo is getting enough food at the start.

It's good to offer a piece of thawed frozen shrimp on a feeding stick, maybe after a few days. The feeding stick is very useful for establishing contact.

Don't be too eagar to hand feed at first. You have to get used to each other. Usually you hand feed pieces of shrimp, maybe a fiddler.
Your octo will enjoy chasing and catching live food, so maybe just offer the frozen food by hand. I used a feeding stick a lot but was able to make physical contact with my octo in other ways - she liked to be gently petted and rubbed between the eyes. But that comes much later.

I'll always remember one person's account here in Ceph Care about the first time he reached out to touch his bimac's arm - the bimac was timidly reaching out too. When they made contact, both were so shocked that they both ran away

So wishing you good luck with your octo adventure.

Nancy

 

[Sphnyxlover]

Den construction

Hi Everyone,
Charmin has shown he is a lover of escargot, and seems to be constructing a den of sorts from all of the "escar-wents" in the corner of the tank. I noticed he seems to be staying visible longer and more often. Does this indicate that he is adapting to his new environment?
Has anyone experienced a similar situation?
Ciao,
Mary Ann