RIP Squishy

[lockburn]

Squishy has passed on to the great big aquarium in the sky.

I'm not too sure what happened. Squishy got into a very explorative and interactive phase, which was great. He was always running about in the tank, eagerly looking to see what treats I brought him that day.

Then about a week ago he refused to come out of his cave, he would just stay in there. Another day and he was still in there. I dropped in a fiddler crab and he didn't go after it, which is when I knew something was wrong. I checked the water parameters, and everything looked good. Salinity was at 1.0255, ammonia and nitrites were at 0, though my nitrates were a little higher than I would have liked them. I did a 20% water change that night.

The next day he still didn't eat. He wouldn't respond to my taps on the glass, as he used to in the past. The next morning I found him lying outside of his cave (he normally tucked himself up in the top, though it looked like he could no longer hold on). When I came home that night, he was in the back of the tank, dead.

I did a quick look over his body. He had no marks of any kind. There were no other creatures in the tank with him except for a fiddler crab I had put in earlier as food (and he didn't get any marks from him).

Nothing had changed with the tank, I didn't add or move anything, and I don't let people stick their hands in, so I don't believe there was any contamination.

He was living in a 40 gallon that was connected to another 40 gallon (housing a few seahorses, hermits, and snails) and a 20 gallon sump. All other fish / creatures were doing well.

 

[cuttlegirl]

Any eggs? Sorry for your loss, sounds like maybe she was getting ready to lay eggs although Carol would know more, she has been through it a few times. RIP Squishy

 

[corw314]

How long did you have Squishy? I did have one that passed away like this and personally I prefer it. Ink lingered way too long. Could have been his time.

RIP Squishy!

Carol

 

[Nancy]

RIP Squishy

Lockburn, sorry for your loss.

Looking at the List of our Octopuses, I notice that Squishy lived about 5 months with Lockburn, making Squishy about 7 months + when he died.

I wish we understood why some live longer than others. Squishy isn't the first bimac to fail to live out what we think is his natural lifespan, even though there's not obvious cause of death.

Nancy

 

[main_board]

I wonder if having viable, fertile eggs on boards prolongs life as they sort of have "something left to hang around for." Good question.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[lockburn]

Right, Squishy wasn't with any eggs.

I remember reading these forums before I ordered my octo and the #1 downside people listed was their short lifespan. I was just taken back at how short it really is. Granted, Squishy probably died before the average, but even those 7 months seemed to fly by, especially when you go through the new octo 'hiding' phase, and finally get into the 'interaction' phase.

I'll probably take some time off, as I'm working on my house and may move the tanks to a new dedicated area. But after that I'm sure I'll be ordering up some baby clams for a newcomer..

 

[Jean]

I wonder if having viable, fertile eggs on boards prolongs life as they sort of have "something left to hang around for." Good question.

Sorry for your loss.

Dunno, but we've had octi's lay infertile eggs and they behaved just like ones who lay fertile eggs. They don't seem to know the difference.

Anyway RIP Squishy and condolences Lockburn

J

 

[celtics465]

Sorry to hear that

I too lost my octopus today. It was living in a little cave in a rock and the walls of the cave are covered ith eggs. I have seen pictures of other eggs and mne appear to be much larger than the others I've seen. I hoefully will be able to raise them but have no clue how yet.

 

[bobwonderbuns]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Perhaps you can give another squishy a good home? Don't give up!

 

[Animal JoBio]

im so sorry...time heals all wounds
just remember he is swimming out there in the skies of [place religious after death site(non hell or evil orientated)] and hes swimming in the seas of your heart
hope you get another ceph

 

[Opcn]

Not to show a lack of sensetivity, but all things considered it was a good time for him to move on. Moving tanks is risky and it would be worse if he died as a result of a tank moving incident.