No, I retract my first guess, the colors are all wrong and the first pic suggest Pacific but temperatures will vary depending upon where he came from. Most Pacific animals are imported (almost no commercially sold animals are from the US West Coast) from the Philippines and you would want more Caribbean temps. I would suggest an average of 75 with nothing lower than 72.
[Octopus]: Ripley - Abdopus sp My 'cephalopodic' journey-a beginner's progressive notes
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He also seemed a deal larger then what I thought most Dwarfs are.
He roughly is the size of my hand when he decides to stretch out.
Definitely nocturnal- is there a specific red light that is best to use? Or will any light that is red work to get to see him?
So far he hasn't come back out of his cave. Hoping he will start to get more accustomed to his tank and become braver. I've only had him a few days so far.
We have not really seen much difference in the various red lights we have tried but definitely do use one. I recommend leaving the red light on all night so that what small amount of light it detects will still be the darkest the tank gets.
Well I found my answer as to why my Octopus has not been real interested in food. He is a she and has laid eggs
I was starting to expect such.
I figure in the plus side the fact she is doing well and had laid eggs in my tank is good practice for me.
But in the offset side they are fertile and hatch.... What do I do?!?!?!?????
I was starting to expect such.
I figure in the plus side the fact she is doing well and had laid eggs in my tank is good practice for me.
But in the offset side they are fertile and hatch.... What do I do?!?!?!?????
There is a very good chance that the eggs are fertile and you will probably see hatchlings in about 2 weeks. If my guess is correct, this is a "small egg" species and the hatchlings will be pelagic (living in the water column for a period of time vs benthic, surviving in/on the substrate) Sadly, we have not cracked the success code for raising pelagic hatchlings (we barely have success with the larger, immediately benthic species). We think the biggest problem is offering the right food at the right time. They will eat brine shrimp but there is not enough nutrition to sustain them. If you want to attempt to raise them, you might try keeping a constant supply of live mysis (this gets expensive fast and there is almost no hope of success but is a food used for successfully raising newly hatched cuttlefish) in the tank. I have found that the mysis survive (high mortality is part of the expense) well on frozen daphnia.
Well if this isn't a bit depressing- right up there with my nightmares of wild catches=feeling terrible about her end times and the fact that her offspring would have had a better chance in the wild. Granted she was already caught before I got her so she was not caught for me. But I feel terrible.
I suppose this is one advantage to getting a cuttlefish is that they are more easily tank raised and sold by distributors?
Also- with all the eggs and the very none existant chance of survival: how do I keep my tank from crashing due to the die offs?
I suppose this is one advantage to getting a cuttlefish is that they are more easily tank raised and sold by distributors?
Also- with all the eggs and the very none existant chance of survival: how do I keep my tank from crashing due to the die offs?
Oooo - sorry @KD5054 -- that's a rough turn, but do not feel terrible. Let's help you through the transition!
Thanks Yeah not exactly the start I was hoping.
I take that as an octopus compliment as she went over a week at the store without preparing a nest but once in my tank she moved right in.
I was suggested to flip the rock over so I can watch her- but then I wonder if it's better not to in order to give them all a better chance?
The Octopus Project: Raising Octopus bimaculoides Hatchlings In Captivity - Petcha
I know it's not the same species but do you think following these suggested temp and water control as a guide will work?
I have to at least try even if it's a poor prognosis. Plus might learn something.
I know it's not the same species but do you think following these suggested temp and water control as a guide will work?
I have to at least try even if it's a poor prognosis. Plus might learn something.
At this time, the best we can do is record how long the hatchlings survive along with whatever parameters and foods you decide to try. If my memory is close, 21 days is the best record with 2 weeks second (be warned that less than one week has been frequent).
The best guess (limited small egg successes in Alaska) for food is new hatched crab but there is no way to source it. I had hoped to freeze some but discovered my experimental blue crabs only mate once. Additionally, I obtained two male and female pairs at different times but the males both killed (and ate) the females before an egg mass was produced. I have never had incidental offspring produced with the many fiddler crabs I have kept for octo food and have read that they are not a successfully bred species. I have had success inducing peppermint shrimp to spawn by keeping a pair (and only a pair) in a breeder net inside the tank with the octopus hatchlings and overfeeding the shrimp. These shrimp were for a large egg species of octopus and I never knew if they ate the hatchling shrimp. Even with multiple nets, they would not produce enough offspring to work as an only source of food but might be a good supplement.
The octopus hatchlings will be so small that normal water changes after they die off will be all that you need to keep the water safe. You will have to remove the mother as soon as she dies though as she will have enough mass to impact the tank. I would suggest NOT changing the tank water until all the hatchlings have died.
The best guess (limited small egg successes in Alaska) for food is new hatched crab but there is no way to source it. I had hoped to freeze some but discovered my experimental blue crabs only mate once. Additionally, I obtained two male and female pairs at different times but the males both killed (and ate) the females before an egg mass was produced. I have never had incidental offspring produced with the many fiddler crabs I have kept for octo food and have read that they are not a successfully bred species. I have had success inducing peppermint shrimp to spawn by keeping a pair (and only a pair) in a breeder net inside the tank with the octopus hatchlings and overfeeding the shrimp. These shrimp were for a large egg species of octopus and I never knew if they ate the hatchling shrimp. Even with multiple nets, they would not produce enough offspring to work as an only source of food but might be a good supplement.
The octopus hatchlings will be so small that normal water changes after they die off will be all that you need to keep the water safe. You will have to remove the mother as soon as she dies though as she will have enough mass to impact the tank. I would suggest NOT changing the tank water until all the hatchlings have died.
This is a post from 2011 that contains two videos showing stages of trying to raise O. vulgaris in Spain. They were not successful with rearing many animals to settlement but there is good video of the hatchlings.
