[Octopus]: Taco - O. cyanea ?

Thanks for the help on this @DWhatley I'll monitor the levels well, the only two rocks that aren't green coloured are the one in the front of the I tire which was purchased just as a rock, not live. The other one with the white colour is the "tonga branch". Should I go to the fish store and buy some older looking green and brown well cycled ones? I'm not opposed to adding more to the tank and bringing home the fish. Taco the octo ate one of the clowns the other night so I thought I'd leave them in there? I can bring the flame angel home as well. I feel if the horseshoe crab died I would know because we have a nest cam all the staff watches and we notice if something is off. The octo looked as if it was hunting the flame angel the other day so I may as well bring it home.
I'll look at the levels again today, the octo looks happy as it spends a lot of the time swimming and hunting for things.
 
I would definitely remove the fish. I have a strong opposition to any fish in with octos for the sake of the octo but if you are hoping to keep the fish alive then there is no question that it should be in another tank. Here is a well documented experience from one of our members and the slow loss of $1,000+ of fish with a less aggressive octopus species. The thread includes another link to a list of animals that work well with octopuses.

It is hard to decide about adding new "live" rock once the tank is occupied. Definitely do not add a large quantity at one time as introducing it will sometimes cause an ammonia spike. If you want to add more (and that is probably a good idea for the purpose of giving more hiding places) I would suggest bringing it on site and keep it in a bucket of water from the tank (the water you pull off during water change) with a circulating pump and then testing the water in a week. If/when you see no ammonia and no nitrite, it should be safe to add to the tank.

The "tonga branch" that I have purchase in the past is not at all porous which means it will not harbor much bacteria. Your best rock for filtration will be very porous and/or have lots of small holes.

The reason I mention concerns about the horseshoe crab dieing undetected is that they like to bury in the sand. I thought I had lost one I was keeping in a seahorse sump years ago. I found him quite alive many months later and twice as big. I had not seen him in all that time.

I just noticed that you added a video and posted it :biggrin2:. I modified the instructions to include WHICH code to copy into the link to, hopefully, make it clearer but I see you found the correct link.

May I move this to our journals forum in hopes that you will continue to share the experience? Does he have a name?
 
I would definitely remove the fish. I have a strong opposition to any fish in with octos for the sake of the octo but if you are hoping to keep the fish alive then there is no question that it should be in another tank. Here is a well documented experience from one of our members and the slow loss of $1,000+ of fish with a less aggressive octopus species. The thread includes another link to a list of animals that work well with octopuses.

It is hard to decide about adding new "live" rock once the tank is occupied. Definitely do not add a large quantity at one time as introducing it will sometimes cause an ammonia spike. If you want to add more (and that is probably a good idea for the purpose of giving more hiding places) I would suggest bringing it on site and keep it in a bucket of water from the tank (the water you pull off during water change) with a circulating pump and then testing the water in a week. If/when you see no ammonia and no nitrite, it should be safe to add to the tank.

The "tonga branch" that I have purchase in the past is not at all porous which means it will not harbor much bacteria. Your best rock for filtration will be very porous and/or have lots of small holes.

The reason I mention concerns about the horseshoe crab dieing undetected is that they like to bury in the sand. I thought I had lost one I was keeping in a seahorse sump years ago. I found him quite alive many months later and twice as big. I had not seen him in all that time.

I just noticed that you added a video and posted it :biggrin2:. I modified the instructions to include WHICH code to copy into the link to, hopefully, make it clearer but I see you found the correct link.

May I move this to our journals forum in hopes that you will continue to share the experience? Does he have a name?
It's been a few weeks since I've asked for advice. Since then Taco has still not come out of the rock, water tests would show no nitrite and no ammonia, so I'm assuming Taco is still under the rock with her babies? There seems to be a lot of red algae or whatever on the live rock since I last uploaded a picture. Also there is a lot of different colours in the live sand, reds green and purple. Is this a sign Taco may have died? Should I check? It's been over a month since she's under the rock, saw one tentacle on camera two weeks ago, however colours in the rock and sand have recently gotten a lot brighter etc. I can also send a pic if you would like.
 
What you describe sounds a lot like cyanobacteria and would indicate you need to be more aggressive with siphoning up the waste but do post a picture of the tank for a better understanding. How are you cleaning it? You should be vacuuming the top of the sand and the rocks when you do your weekly water change (ie not just changing the water). What are you using for chemical filtration (usually carbon)?

I would recommend waiting another week before shifting the rocks but I know it is hard to continue to wait and I have been guilty of peeking by gently moving a rock or two to validate life.
 
@DWhatley
Oddly enough today we saw Taco swimming around for the first time in months. I posted a video, I'll try and add it to this thread.
I was told by the fish store that this colouration was normal, it obviously I should get my advice here instead. What do you recommend for a charcoal filter? I'm honestly so happy to see Taco swimming around.
 
Sadly, I suspect Taco is in senescence. You are correct in your concern about her coloration. They can all show a white but that greyish white, lack of patterning, heavy breathing and somewhat floppy mantle are all suggestions of end of life. It is common for a brooding female to begin wandering the tank in her last days but this usually occurs after the hatchlings have hatched. It she was indeed brooding -- and everything you have posted suggests it -- either her eggs were not fertile (unlikely), they did not survive or you should see hatchlings very soon.
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top