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Thanks, and, OMG-my octo is brooding!

sedna

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Thank you, Monty and Cuttlegirl for taking initiative! You rock!:biggrin2: I couldn't help but take the opportunity to post "OMG".

Cuttlegirl your information has helped some of my overthinking, with the H2O motion and O2 questions. I was thinking of floating smaller containers in a shallow tank, but I hadn't thought as small as petri dishes. Did you keep only one animal per dish? Also, I wasn't sure if the smaller containers should have a small piece of fine mesh on the bottom for H2O exchange with the larger tank or if they should each be closed systems?
 
Umm... keep in mind that I rarely worked with octopus, only when they came in a plankton tow. I worked with sea urchins, sea stars and a few others. I think that you should stay away from mesh, it could hurt their delicate skin. That is why you transfer the little guys with a eye dropper instead of a net. Usually in the lab, each is its own closed system.
 
Jennifer,

I am pondering the water table idea but my mercs would have been out of a petri dish in 3 days max. I lost one of the first batch because it climbed up the breeder net, out of the water and did not find its way back (after that I found a net that could be kept at the waterline). The second net also had a top overhang, vs straight sides, did seem to keep them in (except Wiley, my one remaining grandchild). I am thinking about finding something with a lid that could be drilled/cut out, leaving a similar over hang but still leaving the majority open to the air. My thinking is to use a large Rubber Maid type container, fill it with 5-6 inches of water and put the containers in the water then put some of the babies in containers and others directly in the water. After reading the article you linked as well as another I read awhile back, I think I need to locate the bucket near a window. I am also considering putting one small aquarium outside but the temp fluctuations would be problematic, especially at this time of the year so I may scratch that idea. I do have a heat pad (I think) that I could place under the aquarium but we have gone from summer to winter (for the South) and the hatching will be in colder weather yet. Interestingly, the article you referenced and the couple I found earlier all vaguely suggested traces of copper and natural sunlight as potential critical elements. I keep thinking that perhaps something has not full matured at hatching time, needs to develop in the next four days and does not develop in the typical aquarium. In humans, I believe it is the lungs that are last to become functional but none of our scientists have mentioned the organ development time line for octopuses.
 
Sweet!

I use a water table for the O.c. Each hatchling goes in its own plastic 'cube' from tap plastics, though anything could be used. The 'cube' has a hole cut with a dremmel in the side which is sealed with net breeder netting glued in place with superglue. The tops of the 'cubes' have two holes drilled in them, one for a water supply tube from a manifold (you could use plastic gang valves) run by a maxijet, and another opening for feeding access.
You could also use these ploy weld sleves ( http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/437/Small-Filter-Bags/ ) making sure that a couple inches are above the water line - buy you will still need to have some type of water feed.
Roy has been using glass jars with plastic lids. He drills the lids with a hole saw and uses some polyweld material that is cut to size and covers the hole when the lid is screwed on. The jars are then sunk in an aquarium. I have no idea where he gets the polyweld sheet.

You may find some octos climb up the sides of anything and dry out, so be ready for that.
 
Richard,
Why the plastic cube over just a net breeder? The one I found for the mercs had a plastic grid shelf about 1/3 of the way up where I could put shells on a hard surface and the water could flow without the solid side restrictions.

:confused:What is the difference in the polyweld material and the "felt" like material of a 100 micron filter sock? Is the Polyweld more open weaved? I have changed all my tanks over to filter socks but I have noticed that there is one basic felt type material that most brands are made from but also have some made of something else and I don't have a name for either. The felt like stuff has some kind of coating that foams when first put into water (major panic when it looked like soap the first time I used one). Is this the same as Polyweld? Also, if I try using the filter bag material, does it make sense to turn them inside out so that the water will flow INTO the bag. The site you referenced also says that the Polyweld bags had a hard plastic bottom, do you know if this keeps them open like the top? I really did want more experience raising babies before trying this :hmm:


My thinking about the tinies is that they may need to be kept suspended which is a problem with any kind of containment (net or cube). The mercs went to rock and wall immediately, with no pelagic state but the photos of the small egged species are all suspended. I really did want more experience raising babies before trying this :hmm:

I ordered raw plankton, "lettuce" algae and some saltwater mysis from Paul tonight and will start setting up my experimental tanks next week. I hope the I can keep the plankton alive (and populating) until the hatching - suggestions solicited! I really did want more experience raising babies before trying this :hmm:
 

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