[Octopus]: Unidentified Flying Octopus & Baby Cuttlefish

[tonmo]

Oh, I'm sorry @Hahmlet for the rough stretch here. You've done such a nice job with this journal -- I agree, too soon!! Appreciate your updates

 

[Hahmlet]

Oh, I'm sorry @Hahmlet for the rough stretch here. You've done such a nice job with this journal -- I agree, too soon!! Appreciate your updates

Thanks tonmo. She's deteriorating so fast, from perfectly healthy to this the next day. Wish I had spent more time with her before.

Day 6 - 6 May 2023

• Total 23 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2)
• Still not eating in front of me. I'm starting to think that it's normal for them to sometimes not eat for a couple of days.
• Shocking discovery! Took a look at the tank before going to sleep and spotted a baby cuttlefish in my cave! Remember on 15 April I said 3 cuttlefish disappeared possibly through a small hole int he breeder box? I think it's one of them. It was definitely bigger than the new batch although less than twice their size.
• Assuming that it was born a little later, it would be at least 1 month old. How did it survive in the big tank for 3 weeks? What did it feed on? I only counted 4 peppermint spawnings from then to now, and usually by the next day there is no trace of them anymore. There are loads of copepods but only my refugium is full of amphipods. I only spotted two amphipods ever in the main tank, usually escapees from the breeder box. I tried to catch him to put him in the refugium where the flow would be slower and plenty of amphipods, but he went deeper into the cave and disappeared.

Hard to spot as lights were off. But he's dead center on the screen and in the first few seconds you can see him move a little.

 

[Hahmlet]

My octopus girl started was eating her arms yesterday. One of her arms fell off clearly cut/bitten. Her arms seem to be curving backwards into her mouth so I assume she's eating them. Here is a pic and video from last night.

Cuttlefish Day 7 - 7 May 2023

• Total 25 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +2)
• Still not eating in front of me.

 

[tonmo]

ugh, that's autophagy. not well-understood what brings it on.

 

[Hahmlet]

Cuttlefish Day 7 - 7 May 2023

• Total 26 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +3)
• Still not eating in front of me.

 

[Hahmlet]

My baby octopus passed away today. She was very pale and missing 2 arms.

Cuttlefish Day 7 - 7 May 2023

• Total 32 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +9)
• Still not eating in front of me.

 

[sedna]

So sorry for the end stage of your octopus, that's always so hard!

 

[tonmo]

Yes, very sorry @Hahmlet -- thank you for sharing her with us!

 

[Hahmlet]

Thanks @tonmo @sedna.

Some interesting things I learned about my Algae Octopus (Abdopus aculeatus).

1) Pom Pom Crabs are able to defend themselves against her.
Wish I caught this on video, but I introduced a few pom pom crabs to the tank, and my octopus was immediately interested and went over to one of them. My octopus girl slowly reached for the pom pom crab, and it stood it's ground! Once the octopus's arm touched the pom pom, she immediately retracted her arm and backed off.

2) Very few corals actually sting octopus.
I have noticed my octopus wrapping around my galaxea and chili corals, touch my torches and hammers and seemed totally fine.
I have many other lesser aggressive corals, which she is totally fine with as well.
However I noticed that the moment she touched a plate coral, she would move her arm away immediately.
I do not have any anemones, so I can't say how she would fare with them.

3) Astrea snails seem to somehow survive in the same tank.
But snails do not seem to be an octopus's favorite, as the ones that were eaten were eaten quite sporadically.
4 Turbo snails - 2 was eaten
2 Cerith snails - both eaten
2 Astrea snail - Still alive after 2 months

4) My octopus was never interested in shrimps.
My 2 cleaner shrimps and 2 peppermint shrimps were never bothered by the octopus.

 

[Hahmlet]

Cuttlefish Day 8 - 8 May 2023

• Total 32 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +9, 8th +1 - 1)
• Still not eating in front of me.

Alost all the eggs hatched already, but I did get one casualty today. Cause of death is unknown.
I am thinking if I should take half of my cuttlefish and release them into my refugium, where there should be sufficient food for them to eat. While the other half remains in the breeder box for me to feed.

 

[Hahmlet]

Cuttlefish Day 9 - 9 May 2023

• Total 35 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +9, 8th +4 - 1)
• Starting to see 1~2 of them eating.

 

[Hahmlet]

Cuttlefish Day 9 - 9 May 2023

• Total 35 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +9, 8th +4 - 1, 9th +2 -2)
• Added 19 fries to my refugium, and kept 18 in my breeder box.
• 2 in my refugium managed to squeeze through the filter pads and went into the pump. They did not make it. Fixed the pads, they won't be going through anymore.
• Refugium 17 fries
• Breeder box 18 fries

 

[Hahmlet]

Cuttlefish Day 11 - 11 May 2023

• Total 38 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +9, 8th +4 - 1, 9th +2 -2, 10th +2, 11th +1)
• Refugium 19 fries
• Breeder box 19 fries
• Fries are eating well on their own. Breeder box has very few amphipods left.
• Refugium has lesser amphipods to catch too. May have difficulty feeding the 19 fries in the breeder box.

Went on a shopping spree and got some goodies. Tank felt empty without my late octopus.
Rock Flower Anemone > Luminous Toadstool from AU > Reverse Hammer

Also got me a rare white tail tang! Rare in this part of the world.

 

[Hahmlet]

Cuttlefish Day 14 - 14 May 2023

• Total 37 fries (May 2nd +3, 3rd +5, 4th +9, 5th +4, 6th +2, 7th +9, 8th +4 - 1, 9th +2 -2, 10th +2, 11th +1, 14th -1)
• Refugium 31 fries
• Breeder box 6 fries
• Fries cleaned up the amphipods in the breeder box and I haven't been able to catch any amphipods for the past 2 days. They seem to be hiding more due to the fries hunting them in the refugium.
• I managed to catch 3 today while cleaning the fuge, and they were eaten up right away in the breeder box.
• Decided to move 13 over to the refugium while I kept 6 in the breeder box. Will move more over if I can't feed the 6.
• I thought it would be a good idea to put them in the skimmer compartment at first, as 31 in the refugium may be too many with too few amphipods. Bad idea... the first one got sucked into the skimmer right away. RIP.

Octopus Day 3 - 14 May 2023
Got me a new octopus from the same shop. Likely the same species Algae Octopus (Abdopus aculeatus).
Elongated head, however the head seems bigger, yet arms seem thinner than my girl before.
Color also seems to be redder than brown.
This is it shortly after being introduced to the tank. It turned partially blue. Bad camo?

 

[tonmo]

Is this in the same tank with the cuttles, or do you have a separate tank? For best results for all parties, a separate tank for cephs is best from what I've seen!