Update on my baby

[Spring]

Hi all, I thought I'd give you guys an update on my new baby who still remains nameless. There's really not a lot to report. The first 2 nights it came out around 6 or 7 pm. I haven't seen much of it since I dropped 25 small blue leg hermits in the tank. I know it is eating from the little pile of shells that is accumulating. I also bought some of the baby clams but it isn't coming out for them. I figure when it has exhausted the crab supply it will have to come out for the clams. From now on I'm just gonna put a couple crabs in at a time. I added some live rock rubble, a piece of 3/4" pvc pipe(is this too small ) and a marble to the tank. I'm on the lookout for toys or things that might interest an octo on my next visit to walmart. I thought I might put one of those old antique, "cobalt blue" bottles in the tank if I can find one with a wide enough opening for it to go in and out of when it's grown. How big is an adult bimac's beak

All in all, things are going well. Tank parameters are pretty good. Doing weekly water changes but nitrate still remains about 40. Everything else is right on target. I'll just be glad when the baby feels comfy enough to come out of hiding. I know every animal is different, but on average, how long should I expect the hiding to continue? Or do I just have a "shy" octo?

Spring

 

[Eagleray]

I think it is all individual. Our first came out right away. It took alice a few weeks, but now she is out all the time. Butter is still pretty shy, so he comes out for about 45 minutes each night. We have had him for about 2 months.
Congratulations on your new baby. That might be a name for him.
Beth

 

[Eagleray]

I think it is all individual. Our first came out right away. It took alice a few weeks, but now she is out all the time. Butter is still pretty shy, so he comes out for about 45 minutes each night. We have had him for about 2 months.
Congratulations on your new baby. That might be a name for him.
Beth

 

[Nancy]

Hi Spring,

Glad your baby is doing so well.

I, too, thought of giving my bimac Ollie a glass bottle. But after my experiences with an adult bimac, I'd never consider it again. When she began building the den in which she would lay eggs, she began moving huge rocks (more than 4 or 5 pounds) and didn't care what was under them. She also toppled a very heavy rock. Any bottle could have shattered.

I had given her a small study bottle with a cork it in and a shell inside as a toy. (It was a couple of inches long, maybe 1/2 inch wide. This became a possession - she kept it with her in her den, often sleeping with an arm around it. She moved it around in the den, but it was always there and important to her. Fortunately, it survived.

Interesting was that I tried a small cobalt glass bottle, and she hated it. Several times she rejected dark blue things.

Nancy

 

[Spring]

Interesting was that I tried a small cobalt glass bottle, and she hated it. Several times she rejected dark blue things.

That is interesting, Nancy. Did you notice if Ollie had a preference for a particular color of "toy"?

Spring

 

[joel_ang]

Carol's octo Ink, who sadly has recently passed used to love playing with a lego so you could try that. Tug of war is also a common game which you can play with the octo.

 

[Spring]

Joel, I wonder which size lego she used, and what color?

Spring

 

[WhiteKiboko]

try these threads:

TONMO Cephalopod Community

TONMO Cephalopod Community

 

[Spring]

Thanks for the link, Kiboko. I'm pretty sure my 8 year old Grandson has a couple blocks he'd share with my baby. Just within the last few minutes I located baby in a very tiny whole in a rock, for the life of me I can't see how it fits. This must be where it is staying most of the time, it is located right above the little pile of shells. I thought it was staying further back in the rocks. I put 4 of the baby clams on its dinner plate(a larger shell) and in a couple minutes 2 legs came out feeling around. At first it picked up a larger empty hermit shell and tried to pull it in. It would not fit going in from that direction, so it switched ends.......still won't fit......gave up. A couple more minutes go by and it reaches the dinner plate. Pulled one baby clam into the hole. It took about 5 minutes before it discarded the now empty shell. I am so looking forward to interacting with baby. I have a large Blue Jaw Triggerfish in my 125g reef that doesn't seem to mind touching me. He quite frequently rubs against me when I have to put my hands in the tank.

Spring

 

[Nancy]

Hi Spring,

Sounds like Baby Bimac is doing fine! You'll enjoy interacting with him more.

In answer to your question, Ollie seemed to dislike only dark blue.

Each octopus has its own personality. Ollie did not like "toys" but she did like "possessions". That is, she had no use for lego blocks, bio balls or anything I introduced as a toy. She liked to play with the feeding stick, the magnet and me. Her possessions, which she kept in her den, included the little bottle with the shell, several smooth, pretty shells I gave her and an individual barnacle which she hauled into her den.

Nancy

 

[Jean]

That's interesting about them not liking the dark cobalt blue bottle, as I think the consesus of opinion is that most cephs are colour blind, maybe it's the maybe it's something to do with the way light refracts through a transluscent dark bottle. We just put clear bottles in with our Midgets abd they love them. The fact they're see through doesn't seem to matter as much as size. They seem to like to feel solid walls all round. them so they often sit in the neck of the bottle.

my

J

 

[joel_ang]

Maybe a few tubes and pipes. Why not try handfeeding him, let the interacton start early.

 

[Spring]

Joel, I have one piece of 3/4" pvc pipe in the tank. As far as I know baby hasn't been interested in it yet. I also bought a cat toy ball made of clear colored acrylic. I removed the bell inside and replaced it with 3 small shells. It has holes all over it, like a whiffle ball. Yesterday I stuck a small piece of shrimp (by hand) up to babies hideout, it rejected it 3 times before finally pulling it into the small whole. I don't know if baby ate it, or just got tired of me poking it in it's face.

Spring

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

Great luck!

 

[joel_ang]

Have you fed the baby live shrimp so far? Does he come out of the den often other than feeding?