Hey sorry for the wait. Been busy haha. She still is doing great, taking around 2 small crabs a day. Same old news which is good news! Also do you guys think this dog toy is safe to use for her? I also got ping pong balls that I can use if those are ok as well.
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- Thread starter fang
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As long as the dog toy is clean it should be ok. Make sure to take pictures if she’s interested in it!
looks awesome!! I am not an expert but that said I would be wary of the red toy -- would definitely want to know exact detail of the materials it's made of. I wonder if there are procedures for "staging" enrichment items ... i.e., how to best sanitize / prepare toys for introduction. Others who have done this will hopefully provide some guidance! Also try our forum search for enrichment.
My opinion is based on the fact that it looks like hard rubber- like the brand “Kong.” I know people have used clean Kong toys to fill with food for their octopuses, and the fact that they sink is nice. Personally, I haven’t tried it- so I should’ve stated that up front!!!well there's our expert advice!-- thanks, @sedna!
Personally, I’ve tried cat toys (for tug-o-war) made of the same materials. I’ve also used “Unifix” cubes, which are actually a math manipulative for kids- but they are great for a size reference.
None of my octopuses have ever really played with toys on their own! They seem to have more fun chasing CUC and mimicking live rock, or else playing “follow the finger” and “hide and seek” with us.
Thanks for the replies! And she gets a lot of enrichment because her tank is setup in between the kitchen and living room. So people are always around and giving her attention. If the toy could be a risk do you think I should just leave her be with out the toy?
The toy is probably fine to leave in the tank for short periods of time while your animal interacts with it. Some soft plastics and rubbers have compounds in them that are similar to animal protein and fat molecules so your octo may try to eat the rubber toy (this has happened to me with rubber fishing lures that look like fake crabs that I was using for a hunting behavior study) so I would keep a close eye while your octopus is interacting with the toy.
I personally don't believe that toys are strictly necessary for octopus enrichment so while I don't think your animal needs the toy to have a good life, if you are really set on letting her interact with it then it is probably fine for 20-30 mins every couple days.
Again, its your decision to give her the toy, I don't really think it'll cause problems but keep in mind that anything in your tank environment that is not from the ocean can cause a risk to your animal.
I personally don't believe that toys are strictly necessary for octopus enrichment so while I don't think your animal needs the toy to have a good life, if you are really set on letting her interact with it then it is probably fine for 20-30 mins every couple days.
Again, its your decision to give her the toy, I don't really think it'll cause problems but keep in mind that anything in your tank environment that is not from the ocean can cause a risk to your animal.
Thank you so much. Yeah I probably won’t give her the toy and take any chances. She seems to be doing well, she gets a lot of attention and interaction, I swap rocks around after water changes and I feed live food so hopefully that’s enough enrichment.
Happy New Year, Fang! How are things going with your beautiful friend?
Happy new year to you and everyone else too! It’s been quite busy with the holidays so I haven’t had to time to post anything. She’s doing great! She eats every day still and is always watching the action. Especially with people moving around the house she tries to stay towards the side where there are more people. I’ll add a recent photo I have of her sprawling out haha. Hope everyone else is doing well. I will post another update soon with more photos!
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nice! Isn't scallop expensive? She looks great! Hopefully she won't get bored with it; I've heard they like the challenge of the chase... hunger vs. sport, I guess; ultimately, both needs must be met!
Yeah scallop isn’t cheap but I had some left over from the holidays with family so I am using that. I’ll keep feeding live food as a staple for the enrichment but I’m hoping when supply is low she will take the frozen lol. Only time will tell haha.
Mine have always been happy with a variety of fresh and frozen. I’ve actually had several that eventually preferred the frozen choices over hermit crabs. Have fun!
Beautiful!!!
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