davelin315 February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 Stopped in at Grand Mart in Centreville today and couldn't help buying this guy. There might have been one other living octopus in there, but this guy was crawling around the tank while others were dead in there and with my softspot for octopuses, I couldn't help myself. It's currently in a 10 gallon tank as that's the best I could throw together with cold water and an ice probe to keep it cool. My guess is that it's from the West Coast as it was in with abalone and I think that they are collected in California waters, but no idea. Here are some pictures (I actually edited out the bad ones since I sent them via email to Mike Henley to try and get an ID). The ones where it's just sitting there are from when the lights were on, the ones where it's stretched out are from when it was dark and I turned on the lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 How's he doing this morning, Octo-dad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 How's he doing this morning, Octo-dad? Haven't checked yet... psyching myself up to tackle the driveway so that I can just do it again tonight... and next week. Figure I'll be home for the week with how much snow we have so far... if FCPS canceled school for 3 days based on the last snow and this one's bigger and our 2nd of the season, don't know that we'll ever get unburied! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 I haven't tried tackling the driveway yet. Thankfully it's rather short. Shorter than yours and MUCH shorter than the 500' pipe-stem driveway that I had during my years in Great Falls. But, I did have to shovel a path around the house this morning to make sure that my tankless water heater air intake was clear. (If it's blocked, we get no hot water.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 Uh-oh... just took a look at the cephalod page for identification and this guy actually looks a bit like a Giant Pacific Day Octopus... fortunately, I'm not very certain of that because I've come across many pictures of them with lots of protrusions from their skin and this one only has smooth skin it has shown but who knows... man, this might have been one major mistake on my part if it's a huge specimen like that, either that, or one of the nicest things I've done for an animal in a long time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 ... Giant Pacific Day Octopus... LOL. I can tell, this is going to be a children's book someday. Sort of like Clifford, the Big Red Dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshnarw February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 I refuse to take any blame for this, Dave. He looks really nice. You need to teach him to identify colors for food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 Dave, very cool. What temp are you keeping the tank at? What did he cost? And don't they sell them to be killed/eaten? That is so sad. Good for you for saving him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 $16.99... incredibly cheap for an octopus (hope I don't start a trend here!!!), and yes, the do sell them for food. I think this might be the kind that they eat live in some Korean restaurants... If it is O. vulgaris which I'm not thinking it is right now I saw a picture of two of them together in a tank... I wonder... Temp is around 64 now, will contemplate moving it to the workshop so it's colder but want to see what kind it is first... I posted pictures on Tonmo as well and need to check my email to see if Mike had a chance to look, but don't want to stress it out with yet another move until I know for sure what to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 I refuse to take any blame for this, Dave. He looks really nice. You need to teach him to identify colors for food. I would love to do that, was thinking what a cool occupant for school one of these would be, let the kids do the teaching. And Daniel, you should, what a fantastic creature this is! I'll blame George instead since he said they have them there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 make sure you have a good lid, them some smart buggers. and they can change their skin to mimic any surface so that could be the difference you were seeing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 make sure you have a good lid, them some smart buggers. and they can change their skin to mimic any surface so that could be the difference you were seeing. I have two pieces of acrylic that cover the entire top and have holes drilled for the temperature and the airline. I then have a piece of slate that holds them down (had a blue ring long ago and another small octopus, not sure of the kind, so have always had a good idea of what it takes to keep an octopus in its tank - especially the blue ring - the entire lid was siliconed down to the tank except the front panel so that I could lift it up). I added the tufa rock in there since it's got a rough surface hoping it might look at it and mimic the surface and give me a better idea of what kind it is. From what I understand, if it's smooth surfaced it's not likely a reef octopus, but more likely a sand dweller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 Very nice save Dave. Catching an octopus is what got me started in marine tanks. I used to love feeding it shrimp or crabs in a jar and watching it open the lid to get to the food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 Don't expect it to live. Most that come in for food are too far gone. When I get power back, I'll look, but for right now I can't see it too well. I can say it looks better than most that come in this way. I don't see any eye spots though, which has me worried... for your sake. If it does not in fact have eye spots, and it's cold water (which is most likely), then you probably have your hands on what will be a very large octo. At the VERY least, plan on needing a 55-75 gallon tank. I'd say keep it at the temp you have it at now just to be sure its not in fact warm water. Try feeding it. If it eats, your chances are high. Use one of those emeralds. I'd say this will go in the major mistake on your part category if it lives, but who knows, I hope you get lucky because they're definitely very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 It's not interested in eating right now and looking at the arms, one is damaged and has some dead tissue at the end. I'm going to monitor that and possibly clip off the end of it if it improves. I also am thinking that it possibly could be a male because one of the arms looks a bit strange, can't see any suckers on it at the tip. I can't get a good enough look at it to tell. I left an emerald in there with it. Temp is hovering at 65. It's very active today, possibly due to the warmer water. Still trying to get an ID on this guy (might be able to say with confidence that it is in fact a guy) and then determine a course of action from there, most likely will involve a move to the workshop. FYI, Sam, it's in pretty good shape considering it was one step away from death there. Focusing on getting it to eat right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davjbeas February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 WOW! Thats really neat. keep us posted. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan February 6, 2010 Share February 6, 2010 Everything Octopus http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/ http://www.tonmo.com/forums/content.php http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/equipment.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 6, 2010 Author Share February 6, 2010 Everything Octopus http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/ http://www.tonmo.com/forums/content.php http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/equipment.php Thanks, Jan, I've got a post up on Tonmo already (unfortunately they don't seem to get the traffic that we have) as well as on Reef Central. The ceph page is where I saw the pictrue of the Giant Pacific Octopus that made me think of the one I have... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh February 7, 2010 Share February 7, 2010 Dave, I still have that heavy glass 45L or 55L if you need to borrow a tank for your wonderful octoguy. LMK. Once we are unburied you are welcome to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 7, 2010 Author Share February 7, 2010 Sadly, this guy didn't make it through the night. I may try another one but want to try and lock down more information on two species that I believe it to be from some suggestions on Tonmo. I am leaning towards Octopus macropus but a suggestion was made that it could be Octopus variabilis, but the second hails from the South China Sea and I struggle to think that they are importing octopus all the way from there for food consumption and charging so little. I'm leaning towards O. macropus because it seemed to have red flesh with white dots when it was displaying a bit of color. Either way, I want to do more research and then search for a healthier specimen there and find out the days they come in. What a cool octopus for a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry_school101 February 7, 2010 Share February 7, 2010 Aww! Too bad. It was cool though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind February 7, 2010 Share February 7, 2010 How did you serve it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 February 7, 2010 Author Share February 7, 2010 Ha ha, my wife had issues with me throwing it out to begin with! I was going to use it to feed some of the fish, but she got very upset about this. My 2 year old was in tears when I told her it died. She was constantly asking to go and see it. She even set up some teddy bears in chairs around the tank to watch it last night. Definitely going to get another one, though, they are incredible creatures and I'd love to see if I can save one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals February 7, 2010 Share February 7, 2010 Thats so cool of you to save the octo, sorry that he didn't make it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE February 8, 2010 Share February 8, 2010 Just got cable back. I was about to suggest macropus, though I don't know anything of variabilis. If I can make a suggestion, don't get an octo from the grocery store again. TBH, yours was the BEST looking one I've seen that's come in from the grocery store, and trust me, I've seen a lot of pics of them on tonmo. Someone posts about their grocery store octo probably once a month. You'll probably go through at least a couple more if you go down that route, and in the end, it won't be worth the short term savings, IMHO. They just aren't shipped in to live, the odds of you finding out where it came from are thin, there's just too many species out there to have a good chance of IDing it on the spot, and on top of that, they are always so stressed that you can't tell the difference anyways. You can get an octopus for pretty cheap (probably 30-40 bucks plus shipping) and be sure of where it came from and what it is. For a reasonably sized, fun, interactive, and tropical octo, I'd suggest O. Hummelincki, or A. Aculeatus (40-55 gals). If you want to go with a little larger, but VERY beautiful and interactive octo, go with O. briareus (75, preferably 90-125 gals), or if you want to go down the cooler route, but with an AWESOME octopus, go with a bimac if you can find one (it would help if you knew someone in cali to collect one for you- I may be able to help you out there if you want). If you do decide to buy one, let me or the other folks at tonmo know first. Octopuses are ALWAYS mis IDed, even on reputable sites like LA, etc. Find out what type it is first, and then make sure you have a good size octo that's not about to go into senescence nor about to lay eggs then die, and then go for it. Good luck with whatever route you go with, and definitely let us know! Now, back to the superbowl, GO COLTS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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