Clyde the Octopus won't eat :-(

[jnj97]

Here's how tiny he is still.
I'm the only one he doesn't swim away from.
He touches me everyday.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Did anything change recently around the tank? Any new equipment that could be adding more vibrations to the environment? Any new lights in the room or in the vicinity? Any change at all to the environment could be stressing him out to the point where he won't eat.

We're doing some remodeling at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and we needed to move our Pacific Octopus to a temporary enclosure. The temporary enclosure is in a backup area where there's a lot of ambient light. Her old enclosure was very dark and was much more to her liking. She's still eating, but she's very skittish and will ink if you startle her the slightest bit while trying to feed her.

I'd try to rule out anything changing in the environment. I don't have any direct experience with the Atlantic octopus, but I'd imagine they'd be just as sensitive to subtle changes to the environment or tank surroundings.

Got any ceph head friends can help a sister out?

 

[cracker]

very cool animal !

 

[Maritimer]

What have you been offering Clyde for snacking?

At the local Public Aquarium, they'll give the octos (giant Pacific) live shellfish - crabs, shrimp, other depending on size - inside "enrichments"; toys and puzzles the octopus has to figure out how to get into. Anybody got a gorilla crab or such they want to unload?

~Bruce

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Got any ceph head friends can help a sister out?

Unfortunately I don't have any contact info on me, and I'm not going into the Aquarium this weekend. I can ask the aquarist on duty next weekend, hopefully it's not too late by then.

Are you sure it's a "brown Atlantic" octopus? Atlantic octopuses (if it's Octopus vulgaris) grow to have arms a meter long. It's either a very, very, very small Atlantic octopus, or it could perhaps be a Caribbean pygmy octopus. The size in comparison to your finger seems to make me think it's a pygmy.

What have you been feeding it so far? We feed ours whole dead fish at the Aquarium, but we put a lot of work into getting her off live foods. Maybe you could entice him to eat with some sort of live feeder shrimp? I don't know why he would suddenly get tired of eating what he's been eating for months, but it's possible that's the problem.

How high were the nitrates? Octopuses are relatively sensitive to water chemistry. It's possible he was a bit stressed from the nitrates and might still be recovering.

This octopus-specific forum appears to have a lot of info. Hopefully you can find something there.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Oh also, one more thing to add.. from what I've been reading on these pygmys, they're relatively short-lived. These animals could live as short as one year, and most are already several months old when they're sold. Not really a happy thought, but something to keep in mind.

 

[lion king]

Salty did touch on it, they don't eat everyday so going a few days without eating isn't an indication of an immediate problem. I would try something live like ghost shrimp or a really small fiddler crab if you can find a really small one. If that doesn't get him going, then I'd be concerned.

 

[Thomashtom]

very nice

 

[Tommy's Reef]

Walmart usually has fiddler crabs. But remember in the ocean predator's sometimes go long periods without finding meals. Has he been pooping what u feed him?

 

[Thomashtom]

Sorry octopus should eat just about everyday i have had 5 including the one i have now. If water parameters, temps are ok then it could be a sign of senescence. How is his behavior?

 

[jnj97]

I've been feeding him shrimp and fiddler crabs.

 

[jnj97]

He's still coming out everyday and he's very active. Just won't ea

 

[andrewkw]

I can't ID the species but if he's still that small and you've had him a couple of months I'd say it's a dwarf. When is he active? Day or night? Since you don't know the age, I would say old age is the most likely once you eliminate water quality issues. There really isn't much you can do. What the nitrate / ammonia levels?

I've kept a couple of O. Briareus. It sucks they have such short lifespans.

 

[jnj97]

He's active from say 4pm-730am.

 

[jnj97]

So sad that I just got him and he could actually be dieing already

 

[jnj97]

So it's day 8. He still hasn't eaten.

 

[Luis Spinola]

I got Clyde in August. He was eating every other day. Than starting eating everyday. He's active and in acts with me. I've gained his trust and now he'll touch me.
But today marks day 4 he hasn't eaten. Any ideas??? I don't know who has a octopus.

Hello! We had an octopus we named "Pancho" which we bought in july 2 years ago, everything went fine, he ate perfect but stopped to do it. We noticed he was not "Pancho" because he hid in his rock and laid eggs, a few weeks later baby octopuses were born.

 

[jnj97]

Oh my goodness how exciting is that!

 

[Luis Spinola]

Yes, it was awesome! How is Clyde doing now? Have you tried different kinds of live food? Clams, crabs, silversides? What I also noticed is that octopuses tend to get bored and get depressed...

 

[jnj97]

the onkyvthing strange I've noticed is thus spot