okay guys, i mean it this time

[OctoMonkey]

No false alarms this time...... the babies are hatching! They are so cool. The last lot very obviously hatched premature. But these are much bigger with no yolk sacks and are looking GOOD!

Damn, i was planning on getting drunk tonight but looks like i'll be playing "catch the baby octos"...

I'll let you all know how i get on over the weekend

Colin

[Iwantacephalopod]

:bum: :bum: Hey man thats awesome!. You will get a chance to see the true life time of a briarius from when it is hatched. You also get a chance to essentially be the babies mommy in a way. If the briarius is going to wither away like all octo mommies do, then they will grow up with you. I guess that is kinda cute lol. Good for you though. You will be able to have a lot of fun with im. Good job on getting them to hatch.
Take care of your self colin.
Devon
P.S: I heard you got a bimac. Tell me about it in a few days. I am curious to see how they handle when you first get em.

[OctoMonkey]

By saturday AM I have about 10 or so that have hatched. I am very carefully removing them from the female's tank and moving them into rearing pot things I made. Hey, they can squirt ink too!

I gave each one an amphipod called corophium each and they are all gone! Anybody know a feeding rate? i was just planning on making sure that there is always food with them, its there when they want it.

When they hatch they head up to the surface and bob there for a few seconds and then they attach themselves to the glass. It seems that it takes them a while to figure out how to use all those bloody arms, can an octo look confused???:confused:

So far so good, I am glad that the hatching is staggered. That makes it much easier. however, I wonder why 2 eggs side by side laid at the same time can differ in incubation length. Also, when an egg hatches, it sometimes causes the other neighbouring eggs to fall off their anchor and drift away. i would of thought they would now no longer be under the care of the mum, it seems to happen a lot and i have had to collect unattached eggs.

Anyone know if the mum will start to eat babies if they hang about the nesting area?????????????

Colin

[OctoMonkey]

Almost forgot, mum briareus is a lean, mean fighting machine. She does not appreciate hands in her tank. she is watching me with daggers in her eyes! Shes pretty far from withering away right now!

[cephalopoder]

Wow this is excitnig colin, I think the young octos should eat about 5 to 6 prey items a day. The babies should be too small for mom to eat.I would think she has stoped eating any way? Are the youg briareus crawling out of the water up the glass? Have you put any material in the rearing chambers the young can cling to like in James' article? You should try offering non live food evry day and see at what age the young will take it.
chris

[Iwantacephalopod]

Hmm if the mum briarius is not withering, thats very odd right? Many articles concerning octopods state that the mum wears away eventually, which I guess is not happening in your case. maybe you got an octo that may have the ability to reproduce twice in its lifetime. I guess thats nice..you get your interaction with the briarius afterall that you wanted. I sure hope so that you get really lucky in this case..Are you going to eventually sepearte the babies from the mum or have you already done that. Oh well good luck.. You will have alot of fun I hope. That will be an amazing experience. Rasising octopod young. I guess they are cute to.
Oh ok I have said to much.
Hows the new bimac going Colin??
Thanks,
Devon :bum: :smokin: :bum: :smokin: :bum:

[OctoMonkey]

hi guys

Well the first teething problem arose, the amphipods can hide between a layer of net and the container. So initially I thought the 'pods had all been eaten but there are some still kicking about in each tub. There are 13 babies so far that have hatched.

I have put a snail shell in some of my containers and a piece of plastic in others. i will watch for preferences. so far the young spend most of their time just stuck to the sides. they very clumsily sort of roll their arms to move along. I was very interested in James' enrichment article. I dont want any suicides from boredom!

As luck would have it i spotted the ideal tubs for baby octos today, luckily not quite too late. the only draw back being i will have to eat hell of a lot of yoghurt. these tubs look ideal. Tough plastic 500ml size and with a clear, tight fitting lid durable enough to cut a hole in for airline. I wonder how the packaging designers for yoghurt got that so right??? Maybe one of those guys kept cephs lol????

the babies dont seem to climb up the glass, i asume that is something they will grow into with time *oh joys*

The bimac is amazing, comes out about one hour after i put the tank lights on and it searches every square inch of the tank. It seems more interested in catching large amphipods than anything else I do, doesnt stop when my nose is pressed up to the glass either. this species is far more active and interesting than the others I have. I cant wait until its a bit bigger.

Mum briareus stopped showing any interest in food about 3 or 4 weeks ago and she had been eating weekly until then since she laid the eggs on December 28th.

from what i have read from the likes of Jimbo's site, states that after the young hatch it might be a month or two before she dies, longer i hope. I feel sorry for her because she went through the whole shipping distress and then straight into parenthood and now onto certain death!

Damn, now ive said too much!

colin :smokin: :bum: :smokin: :bum: :eek2: :cool: :strooper: :fun4:

[Iwantacephalopod]

Bimacs good old Bimacs. Well amen to what chris said about them. Its really nice that they are active even when they are so small. Have you started any somewhat interaction with the little guy. You got a small size from fish supply right..or not.. Anyhow so the babies I hope they do well for you.. seems like you will be somewhat alright. I think when the bimac stops hunting it will maybe get curious about you and have fun with you. I guess since bimacs have a great personality they will adore their owners once you feed it by hand etc. What kind of light system are using for that tank and are you keeping any cukeys or sea stars in there? Just curious.. I wanted to find a cheap lighting method for an octo tank that is kinda like reef lighting.
Blah blah off I go.
Good job on the babies though.
said to much again.
yay bimacs.
Thanks,
Devon :smokin: :smokin: :smokin: :smokin: :smokin: :bum:

[OctoMonkey]

i have just let the new guy do his own thing. I am just letting him explore with no pressures. i think that the amount of rock i added means it is a secure environment.
i have used an 18" fluro tube (grolux type) over the tank. I use a 24hr timer for approx 8 hours of light. I always use timers. Keeps it stable.
i got this bimac from a supplier here in the UK. I cant imagine the cost of fishsupply sending it this far??????

No more babies so far today,
oh, and the bimac only has his/her own company for now.....

Colin
:uzi: :bounce3: :dance: :frog: :fun2: :spin2: :blown: :bigeyes: :celeb1: :beachbum: :celeb2: :lolspin: :wavehand:

[Iwantacephalopod]

Awesome colin,
That is really great to hear that your bimac is doing ok. Just how small is the little guy? Are you going to hand feed it soon is a little bit so maybe you can build up the interaction that you have always wanted with an octo?
Alright good luck with the babies. Just curious are you hanging the lights over the tank and leavnig the tank open? or are you sealing the tank. I guess you could do open if the octo is happy becaue bimacs dont have the tendency to escape and well if the water qauility is A-OK etc and he has alot of rooom then it doesnt make much sense for a bimac that is happy to escape.
Oh well.. Any cukes and star fish living with him yet? or are you gonna make little bimacy a solo tank.
Time to beat you in the smilies contest....muhah
:rolleye1: :uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :artist: :beer: :bounce1: :clown: :bounce2: :fish2: :hmm4: :hmm3::hammer: :beachbum: :blown: :worried2: :worried2: :blown: :lol2: :wavehand: :thumbsup: :sad2: :fun2: :fun2: :fun2: :bigeyes:
worked = p
take care of your self
and good luck,
Devon

[The Badger Princess]

:D I decided to be nice & gave monkey-boy my camera again. I only meant to visit for a little while but his cuttlefish are so cute & were watching me the whole time I was there. I took some photos too so hopefully Colin will show you them soon.

The babies are so small (I'm a bit dim & thought they would be about 1/4 the size of your new octo).


*steals bright blue starfish & runs away*

:fish1: