Help Eggs!

[acroboy]

After catching my first octo this year I set up tanks to observe different species. I purchased an Octo that was supposed to be an Atlantic from my wholesaler. It seems he, or make that she, has the Bimac spots though. At any rate she deposited her eggs on the back glass of the tank and is standing guard. I went to remove an old crab shell from the tank and she inked right away. I changed water because I keep pre mixed salt water from R/o on hand. Right now she is guarding the eggs, I assume she will die. What is the next step. I have ocean water available to me with all kinds of plankton. I don’t know if that necessary. Any advice would help. Thanks.

[andbigdaddy2]

BUMP just cause i want to know what happens next

[Gonodactylus]

The important thing to do now is to establish the species. If she is a bimac that lays large eggs that hatch into demersal juveniles, you have a shot a rearing some young, but you need to start now acquiring the right food (amphipods, etc.). You have about three weeks until they hatch.

I assume that because you think this is a Bimac, it has a pair of blue eyespots. It could be another ocellated species such as O. cyanea. If the eggs are small (under 3 or 4 mm), the paralarvae will be planktonic and they is basically no hope of rearing them. In either case, the mother will be within a few days after the eggs hatch.

Roy

[acroboy]

Thank you Roy, and to my dismay it was not a bimac it was O. cyanea. tiny tiny little octos. The ocean water near me is teaming with plankton I tried, but no good. It is cool to see the parental care of the eggs though. Amazing.