Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance.
I have a young Caribbean reef octopus that has not been eating. I’ve been offering thawed shrimp and small crabs, but she hasn’t shown much interest. She may approach the food but won’t fully take it, or sometimes ignores it completely.
She has also been hiding and only comes out every so often.
I’m concerned because she’s still young and I want to make sure I’m doing everything right.
Posted by Dull_Beginning_2648
5 Comments
They require specialized care and live food diets.
Holy shit you should not have bought that.
Honestly return this thing if you can, even if you incur a loss. These are arguably one of the most unethical and difficult species to keep for the average hobbyist.
You need to do way more research on the animals you’re keeping. This is beyond irresponsible.
Any other info? How long have you had it?
Live food. I don’t promote having octopi as pets or in captivity outside of a professional/educational setting. IMHO
I think you need to return that to where you bought it – it needs live food and most require nocturnal feeding.
There are four good reasons not to keep it:
1) Live food (worms, small fish, crabs, shrimp and when it gets older mollusks) is essential. While there have been some that got moved to frozen foods, the vast majority need live food.
2) They’re nocturnal and hide during the day. They also hunt at night, meaning feedings need to be done at night.
3) They’re big, reaching about 2 ft when fully grown. That takes a huge tank to accommodate.
4) They’re short-lived, usually dying before their first birthday.
If you are going to keep it, get a bigger tank with more caves and crannies to hide in, and get live food for it to hunt and eat. Octopi need lots of stimulation; puzzles or toys on frequent rotation will help as well.