Doc Oc rules - Octopus himmelincki video

Greg Hiller

BRS Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
BRS Member
Picked up an octopus from Reefscavengers.com about 10 days ago. It's an Atlantic tropical species. He's doing very well, eats frozen shrimp from the end of a stick. He found and ate all the hermits and snails (including the sand sifters) in the tank. Went to the beach yesterday and picked up a ton more snails, some mussels, a few hermits, and some small crabs. Coolest thing to see him attack the crabs, bummed I didn't get it on video. According to my kids he 'went all Ninja'!

I have him in my old 37 Oceanic (used to be my seahorse tank). I think he's locked up in there pretty good. Seems already to be growing. When he's hungry he's extremely active. This species does not seem to be particularly noturnal. He's pretty much out all the time. He's no longer frightened of much of anything around the tank.

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlSfRgLYB8g

A few photos:

Doc Oc with his red urchin. I picked this urchin up at the size of a pea when diving in the Caribbean many years ago.

doc%20oc%20with%20red%20urchin.jpg


Crappy photo, but shows the eye spots that are indicitive of this and the similar 'bimac' species:

doc%20oc%20showing%20eye%20spots.jpg


Picked this clam up at the grocery store about a week ago. He's been working on it for a while, but just cannot seem to get it open. He's already polished off one of the mussels I brought back from the beach.

doc%20oc%20on%20his%20clam.jpg
 
That's so cool!! He looks awesome, especially since you mention that he's out most of the time instead of hiding. What kind of snails do you get from the beach for him? What kind of cover do you use to keep him inside the tank?

Good luck with him!
 
That's awesome Greg. What did you have to do to the top of the tank? I hear they're notorious escape artists.
 
I have a huge massively thick sheet of acrylic. Trash picked it from a hocky rink. I cut it to precisely fit the top of the tank. Drilled holes as necessary for water returns, etc. I have some bricks on top of it just in case!

At low tide there are tons of snails. Don't know the species. I'm sure they won't survive long in tropical temps though.
 
That's very cool.
I'd love to get one. What species did they have in the James Bond movie, Octopussy? Anyone know? It glowed.
 
Don't be too surprised if he climbs out one of those small holes you've drilled....they can get out through a keyhole! But very cool animal...fascinating to watch.
 
That is such a cool critter! my mom used to have one way back in the day, it escaped the tank daily until they never found it?! I would love one...too bad they aren't reef safe! Good luck with Doc Oc Greg! :)
 
That little guy is awesome! How big does this species get? They are so cool but freak me out at the same time! How do you handle one of those; net? can you touch it?
 
>Greg can you tell us more about the system he is in?<

He's in a 37 Oceanic with a single built in corner overflow. The overflow comes all the way to the surface of the water which allows me to wedge some pieces of plastic foam between the top of the overflow and the top sheet of acrylic so he cannot enter the overflow. The top is drilled with a hole just large enough for the return from the sump to enter in a small PVC tube. I also cut a rectangular hole in the top to feed through. There's a matching piece of acrylic larger than this hole thats held on with a nylon screw. The small piece of acrylic swivels out of the way at feeding time.

I've forgotten the exact size at maturity, but my friend who is an expert on octopus tells me that my 37 G should be okay. There is about 3" of Very live sand, a pile of rocks and large old conch shells for him to make his home in, and more live rock in the sump. There's a small HOTB skimmer in the sump.

I've yet to touch it, but my friend assures me it's fine to 'play' with!
 
For anybody interested, reefscavengers.com, apparently has another octopus (probably the same species) available. FYI, I have no affiliation with them in any way.
 
That's very cool.
I'd love to get one. What species did they have in the James Bond movie, Octopussy? Anyone know? It glowed.

I think it was a blue ring octopus. It's two part venom is among one of the most toxic (your life would be measured in minutes if you get invenomated by both) so it's not exactly an ideal pet.

At low tide there are tons of snails. Don't know the species. I'm sure they won't survive long in tropical temps though.

Probably Littorina littoria. Something fun to try, if you hum to them, they'll come out of their shells.

That's some Cephalapod you've got there Greg. Very cool. Keep us updated.
 
>Probably Littorina littoria. Something fun to try, if you hum to them, they'll come out of their shells.<

Cool, I'l have to try that! I wonder if Doc Oc knows that?
 
Upcoming Events

April 21, 2024
Paul B
Club Meeting

Back
Top