Strange Hitchhiker - Need Help!!!

jhenson

jhenson

Member
I got 125 lbs of Florida LR from a store in Tampa (hint hint). It's amazing rock and I was all ready for a few unwanted hitchhikers like Mantis Shrimp and Gorilla Crabs but they would be well worth the rock I chose. I never anticipated what I have received.
I'm not sure if it's the coolest thing or not but I know I have to catch it and it's got to go. It's an Octopus. It's about 2 - 3 inches long and can fit in the tiniest of holes. I know someone out there is going to say "no way" and if you look at my past threads you'll see that I'm fairly new to reefs BUT believe me when I say I know it was an octopus. Any idea's from anyone at all on how to catch it? I'm sure my LFS would love to have it but I can't / don't want it in my reef tank. When I saw it it already had about 5 small crabs and snail shells around it. This thing will take everything on my LR out to dinner.
HELP!!!
 
chris17

chris17

Member
Ok, I have an idea...........the only one I can think of right now........octos are very very smart.........this will cost you a crab or snail though.........about 15 minutes before you turn the lughts out for the night place a placstic pop bottle in the tank with a crab in it, tie some fishing line around the neck of the bottle an hang it out of the tank. Watch the tank as soon as you put the bottle in it. About 10 to 15 minutes later turn off your lights an turn on a room light so that you can see into the tank still. Grab the line an wait to see if he goes after the crab stuck in the bottle. As soon as he gets into the bottle all the way pull the line so the bottle go to the top of the tank an there is your octo............there are probly better ways to go about this but this off the top of my head ..............hth.................hope you get him............goood luck!!
P.S. " No way there is a octo hitch hiker" lol had too
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
Post a pic when you catch him. I mean, I do believe you about the octo, just would like to see it and maybe id the species.
 
jhenson

jhenson

Member
Chris 17 - you said you had two? How did you get them out?
I got a real good look at him before he ducked in a hole. It was a reddish brown molting with white inbetween. From the pictures I've seen on line it looks more like a Pygmy Octo rather than a juvenille Florida Common Octo.
I really wish there was a way to keep him but he just couldn't exist with what I'm trying to do. When caught do you think he could go in my 90 gal fish only tank? I don't have any live rock in there - just that fake looking live rock. In the tank is 1 Valentine Puffer, 1 Kole Tang, 2 yellow tail damsel's, 1 green Chromis & 1 Tomato Clown.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I'd give it to the LFS unless you want to dedicate a tank to it. IMO it will eventually crawl out of your tank.
If you can't catch it take the entire rock to the LFS and see if they'll exchange it with some of their rock.
 
chris17

chris17

Member
lol.......sorry you miss under stood what I had said....lol I meant I had to say that...........P.S. " No way there is a octo hitch hiker" lol had too.....just b/c you said" I know someone out there is going to say "no way" ......so I said it just for fun....you get it now?? Sorry I guess I could have made it a bit more clear.........

Do you know which spot he is calling "home"?? If you do I would try setting the bottle as close to it as possible but keep the bottle about 2-3 inches away from the spot. If/When you catch him could you post a pic so we can all see your strange hitch-hiker. Man I wish I had 1 or 2 they are really cool interesting animals an like I said they are very smart. Hope you catch the little bugger:yes: You know right now he is saying
:D
 
jhenson

jhenson

Member
Well - I did make a mistake after all. I have 2 Octopus in my LR. I have caught one and the other is holed up in a hole. I'd take the rock out BUT it's so big and need to take my canopy off first and I'm the only one home.
It's really kind of cool. They have a shell or rock stuck to their tentacles blocking the entrance to their lair. The only reason I saw the second one was b/c I heard some clicking and I was shining a light in a hole and saw what I thought was an eye. I then grabbed a small stick and stuck it in there. A tentacle came out and pulled the stick in. Funniest thing I saw today. My LFS doesn't want them. I will be going to a Local Meeting this weekend in Orlando - ORCA. If anyone reading is going let me know if you want one. I'll have the second one out by tonight for sure.
I also have one Mantis which I hope to entice out of his rock to feed to the Octo. That will be VERY COOL!!!
 
alison

alison

Member
:happyfish The only real thing I'm worried about for ya is when your trying to grab it, it could ink up your tank and screw it all up and you have to start over cycling. I would take out the rock their held up in, and not touch them directly. Just remember the inking thing. When they get scared or frightened, they can ink. Good luck with catching the 2, ali
 
caulareef4

caulareef4

Member

Originally posted by Jhenson
I also have one Mantis which I hope to entice out of his rock to feed to the Octo. That will be VERY COOL!!!
POOR LITTLE MANTIS!!!!
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member

Originally posted by alison
:happyfish The only real thing I'm worried about for ya is when your trying to grab it, it could ink up your tank and screw it all up and you have to start over cycling. I would take out the rock their held up in, and not touch them directly. Just remember the inking thing. When they get scared or frightened, they can ink. Good luck with catching the 2, ali
It would barely harm the inhabitants of the tank at all, IMO. Theya re little pygmy octos. A water change and some carbon may be necessary though.
 
chris17

chris17

Member
Jhenson you live in orlando right? Man would I love to have one..........but I dont have a tank to put it in right now......:thinking: I might know of a place that would take them.. it a good lfs that brings in exotic fish an sells them. They have 1000g shark tank with 2 sharks in it that are like 3 1/2 - 4 feet long...pretty cool, they also sell some sharks an they have a 1000g reef tank too. If nobody takes them let me know this lfs I am talking about may.
 
jhenson

jhenson

Member
Well, 1 mantis shrimp down. I tried to get him out nice but he didn't want to play nice. Oh well. When I can get the Octo's to come out of the LR then I'll try to get a picture. It really has to be the coolest hitchhiker.
Allison - thanks for the concern and the info. That's very nice. The one I caught LATE last night actually did ink when I put him in a 25 gal container. I knew the ink was toxic so I sucked it all up. As there was no pump in the container yet none of the ink spread. I was rather surprised to see that the consistancy of the ink was not as liquid as water, rather it was thicker. Like real ink. I did put a crab in the container with the 1st Octo and we'll see if he eats tonight.
Caulareef4 - I was originally trying to catch any Mantis I have and take them back to TBS as they do sell them to those in the hobby. However I watched this one take out 4 barnacles and a hermit before I said enough was enough. I'll give the guy credit - he was more cunning than the first Octo.
Chris17 - Is the LFS in Ohio? I don't know that I want to pay for shipping. Being in Orlando I could just drive over to Cape Canerval and drop them both in the Jetties if no one here wants them. If the store is in Orlando then let me know.
 
caulareef4

caulareef4

Member
Easiest way to get a mantis out is to fill a bucket with either low salinity, or HIGH salinity. Dip the rock the mantis is in into the bucket, and he'll shoot out. Easy~
 
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