Octopi are not something that most people even dream of having. In the grand scheme of the saltwater fish keeping sphere, it’s widely understood that octopi are off limits unless you’re incredibly experienced.
If you are experienced enough, you have to build them an epic obstacle course like the one in this TikTok from Friday, September 29th:
@the_reef_doc This octopus is so spoiled! Byrdie always demands and gets what she wants. #petoctopus #octopus #thereefdoc #byrdietheocto #lifeontiktok
Byrdie the octopus is apparently very spoiled. She deserves it!
Byrdie looks tiny in the video because she’s just a baby. When full-grown, she could get up to about 18 inches, which is the maximum for a Bimac octopus like her. Of all octopus species, Bimacs are the most common: they’re the smallest and most manageable to keep in a tank.
The controversy around owning a Bimac (also called the California two-spot octopus) octopus comes in stages:
- People don’t actually know how to properly care for them and keep them in small tanks.
- People don’t provide enough enrichment for them.
- Most Bimacs are taken from the wild and sold.
Bimac octopi are not protected and the population doesn’t seem to be suffering thus far from these practices, but it’s still unethical. These creatures only live about 2 years on average and need a diet of live food; hunting is how an octopus stays mentally stimulated in an enclosed environment like that.
But sometimes just hunting isn’t enough, in which case, you do what Byrdie’s dad does and build a food puzzle. He used “hamster tubes” from the pet store: you can buy them in individual pieces for about $2 a piece at most pet stores. He then put a small live crab inside.
Byrdie sticks her tentacles through the holes to feel for the crab, and then makes her way up and down the tubes to try to find a way in. Eventually, she gets frustrated and dad helps her out a little, so she’s able to have her snack!
When you’re doing food puzzles for any animal, it’s a good idea to have a few different ones you rotate through. Otherwise, they’ll figure it out too quickly and it won’t be challenging anymore!
