octopus- whos got one?

[tgoeujon]

ive been thinking about trying one for a while and now i have the oppurtunity. im wondering if there is better species. ( hardier) and specificly the difficulties with keeping them. im planning on putting it in my sump ( 72 gallons with live rock, bunch of zoas and some shrooms) 150 mh lighting with t5 supplemental lighting. not alot of flow, just what comes from the overflow, skimmer and reactors plus a koralia nano. if needed i do have a k2 laying around as well. does this sound like a decent set up or would it be a waste of time and money? also do octopus eat well or would it be a live food situation?

[no_bs]

Well, we had one briefly. He liked to eat the fish:shocked!: Also you must make sure the tank is totally sealed or they get out. Appaerantly, if they ink you must change water quickly or else risk losing everything. We enjoyed ours for the short time we had him.

[naesco]

I wouldn't if I were you. Their lifespan in captivity is less than a year.

[karazy]

first of here are some major rules when it comes to octopuses:
1.the tank must be completely escape proof. they can escape from tiny tiny holes (even 1/2" or smaller) here's a not bad example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-azBDt0kik

2.know your octopus lifespan. the one thing about octopuses are they are very short life spanned. the average life span is a year, so dont plan on having it too long.

3.never underestimate the octopus. octopus are some of the smartest animals on earth. they learn very quick, and have been known to open valves, open containers, and much more. never ever underestimate the octopus.

4.to tell you the truth, from what i've seen and heard, octopuses aren't the funnest pet sometimes. they are known for hiding alot, so make sure you have plenty of liverock to make it comfortable.

5. you should make sure to have very very good water conditions before you get your octo, and make sure your water conditions aren't swinging through out the day.

go onto tonmo.com and go to the forums. its a forum just for cephalopods.

a good alternative in my opinion is sepia bandensis, aka the dwarf cuttlefish. they breed pretty easily, and are cute as hell, and a little easier than octopuses from what i've read.

hope it works out for you no matter what cephalopod you choose.

[sphelps]

Getting a certain species is difficult, you'll likely end up with a "common" octopus but most are not that hard to keep, despite what is commonly said. Most have short lifespans, but not just in captivity, most dwarf species only live less than a year in the wild so most will live for about 6-12 months in captivity.

I kept one before and it was cool but like already said somewhat overrated. They are nocturnal so don't count on seeing it with the lights on, I never saw mine come out during the day, most of the time I wouldn't see it for weeks, as it only came out in pitch black, even with food in the tank.

A good food source are live clams from Superstore, you can freeze then and throw one in every couple days, super easy.

All in all I'm glad I kept one for a while and got some pics and experience but I wouldn't bother with one again. Good luck.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/sphelps/Nano%20Contest/d9fa5d1d.jpg

[Drock169]

Putting it in your sump is a very very bad idea.

[subman]

What about in a Red Sea Max 130 (34 gallon)? I'm trying to figure out what to put in it and was considering an octo.

[karazy]

a red sea max would be a very good choice IMO because they could push up the feeding lid easily,
and plus it was be a breeze for them to get into the back chambers

[subman]

a red sea max would be a very good choice IMO because they could push up the feeding lid easily,
and plus it was be a breeze for them to get into the back chambers

wouldn't or would?

[karazy]

woops, i meant wouldn't. my bad

[subman]

lol that's what thought.

[tgoeujon]

why would the sump be such a bad idea?

[Ron99]

Sump is bad as it would be difficult to completely seal it. An octopus can squeeze through any hole big enough to fit its beak through which is the only really hard part of its body. An octo tank has to be extremely well sealed as they are great escape artists.

[octopus-keeper]

There is something i must say even this is an older post. Is this octopus picture of "sphelps" that on this thread, this spieces of octopus is called "Macropus" and yes it is very nocturnal iv had one before and it was quite hard seeing it ever. So id go for a brown octopus or "vulgaris", Its quite easy to tell the differants between the vulgaris and macropus. Macropuses there eyes are bigger and there skin color is mostly red with green dots, and there two front arms are longer then there other arms, so if you see those features dont buy it if you ever want to see it and interact with you. And they might say its a brown but it most likely isnt.