29g

[Dakafall]

I'm setting up a 29g reef sometime in the near future, it's going to have a 150w MH above it, so I was hoping to keep SPS coral.
I also love octopus, so I was just wondering what octo would work in a tank of that size?
I was looking at the blue-ring octo, (yea, I realize the dangers), but I was looking for other options since mom still hates the idea of having a blue-ring in the house.
Also are there any cuttlefish that would work in a tank of that size?
And i'm also just wondering if octos and cuttlefish are "reef-safe", i know they're eat the little crabs and shrimp and stuff, I was just wondering if they would bother my acros and other coral?
For filtration I'm going to MOD an eheim canister and make it into a refugium, and use some sort of small HOB skimmer


Any ideas?
Thanx

 

[tatedelo]

Welcome to Reef Central.
Cephalopods are not reef safe, as they will rearrange your corals from time to time and eat any fish, crustaceans, or anything for that matter. If you sincerely understand the dangers of a blue ring then you must understand that it is deadly, not dangerous. Please, for your safety, consider a bimac or a vulgaris, they are just as interesting without being one of the deadliest animals on the planet. I would suggest a 40 gallon at least for an octopus. I would get a really nice skimmer and an RO/DI setup so you can make all of your own water. Since the tank has not been set up yet, make sure you only have a couple inexpensive fish in the tank for 3-6 months before you add the octopus, because the water chemistry will not stabilize for the first couple of months and octopus are very sensitive to water chemistry. Make sure the lid fits completely and is secured. The best thing to do would be set up a 29 gallon reef and plan for an octopus in the future and do lots of research about the special requirements that cephalopods require.

 

[blackangler]

only octo's would be o. bocki, o. wolfi, o. jouboni, o. plavus.
Cuttles: sepia bandensis
Sepoloids: bobtail squid.

if you get a bluering you will not be able to put you hand in the tank. (octos like to move coral)

you also have to remember that octo's and cuttles produce alot more waist then a fish of equal size, so your acros will most likely not like it. also octo's dont like bright light so under a 150 they may not be that active. lastly the cuttle would be the most ideal canidate but they are extreamly hard to find.

 

[Dakafall]

any idea where i can get info on those different octos? (ie: sizes, feeding requirements, etc)

also, were you saying the S. bandensis was hard to find? I thought they were one of the easier cuttles to find?

And, for that bobtail squid, how rare are they? and any idea where to find one?

Thanks

And P.S. i'm just gonna use the RO/DI system i have running for the 360

 

[DHyslop]

Good luck finding information about those octos, much less the octos themselves. There is one species of octopus you can be certain of when you order it, and that's aquacultured O. bimaculoides. The problem with dwarf octos is collectors and distributors don't know anything about their taxonomy. You can find online fish stores that will send you an octopus, and may even purport that they know what species it is; but their diver is going to grab the first squishy thing he sees and put it in the bag for you. As you know, they don't live very long, so its very likely that the one the diver got for you is a fully grown adult with weeks, not months to live.

S. bandensis has very limited availability in the US. A few people are working to start a permanent breeding population here in the states. Eggs sometimes become available if you have the right connections, but people who intend to breed them usually get first dibs. In a year or two I bet you'll be able to order them from any of the big online fish-houses, though!Despite these concerns, I think the dwarf cuttle might be your best route. Righty's article is a must-read: Keeping and breeding the dwarf cuttlefish Sepia bandensis

One thing I would worry about is the lighting. I don't know how any ceph would like metal halides. He might go from squishy to crispy, or perhaps hide all the time.

Dan

 

[blackangler]

i "may" be getting my hands on 10 bandensis eggs in the next week. if i do ill post it, as far as im concerned mh lighting may make the cuttles less active during the day, but the sun is much brighter then any mh bulb and these cuttles seem to do just fine. tampa bay saltwater sometimes gets dewarf octos o. jubani. hawain bobtail squid are almost impossible to get, unless you live in hawaii then its rather easy.

 

[DHyslop]

Occasionally you see bobtails available. I don't think they're hard to keep, but they're small (~3 cm?) and less than exciting.

Check out this page (albeit cumbersome and not updated in a year!): http://www.longarmlabs.com/

Dan

 

[blackangler]

if you are still looking for cuttlefish, i may be able to help you