Beginning an Octopus Project

[CGBSpender]

I've been interested in cephalopods ever since I began my aqaurium hobby. Now I feel like I'm ready to have an octopus, in terms of experiance, if not financially.

I've done much research about the web, including tonmo and the cephalopod page, but I'm left with some conflicting information. What I've gathered is that I can get on in a 30 gallon tank, and I need to watch for copper, must maintain high oxygen saturation, and seal all escape areas with duct tape. The rest of the information is contradictory. tonmo places great regard on elebarate (and expensive) systems, like wet/dry filters and protein skimmers, and the cephalopod page says a far overrated power filter and an extra bubbler or power head is all that's needed. The cephalopod page cited possible reasons for the extreame requirements presented elsewere, like short life spans and low oxygen saturation levels. Even some apparently successful tanks on Tonmo have fairly cost-friendly equipment.

I have a Aquaclear 300 filter already, and that's rated for a 100 gallon tank, so I figure it should be overpowering enough a 30 gallon.

I was thinking that a set-up could be:
A 30 Gallon tank
Aquaclear 300 with a rubber band and biobag over the intake
A bubbler and an airstone
Live Sand and Live rock
A sealed cover

This would cost me about $150, considering I have some of this equipment about.

Perhaps the verying requirements are due to different spieces? What species are the most forgiving interms of water quality?

 

[redrocket]

Well look at keeping a octo in the long run. Do you have time for it? Do you feel like spending money to feed it? If you want to keep one why do it the cheap way? Not saying i dont like cheap, but when it comes to octo's i dont think there is too much filtration. I'm not a big fan of wet dry filters but alot of people are. My set-up is 30 lbs lr 30 lbs ls i have a pengiun 330 hob filter, 402 powerhead, and most important PROTEIN SKIMMER. I would recommend getting a protein skimer because octo's are very messy eaters, and make three times as much waste as a fish its size. I think your on the right track keep researching. By the way what kind of octo are you wanting to keep?

 

[OctoMonkey]

Okay, well heres straight from the TONMO forum's mouth LOL

Point is, that you shouldn't be looking at what you can get away with but what's the best you can give. If you go for 30 gal then that is normally cited as the minimum for an octopus. That's plenty big for a small species like mercatoris, joubini or similar but gonn abe pretty cramped for an adult bimaculoides or vulgaris.

So, you need to decide what your eventual goal is... just like what redrocket said.

Think of the equipment you use as being a life support machine. The better the equipment the better the tank is for 'absorbing' problems' If a medium sized bimac in a 30 gal tank decides to ink and you dont have a skimmer then you are in bother!

Yes, an octo tank can be set up for cheaper but that requires some clever buying and a bit of DIY, but it can be done. So by no means am i saying that to do this you need a bank balance of thousands but just know that it's better safe than sorry.

The aquariums that have octopuses and cuttlefish in them at the NRCC (cephpages articles) have a huge amount of water available to them at exactly the right temp, salinity etc as it comes straight from the sea.. therefore they can have minimum set ups because if a problem occurs they could do a 100% water chage if need be with no hassle.. something that's not as easy for us.

I also suggest that the short lifespan seen with octos like bimacs in captivity is based on the high temp in home aquaria as compared to the temp they actually live in in the wild, therefore, for maximum lifespan a cold room or a chiller is necessary.

 

[CGBSpender]

That's another question I forgot to ask. What species of octopus is smaller then a bimac, but has a lifespan of longer then 6 months and doesn't require a chiller. I figure that a 30 gallon is a tad small for a full grown bimac. But dwarf species would live about a month or so, once they managed to get shipped to where I live. Is briarius a good pick?

From what I've read, if I add a protein skimmer, would things look much better? It seems like a good piece of equipment to have, and it could be alot smaller.

 

[CGBSpender]

Sorry, read the last word as 'safer'.

 

[OctoMonkey]

get a skimmer for sure, it has saved many people's octopuses in the past, even careful owners have small accidents.

The dwarf one is a real bugger and there is no answer to your question other than 'a baby dwarf'. but getting a baby dwarf is hard work. Briareus is a tropical species but gets as big as a bimac.

You'll need to make good friends with a LFS who knows something about octopuses and can keep an eye out for you!

 

[CGBSpender]

Would a 40 Gallon be cramped for an adult Bimac? I would have to say a 40 gallon is where I've got to draw the line. It's not much more then a 30 gallon interms of cost, and won't require that much of a different in equipment.

But anymore then that and I'll be better off hunting for a smaller speices.

 

[OctoMonkey]

it will do until the octo is at its largest... then it will be too small, perhaps in a few months you will have more space for a bigger tank to move it into?