Brand new and wanting a dwarf Octopus

[JudgeSKL]

I am wanting to get a dwarf Octopus for my son with special needs who is obsessed with Cephalopods especially, Octopus. I am fascinated with them myself and want to make sure it is well taken care of. What are the basic tank requirememts needed? I'm looking at a 30 gallon tank with only the octopus and secure perimeters, but what are the necessities?

 

[ichthyogeek]

Umm...here are a few more knowledgable places than I.

the cephalopod section of this forum (In the Invert and Plant Forums).

TONMO, it's an octopus forum, I think.

Links:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457640
https://www.tonmo.com/community/forums/

Good luck!!

 

[zeebies]

You might want to start with this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Cephalopods-Octopuses-Cuttlefish-Home-Aquarium/dp/0793806585

 

[JudgeSKL]

Thank you for the information and direction!

 

[wnppmy]

I had one about a year near the life span.

They are nocturnal, so need a red light to view his nightly outings.

Mines diet was around a half dozen hermits weekly.

Really enjoyed mine.

Wish the best of luck with yours.

 

[wnppmy]

Here's when he arrived at the pet shop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUA2Bbwl43Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player


And rare time I caught him feeding!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cxDnq7ca3A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

They can be escape artists, so I weighted my feeding lid.

Read somewhere a larger species actually escaped at night and visited a nearby tank for a favored tidbit then returned to the original tank. As specimens kept mysteriously missing took a night camera to catch the thief!!

 

[333ctp]

Hi JudgeSkL! I suggest you get a strong protein skimmer. Your lid should be tight because they are great escape artists You will need to feed him/her live crabs. Octopus tend to have very short lifespans but it is well worth it because they are very intelligent and you can teach them to open a lightly screwed jar with a tasty hermit inside. You just need to make sure that there is no copper because that is a lethal substance to octopuses. You should find an aquarium shop and special order one and make sure to request a juvenile. The aquarium should have a lot of life rock and should be cycled for a few months or have pre-cycled sea water that you can get for $15 at petco.com. That's pretty much all you need to know, I hope I am not too late and you and your son enjoy your octopus!

 

[Bent]

I had a bimac for about a year and a half. His whole lifespan. It was an incredible experience. Here are my suggestions.

1: duct tape the lid on. Seriously. I had a glass lid with no HOB equipment. I caught it one day pushing the lid up. Duct tape the back and weigh down the front.

2: stuff foam in the overflow so I doesn't end up in the sump.

3: get another 10 gallon tank and start collecting feeders. Snails, crabs, etc. a good food source is actually this board. People get unwanted hitch hikers all the time.

4: have all your stuff for a Water change up and ready to go. When it inks, you have to change at least half the water fast or it will die.

5: I suggest getting some red party bulbs to go with your normal lights and put them on a reverse cycle. Red light during the day, normal lights on at night. This way he will be up when you guys are up.

6: huge protein skimmer. These dudes are messy eaters and it will also help when an ink accident occurs.

That's all I got. Enjoy.