Helping fnding octos

[buttons buster]

I'm very new to the world of octopus keeping and I'm trying to start somewhere.

I want to start off very small so I was wondering what the smallest breeds are and also links to info and places to buy them would be extremely helpful.

Thanks in Advance

 

[Animal Mother]

www.TONMO.com (The Octopus News Magazine Online)

The greatest source of cephalopod keeping information you will find.

Although there will soon be a cephalopod husbandry book coming out.

 

[Animal Mother]

If you want an octopus that's going to exhibit interactive behaviors you're not going to want to start out with a dwarf. Dwarfs are STRICTLY nocturnal and typically do not demonstrate the color/texture/pattern changes that the medium/large species do.

Abdopus aculeatus is probably the smallest day-active octopus you are going to find. A 50 gallon or larger is suggested, but if you have EXCELLENT filtration and aquarium husbandry skills, you can use a 30 gallon. It is funner having them in larger tanks because they can't swim in small tanks, plus they will just have that much more room to explore.

 

[buttons buster]

I'm totally fine if the octopus is strictly nocturnal as long as it will come out with moonlights on.


I don't know if you know the answer to this, but will most dwarfs interact during moonlight illumination?

 

[Animal Mother]

Gholland put this together.

Pros and cons of keeping O. mercatoris (Atlantic/Gulf pygmy octopus).

Pros:
1. Smaller tank requirements than larger octopuses.
2. Sometimes possible to keep more than one in a tank.
3. Less likely to crawl out of tank than larger octopuses.
4. Eat less than larger octopuses.
5. Lay relatively large eggs. Hatchlings are not cannibalistic or planktonic. (Not true for all dwarf/pygmy species.)

Cons:
1. Nocturnal, but will venture out under red lighting.
2. Much less interactive than other octopuses.
3. Limited changes in color/texture compared to diurnal octopuses.
4. Life span may be shorter than larger octopuses.

Links to a couple of octopus journals on TONMO to compare dwarfs (mercatoris) with larger species (briareus and hummelincki):
1. Trapper’s babies (O. mercatoris) http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10133
2. Varys’ babies (O. mercatoris) http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12919
3. Kalypso (O. briareus) http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12145
4. Octane (O. hummelincki) http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12191

 

[Animal Mother]

And for good measure I'll post some clips of my Abdopus aculeatus.

 

[buttons buster]

what is the minimum tank size for the pygmy octopus?

 

[Animal Mother]

I'm going to make you read those journals to find out

 

[buttons buster]

"The single baby left in the 8 gallon (Solo) comes out and about at night, but is still relatively shy, and mostly eats pods and frozen foods. Could be another male."




So It's possible to keep one in a tank that small?

 

[Animal Mother]

It's possible, but not recommended. They are really messy eaters and can reek havoc on water quality real fast, especially in a tiny tank. I would suggest 30 gallons, and 3 or 4 dwarfs.

I kept one inside a plastic critter keeper in a community tank. I would see it out at night seemingly watching the fish. Sometimes even looked like it was trying to jump on the fish. I moved it into a 10 gallon tank by itself in a very dark room, and it never even came out of its shell. Not even to hunt.

They need stimulation, something to watch and interact with that won't intimidate them and it seems the people having the most success and fun with them are the people keeping multiples together.

 

[gholland]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13068242#post13068242 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buttons buster
"The single baby left in the 8 gallon (Solo) comes out and about at night, but is still relatively shy, and mostly eats pods and frozen foods. Could be another male."

So It's possible to keep one in a tank that small?

No. Not an adult anyway. Solo was one of the merc babies that I hatched out. He was only 2.5 months old and the size of a black-eyed pea. He died shortly after that.

Don't do the 8 gallon thing. It was a huge mistake.

 

[buttons buster]

ok so my octopus dream will have to wait

I'll be attending UCSC in the fall and I'm only permitted a ten gallon or smaller.

I'm not going to attempt it for the octopuses sake.


Thank you guys for all of your help

 

[Animal Mother]

Thank you for doing your research and making a responsible, respectable decision.

 

[gholland]

Agreed. BB... if you do eventually get a mercatoris, go for a captive-raised juvenile (not likely) or a wild-caught gravid female. Remember, most WC mercs are fully-grown adults and you won't have more than a couple of months (maybe only a couple of weeks) to try and get them accustomed to you before they die. If you get lucky enough to find a pregnant female, be ready for the expense of raising hatchlings though! (That goes for any ceph!)

 

[buttons buster]

Ya I'm leaving for school in late September(marine biology as my major) so I'm pretty mindset on doing an interesting tank and doing my research first.

I have a couple months to decide on what to do.
I've now gone down to my second choice of harlequin shrimp(mated pair)
I'm hoping this works.
Well time to do my research haha.
Wish me luck.


oh and Octopus are like one of my favorite organisms in the ocean so hopefully one day I'll be able to properly care for one and thanks for all the help.
I really like the development of TONMO.
There is just so much info on that site that there never used to be.
It helps people save time and money of useless mistakes and more importantly the lives of Octopi.

I wish you good luck with these amazing creatures that I hope one day to attempt one for myself