How Big?

[randy8876]

How big(what length of arms) of an octopus can live in a 60 gallon tank before it get's too cramped? I have plenty of flow and more than enough filtration, but the only species I can find so far grows to be a little big.

Is there a problem with just putting live crabs, shrimp and clams in the tank and then letting the octopus eat whenever it chooses to?

 

[ozadars]

i think a bimac is best suited in your tank. i dont think leaving live shrimps, crabs and clams would cause something but be sure the octo will eat it totally and be sure they will not die cause this would pollute the water

 

[randy8876]

I can't import any animals. I have my tank setup now with live rock and lots of little crabs and shrimps. I just put an octopus in it, but I'm curious what size I should allow him to get before I take him out.

 

[ozadars]

what kind of octo is it?

 

[randy8876]

I've been able to find quite a few Hawaiian Day Octo's, but I know they grow big and will out grow my 60 gallon tank. I just want to know at what size I should take it out of the tank?

 

[Gonodactylus]

I know of at least three diurnal octopus found in Hawaiian waters.

O. cyanea will get to a couple of kg (football size) in a year or so. I have kept animals this big in a 100 gal tank, but it was a tight fit. For an adult O. cyanea, I would want 200-300 gal (although bottom area is more important than volume).

An undescribed species that occasionally turns up is referred to as the cresent octopus. It only gets to about tennis ball size. It could life easily in a 60 gal tank.

There is also a long-armed species found in the sand. Again, the mantle is smallish, but it has a long reach. It could probably live in a 60 gal, but its specialized habitat would make it hard to keep.

I can't give you any hard and fast rule as to what size a tank should be for a given octopus, but as a rule of thumb, I like to have and aquarium with a width that the animal cannot reach across (arm tip to arm tip).

Roy

 

[aznlmpulse]

haha...randy...I've stumbled across your thread. I had to get rid of the snails we aquired....because they turned out to be carnivorous, and toxic, but the cauliflower is doing great. I finished my canopy, and installed my 130w PCF retrofit. I'll stop by sometime soon to drop off your bucket.