binaryterror
New member
Hey guys, I am thinking of setting up a marine tank. I was wondering, is an Octopus compatible with a reef? Can they be house with fish? How hard are they to feed/take care of? Thanks!
New to Octopus
- Thread starter binaryterror
- Start date
crzy4reefs
New member
They need a species only tank, just them nothing else. A tight fitting lid, they are escape artist........not sure on any other info, just not something i cared to get into
others will chime in to help
[welcome]
others will chime in to help
[welcome]
Sun_Shining
New member
Well lets back up. Octos are predators, and therefore anything in your reef is food. So, if you want a reef tank to slowly be depopulated, introduce an octo. They are escape artists and I actually have video of an octo climbing up the glass, going over the side and into the tank next to him to eat shrimp. They will go through J Tubes to get to your refugium etc.
They also rearrange the live rock at will. We have a large octo rearrnage his rock every other day, moving stuff around looking for food. They are deceptively strong as well.
That said, IF you don't want to lose a lot of $$ on feeding him, I'd put him in a species only, self contained tank with disposable live rock.
They also rearrange the live rock at will. We have a large octo rearrnage his rock every other day, moving stuff around looking for food. They are deceptively strong as well.
That said, IF you don't want to lose a lot of $$ on feeding him, I'd put him in a species only, self contained tank with disposable live rock.
markrovner
Premium Member
Hiya,
Having just spent nearly an hour staring at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's giant Pacific octo and having it stare back, I am also smitten.
I am prepared to create a dedicated environment and after an hour's research am looking hard at bimacs as a potential critter, but I have questions:
I get it that the tank needs to be well-sealed (even for bimacs) but also highly oxygenated. How do folks overcome that seeming contradiction? I've seen some recommend a wet/dry filter -- how does one seal an overflow box? Do octo keepers drill their tanks?
Finally, is a 30 gallon tank big enough for a bimac?
Thanks for your help!
Having just spent nearly an hour staring at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's giant Pacific octo and having it stare back, I am also smitten.
I am prepared to create a dedicated environment and after an hour's research am looking hard at bimacs as a potential critter, but I have questions:
I get it that the tank needs to be well-sealed (even for bimacs) but also highly oxygenated. How do folks overcome that seeming contradiction? I've seen some recommend a wet/dry filter -- how does one seal an overflow box? Do octo keepers drill their tanks?
Finally, is a 30 gallon tank big enough for a bimac?
Thanks for your help!
binaryterror
New member
Ok, I decided that I am going to make my 55g into a tank for an Octopus. I have pretty much everything needed. Pretein Skimmer, filter, ect. Will I need more than 1 powerhead? What should I use to oxygenate the water? An airstone? Or should I use a pwerhead pointed at the surface of the water? Should I use pieces of screen to cover all filter inlets/outlets? What should I use to seal the lid? What Octo should I get that lives long, and isnt too hard to care for? Also, if I just get normal LR, would that be suitable? How much LR should I get for a 55g? Thanks alot!!!
Thats alot of questions...Octopuses have hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin to transport oxygen in their blood. The hemocyanin (copper based) is much less efficient that hemoglobin (iron based) at transporting oxygen. Because of this, octopuses require oxygen near saturation. Their requirements for oxygen are much greater than a similarly sized fish. Also they expel alot of ammonia. They are also very messy eaters. This all adds up to the need for a good protein skimmer to oxygenate the water as well as to remove waste products. Regular water changes are required as well.
They are very curious, intelligent and strong animals and I would stay away from any powerheads. It is very difficult to properly screen a powerhead in such a way that an octopus cannot get its arm tips into the impeller. Likewise you have to seal the tank and overflow. How you do so depends on your setup and creativity. Keep in mind that any filter material used to limit an octopuses exploration will quickly get filled with octopus skin (they continually shed their tentacle skin) and will need to be changed easily and regularly. Hope this helps.
They are very curious, intelligent and strong animals and I would stay away from any powerheads. It is very difficult to properly screen a powerhead in such a way that an octopus cannot get its arm tips into the impeller. Likewise you have to seal the tank and overflow. How you do so depends on your setup and creativity. Keep in mind that any filter material used to limit an octopuses exploration will quickly get filled with octopus skin (they continually shed their tentacle skin) and will need to be changed easily and regularly. Hope this helps.
binaryterror
New member
Oh, ok. So if there is no powerhead, then what will circulate the water? I dont think i am using a sump. Just a HOB protein skimmer (a nice one) and a canister filter or maybe a wet/dry. Also, is a Bimac the best choice? Lastly, how much LR should I get, would it be better to buy 40-45 lbs. and layer them so that there is lots of caves/crevices for him to hide? And how thick should the sandbed be?
markrovner
Premium Member
and if i may chime in, how do you seal the space around the skimmer? Did someone really say duct tape?
binaryterror
New member
Good question, but I think I am just going to have to buy a sump to put all of that stuff in (protein skimmer, filter, ect.). How big should the sump be?
Everyone comes up with their own methods and yes, duct tape is one of them. It is probably easier to use a sump so that the protein skimmer, heater etc are separate. If the overflow has a standpipe, some people use a bioball inserted into the standpipe so that water can pass through but an octopus cannot. You could also use filter material, however, you would have to make sure it did not clog or you would have an overflow issue. Bear in mind the size of ther octopus you want to keep as far as escape proofing the tank goes.
Plexiglass, acrylic or glass are good choices for a lid material. I use 3/8 inch thick glass that has foam insulation "seals" on the inside so that the lid seals shut. I use a tray made out of eggcrate material that is cut to fit inside my overflow on ledges attached to the glass walls. Filter material sits on top of the eggcrate and another piece of eggcrate goes on top. The whole thing is kept in place by a plastic wedge attached to the inside of the lid, so when the lid is down the filter cannot be removed from the overflow.
Plexiglass, acrylic or glass are good choices for a lid material. I use 3/8 inch thick glass that has foam insulation "seals" on the inside so that the lid seals shut. I use a tray made out of eggcrate material that is cut to fit inside my overflow on ledges attached to the glass walls. Filter material sits on top of the eggcrate and another piece of eggcrate goes on top. The whole thing is kept in place by a plastic wedge attached to the inside of the lid, so when the lid is down the filter cannot be removed from the overflow.
markrovner
Premium Member
i gotta say, this is even more intimidating than SPS corals! What do you do for the return from your sump? It sure seems like drilling makes a heck of alt of sense for an octo tank.
One of the things I think i've read is that bimac's are less inclined to try to get out. Is that the experience of folks on this board, and does that merit somewhat fewer precautions in terms of sealing the tank?
Thanks for your time on this!
m
One of the things I think i've read is that bimac's are less inclined to try to get out. Is that the experience of folks on this board, and does that merit somewhat fewer precautions in terms of sealing the tank?
Thanks for your time on this!
m
mano
New member
Bimacs are usually less prone to escaping than other species but you should still take precautions. Bimacs are also a good choice because they are available as culture bred species. Other species most likely will be from the wild and so you won't know how old they are, and chances are it will be close to the end of its life. 50 gal is the recommended minimum size tank for a bimac also.
