new to octupi

[everl0ng]

i recently noticed that at a LFS they were selling 2 octupi, and i became very interested! there was nobody around at the time to even give me a hint of info on them. i was curious as to what a good beginner octupus would be, if there is such a thing as one suitable for a beginer. what size tank would such require? any info on experience would be GREATLY appreciated as i have nop idea where to begin to look except here.
thank you,
nick

 

[sinful9302]

a bimac is the one that most people get. they are pretty difficult in terms of requirements. you need to have a tank that is escape proof. they also require live feeding of mussels and other stuff that can be hard to obtain for some. you will also need a strong skimmer in case of ink release. most people recomend a 55 gallon tank for these guys. i am new to octos as well but i have read up a little on keeping them. hope that helps a little.

 

[Fini]

You were right to question whether there are beginner octopuses. I'd say there are to a certain extent, but they are all pretty much advanced salt water animals; not something you would want to jump into without some experience with saltwater.

Unless you get a dwarf species of which there are some currently available you really need a sizable tank. 40+ gallon would likely be suitable for most. Water quality is very important, so plan to have a good filter and skimmer. Lighting is less important; you should be able to get away with something modest.

At any rate, you may want to check out www.tonmo.com for more information on keeping octopus and other cephalopods. There are tons of care sheets and information available there that isn't available anywhere else.

Cheers!
Chris