Octo set up, will this plan work?

poisonfrog420

New member
I recently read an article in an old fish mag. that was on octopi. It said that they are eaiser to care for than most people belive and that all you really need is a carbon outside filter and a u.g. filter.

Based on this info, this is my plan.

I am going to set up a 20gal long tank with a u.g. filter (attached to the bottom of the tank and all parts sealed togather) with a power head to run it. A millium 2000 back filter, crushed coral for the substrate, and pvc pipe for hiding places. I was going to cycle the tank with shrimp for about a month, and then put in a star fish and some mollies. Wait another month and if everything is still in tip top shape I am going to order an octopus. I will try to get a Bimac, but it seems to me that they are hard to get. Any way, do you think this set up would work? People have been telling my you have to have a skimmer, but I do not see why if you do weekly water changes (something I already do on my reef tank). Any way, let me know what you think. Jacob.
 
Will this work?

Will this work?

I went to the Birch aqurium in San Deigo and had a behind the sceans tour. On their ocoto tank they left it open and put a large piece of wood all around the tank. They then covered it with that green indoor out door carpet to keep the octo in. They said that they could not stand the feeling of the carpet. Has any one used this method at home? Does it work for all species? Thanks again, Jacob.
 
That's not really the best set up. For a Bimac, you'll need at least a 30 gallon tank. Anything less will be pushing it. Undergravel filters are also not a good idea, as the octopus can get underneath it and push it around or get stuck. A sump would be the best bet. Crushed coral is also not widely used as it will scrape the octopus' mantle. PVC pipe is fine, and is used by many people. Bimacs are pretty easy to get, if you go to fishsupply.com. Other than that, it's going to be a tossup as to what you get as most people can't identify them as well as FS.com. A skimmer is a good idea for 2 reasons: 1) An octopus puts out 3 times as much waste as a fish of the same size. 2)When an octopus inks, a skimmer helps clean the water.

Mainly, just use the search button, as you question is asked a lot. Also, check out Tonmo.com. A lot of great people that help a lot.
 
Hi
To be honest that info you have on octopuses is a little out dated. A good place to start getting a good idea of what is needed to keep a octopus can be found in a lot of the back posts. Sure the undergravel setup could keep some species of octopus alive but it will not work for all species. Not only that but the undergravel filter system is way out dated for any marine aquarium. They require a lot of work and can eventually clog and crash your tank. They can also become completely ineffective should the octopus remove the gravel on top of it. In the end, they are money pits, and if you are serious about keeping marine life you will only find yourself upgrading later. Believe me when I say, it is cheeper to set up a marine aquarium the correct way the fisrt time around then to upgrade later. Crushed coral is also a breeding ground for bristleworms. A fine deep sandbed with some live rock is one method that has a lot more going for it.
A system with a sump is nice too.
A protein skimmer is highly recommended. It not only removes protein before it breaks down into harmful waste, but saturates the water with oxygen and will remove ink. A 20gallon tank is to0 small for a bimaculoides. But in the set up you described you could keep O.mercatoris, a pygmy octopus. There not many more species than that I would rish in that set up. They are also alot more prone to escape than a bimac so sealing the tank can be a challenge.
Hope this helps you understand things a little better.
Chris
 
I thought bristle worms were desirable, at least in a reef tank, are they bad for octo's?

cephalopoder said:
Crushed coral is also a breeding ground for bristleworms. A fine deep sandbed with some live rock is one method that has a lot more going for it.
 
poisonfrog,
I too have hurt that astro turf is very difficult for an octo to climb( or it doesn't like the material Can't remember which) but the person that told me that owned a pet store that stocked octo's and glue astro turf all around the top parts of the aquarium to keep it from climbing out. He also painted all sides of the tanks black except the front????????? no idea why he did that something with them being nocturnal or something?
 
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