Octopus in a reef tank?

lunarlanderboy

Premium Member
I'm sure there's a fast easy answer to this question but is it possible to keep an octopus (such as a Bimac) in any type of reef setting with soft or hard corals- or should you just stick to live rock?
 
This question is asked almost monthly and has been gone over many times in past threads. The temp and high lighting requirements of most corals prohibits one from keeping a octopus in a reef tank. The intense light can damage their eyes and the higher temp will drastically reduce the life span of O.bimaculoides.
They are much better off in species only tanks. Hope this helps.
Chris
 
I have successfully kept my Bi-mac in a one hundred and fifty gallon reef. It has 3 - 250 watt metal halides and 2 -6' actinic VHO bulbs. My tank does have a glass canopy which provides some light diffusion. My octo seems adjusted to light and temp conditions which hover around 76-78 F. The reef is stocked with Xenia, small variety of Mont-Digi. Leather,Candy,Trumpet, and Brain corals. Some Gorgonions, various plate corals and mushroom anemones. The fish include a Yellow, Scopas and Kole Tang. One Rabbitfish, Lawnmower blenny,Orchid Dottyback and various damsels. I have the larger species of Bi-mac. I quickly trained mine to eat from hand,Shrimp and Silversides. This was accomplished within 2-days of introduction into the tank. My octo still munches on snails and hermit crabs but doesn't descimate them as soon as they are introduced due to the regular feeding schedule provided.
 
Keep us posted. The larger species of bimac, O.bimaculatus gets to be good size and if well fed can have up to a 4' arm span. A good friend of mine recently kept a O.bimaculatus and the mantle was the size of a large grapefruit full grown.
 
ideal temp?

ideal temp?

i am going to get a bimac (hopefully a tank raised from fish supply) and am considering whether to un-plumb my 35 hex from my main reef system...the complete reef is approx. 200 gallons and very stable, but the overflow (standard amiracle overflow)from the 35 hex to the rest of the reef will be tough to keep octo proof. because of that, i can close the system off and just use the canister filter i already run on the complete reef and get a remora or bak-pak skimmer. This will of course be less stable, and not nearly as good a water quality asd the reef...if i do close it off, the temp can go lower...What is the ideal temp for a bimac? i'll have to add some cured rock to help stabilize the tank if i seperate it...the temp in the reef is btwn 75-78 and on rare occasions as high as 79 or 80...also, the 35 hex has some lr with alot of anthelia and zenia on them...if it gets destroyed, no biggie, but does it stand a chance? do octos like macroalgaes? btw, i had a few bimacs about 1 1/2 years ago - with minimal success...
 
Back
Top