Octopus q's

[reptilicus]

G'day,
About 6 months ago I took down my 3x2x2 90G reef, and am considering putting an octopus in it. I have a few questions though.
1) This tank still has an overflow...has anyone who has kept an overflow had this problem, and if so how did they overcome it? I was thinking of using eggcrate to try and cover the overflow, but is this sufficient?
2) What is the best type of filtration? In the reef I ran a skimmerless tank with a DSB and refugium. The fuge and all is still hooked up, would a DSB/LR be enough to filter the tank, or should a skimmer be employed?
3) What is the best way to fit a lid? On the reef I had an open top tank which I had specially re-inforced so there was no need for a centre brace...would custom glass with some bricks on top suffice for a lid?
4) I live in Australia. Can anyone recommend some good Indo-Pacific species to keep? Most of the information I've read has related to Carribbean species.
Your help is greatly appreciated,
Regards,
Tom

 

[sideways]

I have heard several people talk about ways of covering overflows, usually being either netting or drilled plexiglass. This subject is covered on the tonmo.com site. Go to the message board and start searching under the tank setup and maintenance forum for "how do I cover my overflow".
A skimmer is still usually recommended because of the huge amounts of waste created by an octopus and also to help if it ever inks.
A lot of people over here keep open top tanks if they have the bimaculoides(Californian) species since they rarely try to escape. I'm not sure if it's possible for you to get ahold of that species in Australia and most others will require a top. You can custom fit a drilled plexiglass top to make the tank secure but this could make the water to hot for non tropical species. You can use a combination of mesh netting and plexiglass to allow lthe tank to breathe.
I'm not sure about species that are available in your area, except for the blue ring which I would recommend you stay away from as a begginer.

 

[reptilicus]

G'day,
thanks for the reply. I'll have to look into those options for the overflow.
I think I will go for a tropical species, because otherwise it could be difficult to keep the tank cool enough in summer. I'll have a look see what's around.
Quarantine laws in Australia do not permit import/export of any species of invertebrate, so I'll have to go for a local species. Luckily there's plenty to choose from. As for the blue ring, while they are quite common around where I live, I had decided to give them a miss. ATJ, a member of this site, has kept them before with some success, however he does have an honours degree in cephalopod biology.
Regards,
Tom

 

[sideways]

What are the temps like where you live? Over here it's already in the 80's (F) some days and it's only just April. In the summer, it can rise into the upper 90's. My O. bimaculoides is a temperate octo from California that likes it from 65 F (18 C) to 75F (24 C). I'm already having to use the Air Conditioning and a fan to keep her tank at 75 F. I'm going to have to figure out a way to mount a fan directly to the top of her tank this summer. I can understand why you need a tropical species.

 

[Christian Schwalm]

My blue ring was in a tank that had an overflow. I never had any problem with the octopus getting in there. If he did get in, he was smart enough to find his way out.

Christian Schwalm
SkyLab
www.wetdryfilter.com

 

[cephalopoder]

reptilicus
There are lots of cool species in australia. Quite a few of them are of the horridus and macropus complex. Alot of the members of this group are sand dwelling octopus and need deep sand beds. I do not know what is common to the aquarium trade over there so it is hard to recommend a species. The costal waters there are loaded with different species. Not knowing if a species is prone to crawl out or not is good enough reason to try and secure your tank as best as you can. A skimmer will help provide oxygen as well as remove ink. You may not need a skimmer with a refugium but I woulld at least have a way to run water though some carbon. The over flow can be a pain, so you will have to experiment with what keeps a octopus out and still allows flow.
chris