so i go to get an urchin, and this is what i come back with...

[supernareg]

as far as being premed... i also work in the ER which is 1.3 miles away from my house. yes, i picked it up today at tropical imports.... as far as it being knocked over, its REALLY heavy, and its on a desk which is sturdy and big. my 3 r old niece wont knock it down, hell i barely could slide it. how long can they live out of water? i dont wanna be sleeping and its gonna crawl up on me lol, but basically heres what the tank looks like now. the top is really tightly taped up, and it'll take lots of strength to break through all tha ttape.

i taped up little holes and slits and what not being the tank too.

 

[rockindacheeks]

i dont think 1.3 miles is close enough. i think the vemon takes effect almost instantly. anyways... if you want to keep it. keep it. just know that it has the potential of killing you and respect that. don't get careless.

 

[saltyESQ]

how are you going to feed it?
how are you going to do water changes?

 

[supernareg]

feed it with live freshwater fiddler crabs, or saltwater snails / krill, etc. I'll open the top, feed, then tape it back up with new tape. i have rolls and rolls of this tape

its not gonna wait there for me to open it and attack me lol.


water changes... simple open the top and siphon as i do always and add. its not going to try to climb out just to attack and kill me. then tape it up again, while keeping an eye on where it is.

ofcourse everything taken with caution. Its a beautiful animal, and i'm definately going to take care of it with extreme caution.

 

[Cagraffwriter]

I agree with the fact that It wont get knocked over after seeing what its sitting on.

But just FYI, once you start opening and closing that top to feed and do whatever, that tape wont hold or stay on as well, so I think you'll have to keep re-taping that thing every night or every two days.

How big is it?

 

[bromion]

Did you get a Magwi with that, too? Remember not to feed it after midnight!!

 

[supernareg]

i knwo that i'll have to tape it every time i open close it. i plan to feed it about once every 3 days, by dropping in either a buncha live food (like 3 snails) every 4 days or such.

i'm going to ask my uncles to see how we can make a lock type of thing so i dont have to use tape. its about quarter size (head) and 3" across prolly.

guy at LFS said its about 3 months old... but ya, "guy at LFS" who's an uneducated man. lol SaltyESQ knows what i'm talkin about.

 

[mope54]

dude, he's just going to lift the top!
the whole top...you don't have it clamped down at all.
it wouldn't take much to go through that tape, either.

See those two holes on the side? and the two vents on top?
what if he can get out of any of those?


I think when I read about blue ringed octopuses that people don't die right away from the poison. It shuts your hearts and lungs down. But if you receive artificial respiration and circulation, the poison wears off eventually and you can recover.

Double check that info and in that case it would be a good idea to train all adults in CPR and map out an emergency plan.

From the wiki entry:

Venom

The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill humans. There is no known antidote.

The octopus produces venom that contains tetrodotoxin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, hyaluronidase, tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The major neurotoxin componant of blue-ringed octopus venom was originally known as maculotoxin, but was later found to be identical to tetrodotoxin,[1] a neurotoxin which is also found in pufferfish and cone snails. Tetrodotoxin blocks sodium channels, causing motor paralysis and sometimes respiratory arrest leading to cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. The toxin is created by bacteria in the salivary glands of the octopus[2].

First aid treatment is pressure on the wound and rescue breathing. It is essential, if rescue breathing is required, that it be continued until the victim begins to breathe, which may be some hours. Hospital treatment involves respiratory assistance until the toxin is washed out of the body. The symptoms vary in severity, with children being the most at risk because of their small body size. The victim might be saved if artificial respiration starts before marked cyanosis and hypotension develop. Victims who live through the first 24 hours generally go on to make a complete recovery.[3]

It is essential that immediate and full time respiratory support be given (eg: artificial respiration/rescue breathing) even if the victim appears not to be responding. Tetrodotoxin poisoning can result in the victim being fully aware of his/her surrounds but unable to breathe. Because of the paralysis that occurs they have no way of signalling for help or any way of indicating distress. Respiratory support, together with reassurance, until medical assistance arrives ensures that the victim will generally recover well.

The blue-ringed octopus is currently one of the most toxic known sea creatures, next to the sea wasp. Despite its small size, it carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes[4].

 

[supernareg]

i DOUBT it'll get through the can vents.... slits are too small.... TOO small. and from the underside, it is sealed with screws (to keep lights dry).

i'm going to keep a heavy book on top until i figure out a way to keep it sealed shut.

 

[mope54]

how big is his beak?
I don't think a book will hold it down...he can pick you up and swing you around by your big toe...

 

[supernareg]

LOL okay guys now its getting out of hand. i hardly doubt that it can pick up something that is 10 pounds.

i put 2x 5lb weight plates on top, half on the opening part of hood.

this will suffice until i get some kind of lock.

 

[ezcompany]

it will tentacle rape you while you're sleeping

 

[bromion]

<i>Screws?</i> You think some screws and a book will hold back this BEAST? They're smart and fast... they use tools. When you're not looking, it'll grab a screwdriver and lever and bust out of there. It will wait for you to take off the book, open the lid, then before you know it, it's on your face!

OK OK, I kid. I do have to agree with others here, though. These creatures are not meant to be pets, both because they are dangerous to humans and generally short-lived in captivity. Check out Wet Web Media on them:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mollusca.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cephselfaqs.htm

 

[Cagraffwriter]

You gotta love this forum:lol: :lol2: :lol:

 

[supernareg]

time for me to goto work, i'll be back tomorrow 7am horrible 12 hour ER shift lol

beautiful specimen....


Supernareg, signing out.

 

[Scissorhand]

1 Superimpulsive Reefer. I've seen these guys from time to time at LFS but after research have decided that they're not for the home aquaria... much less a nano. But best of luck. People have pushed boundaries all the time in reefing and that's how we've evolved in the hobby, just hoping that it won't come at a high price or at the detriment of the animal.

 

[murphreef]

u guys are crazy hahaha its an awesome little thing! but yeah i could see it now just breaking the glass of the tank then grabbing u by ur hair and throwin u against the wall then takin its little mini beak and givin u a dose of poison!!!! ahhhh!!!!

u guys come on i dont think it will life a book off the top lol

very cool but dangerous.... would i keep one?? i duno maybe

 

[Corriander]

Having kept octopi in the research station I used to manage, a book will NOT be enough. We had to use cinder blocks on top of tanks . . . and even then we had an escape. The only way to keep a specimin is to screw the lid on.

You are also not dealing with a fish here. Octopi are incredibly smart. It will figure out where the food comes in and it will figure out that it opens when you walk up to the tank.

 

[Lagger]

I pretty sure I saw this guy on Discovery Channel. One of Australia's 10 deadliest animals.

Blue ring FTW!

 

[gunnwong]

I think it ok from what I know octo have a short life, maybe 6-8 months, isn't it?? So from what he said this octo is about 5 months already, I think he will be gone in less than 3 months.