Tap water, copper and Octopuses

[JingoFresh]

So I have been wanting an octopus for almost the last year. having no previous aquarium experience and realizing I was a bit in over my head in trying to set it up, I paid a renowned aquarium store to set it up for me.

However, when they set it up they ended up using tap water....which I have been told is basically a no go for octopuses or cephalopods in general because of their copper sensitivity, as well as other issues.

The people who set it up are telling me there is no issue, and that they have cuttlefish in their store which are running fine.

I am unsure what to do at the moment. NYC tap water seems to have copper .025 - .003 mg/l as compared to the .00038mg/l found in seawater.

I'm looking at a copper test but none of them seem to be fine enough to test for levels at that point.

Polypads don't seem strong enough to remove all the copper or minerals in a system, which is what the store suggested.

I would just like to get peoples opinions on this matter and see what their own experiences suggest.

Thanks.

 

[neontreefrog5]

any info on the tank? size, equipment, etc? and i dont trust that the cuttlefish and such would be doing fine, copper can be especially deadly. what kind of octopus were you planning on getting? just need more info to see how to help!

 

[JingoFresh]

Sure, thanks

It's a 56 gallon marine land tank and stand.

Setup with an overflow filter, return pump and sump.

Thinking of getting a bimac because they seem to be a good starter octopus.

 

[neontreefrog5]

well if youre going to get a cephalopod youre going to need a high quality skimmer, they have a pretty high bioload. as for a bimac, they have a fairly short lifespan.. also you need to be extremely prepared for octo's because of their high intelligence level and their ability to escape. have you done a lot of research on owning one? its extremely involved, even down to keeping them entertained. many many things to consider. you have to pretty much octo-proof your tank so it does not get out, be prepared to do water changes if it inks, and so many other things. is the tank even cycled? if not, the copper is the least of your worries because of the sensitivity...

 

[JingoFresh]

Yes, I've been researching them sinec at least October last year.

Prepared for their intelligence. I have a filtersock but will get a skimmer if I need one. Not to worried about that at the moment.

Also not too worried about lifespan as they are all fairly short anyway. Tank is close to being cycled.....but with tap water...hence my concern.

 

[neontreefrog5]

definitely go for a skimmer just to be careful because they can be so sensitive and create a lot of waste. and with bimacs you have to take into consideration their habitat in the wild, because adhering to their wild temperatures and such can affect their lifespan as well. you may very well need a chiller, and search the forums on here for other bimac keepers. as far as the copper, if youre that concerned, i would recommend this
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/CupriSorb.html

itll remove copper and other heavy metals you would find in tap water. also make sure the tank is set up well enough that you have the option for fish later down the line just in case you dont like having an octopus anymore

 

[JingoFresh]

Did a post just go missing?

 

[bluecoyote79]

I'd be EXTREMELY skeptical of anyone who sets up any SW tank using tap water. You may want to rethink taking any advice from them. Cephalopods are not beginner fish for some one who has no experience with aquariums. I'd suggest you rethink the whole thing, do more research on what you need for a successful SW aquarium. A filter sock may do more harm than good and certainly is not considered filtration by itself. If the "renowned" fish store told you that you can have an aquarium with tap water and a filter sock and you're good to go, then they're flat out lying.

 

[neontreefrog5]

im not sure if a post went missing

 

[neontreefrog5]

but yeah i agree with the filter sock not being sufficient filtration. what kind of filter do you have and how big is your sump? whats the setup like?

 

[Lsufiregal]

I would assume they treated the tap water. I wouldn't use tap but to each his own. Some people do use treated tap to cycle. If you are worried about copper just run some carbon, chemipure, or purigen. A filter sock doesn't compare to skimming at all. I would not house an animal as sensitive as an octopus without a skimmer.

 

[JingoFresh]

I'd be EXTREMELY skeptical of anyone who sets up any SW tank using tap water. You may want to rethink taking any advice from them. Cephalopods are not beginner fish for some one who has no experience with aquariums. I'd suggest you rethink the whole thing, do more research on what you need for a successful SW aquarium. A filter sock may do more harm than good and certainly is not considered filtration by itself. If the "renowned" fish store told you that you can have an aquarium with tap water and a filter sock and you're good to go, then they're flat out lying.

They are pretty much the most renowned and expert level aquarium shop in NYC, so I am not so quick to dismiss them.

Certainly not rethinking having an octopus. If my setup has a problem, then there is a solution.

im not sure if a post went missing

I got an email where you suggested Cuprisorb but it didn't seem to make it to the board.

I would assume they treated the tap water. I wouldn't use tap but to each his own. Some people do use treated tap to cycle. If you are worried about copper just run some carbon, chemipure, or purigen. A filter sock doesn't compare to skimming at all. I would not house an animal as sensitive as an octopus without a skimmer.

The tap water wasn't treated when he set it up. live sand, live rock, salt, etc all added in and set to go.

Do chemipure and purigen work similar to curpisorb?

 

[bluecoyote79]

If this is how they set up a tank after you paid them to do it, then their reputation is not well deserved.

 

[HVAC Guy]

Just a thought, since you have no prior aquarium experience, you may want to try and keep a handful of fish alive for awhile to get the hang of things. You can always start over. Many saltwater lifeforms are not for the novice. I don't care what all you add to the tank at this point, Using tapwater from the start just added a whole load of crap that doesn't belong in the tank and will cause problems down the road.

 

[Lsufiregal]

Untreated tap water would be no where near my tanks. Hell, treated tap isn't even going near my 14g biocube and there is only a pair of clowns in there.

 

[neontreefrog5]

i just suggested cuprisorb because of the fact that you were worried about all of the things in your local tap water. itll remove copper and other heavy metals which would be your main concern with tap water. that and a water conditioner to help with the ammonia and chlorine and what not. other than that i dont know what to say, i would dump it out and replace it with good water... and like they all said, if you havent kept a reef aquarium before i highly suggest keeping some hardy fish to get the hang of it and let your tank continue cycling. youll need a mature system for a cephalopod anyway. im all for trying new things but this ones a bit of a doozy

 

[criticalencore]

Another consideration besides needing a lower water temp, good filtration, and a inescapable tank would be a food source. My Bimac only seems to want live feeders like crayfish and fiddler crabs so far and will grab some mysis but doesn't care much for frozen so far. Luckily I'm 10 min from the beach and can catch live food in the warm months for him but it will get costly fast if you we have to buy a couple dollars worth of food every day or 2

 

[JingoFresh]

Thanks for the replies.

I will see how I go with the cuprisorb and trying to "purify" the water.

If it doesn't work out or isn't possible then small claims will be my last resort.

Hoping for the best though.

 

[dante411x]

This is an interesting thread. I'll follow it up to see how it turns out.
I do have to add the same thing about tap water. NYC has good water, but not nearly good enough to pass as ro/di. I'd dose the seachem stuff to get rid of it, get a rodi ASAP and replace all water since it's still cycling. In fact, I'd replace it twice.
And no matter how "renowned" something is, doesn't mean that they know anything. They probably were just banking on you being clueless, getting the squid, having it die within months and then getting more and more of them. Or hiring them to "fix" your system.

 

[neontreefrog5]

this is an interesting thread. I'll follow it up to see how it turns out.
I do have to add the same thing about tap water. Nyc has good water, but not nearly good enough to pass as ro/di. I'd dose the seachem stuff to get rid of it, get a rodi asap and replace all water since it's still cycling. In fact, i'd replace it twice.
And no matter how "renowned" something is, doesn't mean that they know anything. They probably were just banking on you being clueless, getting the squid, having it die within months and then getting more and more of them. Or hiring them to "fix" your system.

+1