what octo for my 10 gallon

[gemini aquarius(t)]

i know it might be a little small(even for a dwarf right?) but what species would be best for a 10-20 gallon tank? im completely new to the octo thing but still i want to learn enouh about them to keep them as happy as possible
i have the 10 gallon tank live sand(from an established system) and water from an established system also the rock might be new( not dead just not alive) so i dont know if there will be a cycle but i want to wait to get everything ready and good first) so i want to get everything ready for them i was thinking of drilling the tank 3 times: 2 holes for return and one for the overflow(dont know how i can get the over flow to work) i want to put a strainer over the out put so the octo wont get stuck(how does this sound?) then in the sump i would have a coralife sper skimmer or a aqua c remora or a bak pak or some other skimmer and a semi weak return pump such as a mag 5(to much?) and then have about 10 pounds of live rock and sand and a eater and all that other good stuff is there anything i need to know>>>??? thanks alot
xavier

 

[binaryterror]

Well, the smallest octo needs a 20g. And that is a dwarf obviosly. They arne't even worth getting IMO because they live for only 4 months after you buy them usually, and they are purely nocturnal. You will never see it! I would make that into a Mantis tank, or a nano reef IMO. Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

ok then the next thing i was thinking about is setting up a 55-80 gallon tank and getting a different kind of octo is this a good idea?
im 14 so it would have to be reletivly cheap to set up(hense the 10 gallon) but i can get good deals from volunteering at a LFS and from people always upgrading on these forums also would a bimac be the best canidate for an octo? let me know
xavier

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

or go on aim and we can talk fast

 

[Dakafall]

you mentioned that the smallest tank to keep an octo would be a 20g, that just made me wonder what octopus would work in a 20L then? and where would you be able to find a dealer for dwarves such as O. wolfi, etc

 

[DHyslop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8086808#post8086808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dakafall
you mentioned that the smallest tank to keep an octo would be a 20g, that just made me wonder what octopus would work in a 20L then? and where would you be able to find a dealer for dwarves such as O. wolfi, etc

You really can't because neither dealers nor distributors are knowledgeable enough about cephs to be able to tell a dwarf from a young octo from a larger species. Not good when you realize one day your "dwarf" is larger than your tank To make matters worse, if you did find a dwarf then chances are it is an adult with only weeks or months to live.

Gemini's new plan on setting up a large species tank is the best way to go. The most easy to get octos (like bimacs and briareus)can grow in excess of a kilogram--that's just way too much biomass for a small tank, especially given that cephs generate a lot more ammonia per body mass than fish. Bigger tanks also afford more room for a big sump and a good skimmer.

Dan

 

[majestic sea life]

yea a 20+gal would be fine for a O. wolfi. But they dont come out in the day so its pointless really.

 

[Dakafall]

well, not really pointless, i'm at school/football all day, so the only time i really get to see my tanks is at night, and i have moonlights over all my tanks, but is there any online dealer that you could find O. wolfi from?

 

[DHyslop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8092728#post8092728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DHyslop
You really can't because neither dealers nor distributors are knowledgeable enough about cephs to be able to tell a dwarf from a young octo of a larger species. Not good when you realize one day your "dwarf" is larger than your tank To make matters worse, if you did find a dwarf then chances are it is an adult with only weeks or months to live.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Dakafall; how old are you? im a freshman and i play football too im a fullback/outside linebacker. you?

DHyslop; ok so does a acrylic tank with a couple drilled holes with bulkheads with drainers as overflows sound ok? what would be better?what is a good equipment list for a 55 gallon tank?
thanks alot
xavier

 

[DHyslop]

I'd make sure that the strainers are glued or fastened in place somehow: if you can pull them out by hand the octo might be able to, too. If you want a more conventional overflow you can make it work by finding a way to secure fiberglass window screen over the top to keep him out.

If you don't already have a tank you could get a glass tank instead of acrylic if its cheaper: its easy and cheap to drill holes in glass if you're careful.

Otherwise, find a good protein skimmer and--since you sound like you'll be running a sump anyway--I'd put a decent sized wet-dry somewhere in the system.

There's a lot of experienced ceph-keepers at TONMO.com; you can find plenty more advice on setting up a system there.

Dan

 

[semiaverage711]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8107727#post8107727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gemini aquarius(t)
Dakafall; how old are you? im a freshman and i play football too im a fullback/outside linebacker. you?
xavier

At my school we have a big glass room were the science teachers have all kinds of pets. Crazy! My favorite teacher used to have a reef setup in the Library but kids would throw pennies in it! OUCH! But what I am getting at is if you don't have the money to buy it yourself, go through your science teachers. I doubt it, it is worth a shot though, just ask if they want to get a tank setup. Tell them that you will do most of the mantainence and that it will provide a great learning experience. The class could make a tank log of anything new they find, parameters, and whatever they witness happening. Starting a tank out in the beginning of the year and seeing how it looks at the end would be a great class project.