anybody have a octopus

[hooked]

I was at my LFS and they got in a octopus. The tag says it will get up to 12"s, not sure if that was body size or tentacle length. This one he has in a ball is no bigger then around 1.5 - 2 inches.

Do they come out during the day or just hide in rocks? What type of tank setup would be best. I know having a completely enclosed tank is a must. Do they need good lighting?

Just something to talk about since I usually don't see many threads about them

[Spanky]

Jim

Kinda depends on which octopus it is. Most are nocturnal but some wander around in the day time, a lot of them can be trained to come out in not too bright light. They don't need bright light BTW but they do need excellent water quality. Sometimes that can be hard to do because they eat and poop a lot.
Temp and such, again, is dependent on which octo it is too.

Jerel

[JennM]

Just to add to Spanky's comments...

Octopusses are notorious for climbing out of their tanks. They must be kept in tanks with snug, weighted lids. If their beak can fit through it, they can fit through it.

Also, it should be noted that Blue Ringed octopusses are lethal. Their bite is venomous. Although they are illegal to bring into the US, I see them on stock lists all the time, and the shop I used to work in somehow ended up with one that carried eggs. I actually got to see the eggs hatch, which was pretty darned cool but of course the babies did not survive and the mother died the next day, as is always the case in octopusses.

Also, if an octopus is scared or peeved it can ink the tank. That's not cool either.

They are really fascinating creatures though!

Jenn

[Tonto]

I was watching Discovery Channel or something the other night and it showed some really cool stuff about them.
A lot about camouflage & changing colors. It’s pretty amazing how smart thy are. It also was saying that when they leave the cave and go out exploring that they cruise around in no particular pattern but when they return home they travel back in a strait line. Pretty cool critters.

[Ammck]

I was watching the same show as Tonto.
Another story explained how this Lavatory had the problem of hermit crabs disappearing. To investigate, one night they put a camera on a tank with one hermit crab. Turns out an octopus was escaping out from its tank, went on to slide across a table, up, and over, into a tank that housed the hermit Crab. Thus having a midnight snack.
Pretty smart creatures!

[galleon]

They can't stand astroturf, it usually works to keep them in their tanks if it can't be covered. (on the top and upper sides).

Other than that, very very very heavily protein skimmed water
Stick a lifegard particulate on there too, and UV wouldn't hurt either.

Some public aquariums recycle water, and it usually goes to the Octo systems before the live reef systems.

[ylmaya]

I have also heard that though very cool - the Octopus is the #1 Marine escape artist and that they eventually end up on the floor!

[MontanaRocknReefer]

To the experts Jenn, Chris and Jerel. From what I have read do octopus live very long? I have heard about a year or so! Any truth to this?

[Spanky]

Johnny,

It depends on which one again. Temperature can play a big part too. Most of our Caribbean one's will actually live a couple of years depending.

Most people that are serious about keeping them long term will use heavy skimming (not only for waste but O2, they have a extremely high O2 demand), UV, carbon (organics and ink), and heavy water changes.

[hooked]

wow, lots of good info. Thanks everyone

[JennM]

Please -- no references to me as an expert -- I hate experts

"Experienced" is what I prefer
Or how about "Enthusiast"?


From what I've read, most species only live a couple of years, and die after reproducing. Even if reproduction is supressed, they still die within the same time frame.

Still, they are highly intelligent and extremely fascinating creatures.

Jenn

[reefcam]

I used to keep octopuses with much success of living long and not climbing out. Octopuses do not have a long live. Male or female. The female will die shortly after laying her egg(s), but the egg(s) in captivity will not survive as it is not fertilized by the male. And since you can't keep 2 in a tank together, it's nearly impossible to breed them.

The male on the other does not lay eggs, but I've read that their life span mimics that of the female, so they die shortly. Most octopuses in captivity can live from 6 months to 1 year before dying. So not a long term animal. This is about their live span in the wild as well, so the only harm I see keeping them is their ability to reproduce.

I kept mine in a 20 gal Hex tank with a lid over it. But I've never seen any octos trying to escape. I put a red light or a very low light incandescant bulb over the tank just to see it. And lots of hiding place, created by rocks.

If you do get one, I would look for dwarf octos. Their arm span are typically less than 12" across. The medium size ones seem to die earlier.

I've since told myself not to buy anymore, even though they sound cool to have. The tank now houses 2 jawfish by them self and they seem to like the tank.

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Thanks Jerel, Jenn and everyone for the useful info!!

[Stang69]

They have one here locally at one of the public SW learing centers for schools that they have trained to open a jar and get a crab out. This guy even reseals the jar and hands it out to the person feeding it. This one to my understanding is a native to the puget sound area and as we know the biggest ones grow in Puget sound. He has grown from about 1.5 feet across to over 3 ft now. They also had one at the seattle aquarium that they measured and weighed every month but not sure if he is still there or not.


Jeff

[aquaticsdeptleader]

its important to play games and challenge the octo from what i read they will eventually grow bored and die if not kept entertained they will leave tanks to go to other tanks and eat, if they ink the tank it can kill them and anything else in it. i have heard that there color patterns can be used as communcation, one article descibed once the aquarist gets the octupus accustumed to he she as the food source it will come up to the glass and flash color and or patterns likely a sign of excitment. i saw that discovery channel thing few times, they map there enitre territory around there den and always know the quickest way back to there hiding spot. they did an experiment to see if they could confuse one and they couldnt. also it is believed that an octupus or squid would be the most likley to take mans place on the earth if we to were be removed.

sorry for the long post just happen to be fasinated by these guys.

jim