Hello all!
I have two research projects where I'd be sampling octopuses at sea (and then release them) as well as to keep mothers in the pots and transfer them to the aquaculture facility to study them.
For these to happen, that means I'd need to create my own octopus pots, or a den for them to naturally go into so that I can retrieve them (rather than a trap that would harm them). These pots would then be on the seabed for a month or so. What I can find at the local store is this T-junction PVC pipe. I like that it has a threaded cap on top so that I can potentially remove the cap and transfer out eggs (the life stage that I'll be focussing on for my research) to another aquarium. I will also be sealing one end on the side using a push-on cap and seal it with a cyanoacrylate gel (or Superglue gel).
I'd also like to paint them black for two reasons: 1) to reduce the risk of theft by reducing its visibility and more importantly, 2) to hopefully make it a more ideal den choice for octopuses since white is technically more conspicuous and a black one may be more visibly hidden on the seabed.
Here are my doubts and questions:
1) Has anyone used octopus-safe/aquarium-safe/ocean-safe paint? A lil digging on the Internet gave me two options: Krylon Fusion paint for plastics and Performix's Plasti Dip paint but it'd be good if anyone who has actually tested this to let me know if it's indeed safe specifically for octopuses. (Source: Best aquarium safe paint for inside and outside your tank)
2) Has anyone used the cyanoacrylate gel in octopus tanks? I know that silicone glue is toxic to octopuses but I'm not sure about cyanoacrylate.
3) For those who had octopuses that laid eggs in an artificial den, did they lay on top or on the sides? As no one has studied the species I'm looking at, I can only hope that they'd lay the eggs on the top cap rather than the one on the side since that'd have been sealed.
4) You guys are the experts, I have not had octopuses in tanks before and it's been a year (and counting) that I'm planning this aquarium set-up to ensure the best welfare possible for the octopus. So I'd greatly appreciate if anyone could point out anything you think are not ideal or even harmful to these awesome animals.
Thank you for reading!
PS: FYI I have also checked the sizes and they're good for the species that I'm studying.
I have two research projects where I'd be sampling octopuses at sea (and then release them) as well as to keep mothers in the pots and transfer them to the aquaculture facility to study them.
For these to happen, that means I'd need to create my own octopus pots, or a den for them to naturally go into so that I can retrieve them (rather than a trap that would harm them). These pots would then be on the seabed for a month or so. What I can find at the local store is this T-junction PVC pipe. I like that it has a threaded cap on top so that I can potentially remove the cap and transfer out eggs (the life stage that I'll be focussing on for my research) to another aquarium. I will also be sealing one end on the side using a push-on cap and seal it with a cyanoacrylate gel (or Superglue gel).
I'd also like to paint them black for two reasons: 1) to reduce the risk of theft by reducing its visibility and more importantly, 2) to hopefully make it a more ideal den choice for octopuses since white is technically more conspicuous and a black one may be more visibly hidden on the seabed.
Here are my doubts and questions:
1) Has anyone used octopus-safe/aquarium-safe/ocean-safe paint? A lil digging on the Internet gave me two options: Krylon Fusion paint for plastics and Performix's Plasti Dip paint but it'd be good if anyone who has actually tested this to let me know if it's indeed safe specifically for octopuses. (Source: Best aquarium safe paint for inside and outside your tank)
2) Has anyone used the cyanoacrylate gel in octopus tanks? I know that silicone glue is toxic to octopuses but I'm not sure about cyanoacrylate.
3) For those who had octopuses that laid eggs in an artificial den, did they lay on top or on the sides? As no one has studied the species I'm looking at, I can only hope that they'd lay the eggs on the top cap rather than the one on the side since that'd have been sealed.
4) You guys are the experts, I have not had octopuses in tanks before and it's been a year (and counting) that I'm planning this aquarium set-up to ensure the best welfare possible for the octopus. So I'd greatly appreciate if anyone could point out anything you think are not ideal or even harmful to these awesome animals.
Thank you for reading!
PS: FYI I have also checked the sizes and they're good for the species that I'm studying.