upon viewing my 55 gallon setup, I realized that the overflow box could present an avenue of escape. If the octo went into the box he/she could zip right up the siphon tube into the overflow box :x . Has anyone had a problem with this?? I guess that I could try to cover the overflow box with net material, but I'm not sure if that would affect the flow or if its necessary. I've attached a pic of the tank. (I have 50 lbs of live rock, but it seems a bit sparse so I'm going to get more today) Thanks
I've also included a pic my my DIY wet/dry filter. I built the bio-tower from acrylic.

Hi Lawfish

yeah, i think you should try to cover all escape routes. Perhaps using sponges would be the way to go? i have also torn up old net curtains and used them with some success.

Early last year I 'lost' a baby Octopus that looked like filosus. My best guess was that it managed to get into the sump and from there into the cuttlefish tank as they were filtered on the same system. it wouldn't have lasted 2 mins in there. Its either that or the dog ate it! The wooden floors in my house would make finding an escaped octo very easy. But the point is that it must have gotten out via the overflow into sump!

Remeber that base rock like tufa or ocean rock or even clay pipes and pots and stuff like that can fill up an aquarium of suitable octo hiding places too. I think that LR looks way better but sometimes it is just beyond the budget :(

Nice filter, what are the dimensions on that?

Cheers
C

Thanks:

I will attempt to cover the overflow box with net material and I'll let you know how it works out.

As for my DIY filter, the sump is just a 20 gal tank. The bio-tower is all acrylic measuring 10 1/2 " wide by 24 " high by 12" deep. the bio-chamber holds approx 5 gallons of bioballs. I also have a removable drawer under the biochamber which holds carbon. I may use some polyfilters there as well. The whole thing only cost me approx $110 including the magdrive pump. As you can see from the pics I haven't installed an in sump Skimmer yet but I am working on it.

I actually put about 15 - 20 lbs more live rock in the tank yesterday. I have attached another pic. Do you think that I am close yet or should I get some more. I did set up the rock so that there are plenty of caves and hiding places.

Another subject, one of the Mollies that I am using to cycle the tank gave birth yesterday. quite cool actually. I tried to take some pics of the little fry but they move too fast. cute little buggers.

Hi Lawfish,

Since I need to cover my overflow box too, I've been scouting for a good material. Some of the finer-meshed plastic netting that some veggies come in (cluster tomatoes, for instance) looks very promising, and there's quite a variety available. Has anyone else used this material? (It would have to be cleaned.)

Impressive DIY filter!

Nancy

Nancy,
Have you tried net material yet? I thought that it might be a good choice because it is already in the correct shape to slip over the overflow box. I am going to try cutting the material off of a larger (7" ?) net and slipping it over the whole overflow box. I'm not sure how to secure it. Maybe a plastic cable tie or something of that nature. Hmmmm.

Well let me know if you figure out something that works well and I'll keep you updated.

That sounds like an interesting idea. I have plastic fishline to lash the net material to the drain holes at the top of my overflow compartment. This is the best I've been able to come up with.

What have the rest of you been using to cover the overflow (and secure the cover)?

Nancy

Hi Nancy!

I have been using good old duck tape for years to seal covers. Sticks great but looks a little odd! As to my over flow box for the protein skimmer, I cut some extra plastic that comes with the hood to fit really closely to the flow. I like the idea of a netting. I've been worried that Hermin still has access to an avenue of escape, but in the 4 months, he's never gone near the flow. Anyway, I am going to try the netting!

Carol

I havnt tryed it yet cause my tank is cycleing but I am planning on useing those course buffing pads that are used on floor buffing machines they are very ridgid and can be cut to the right size and pressed in . Someone who runs a green house and pond suply had told me about them being a good pre filter for my pond

Hi Carol,

About that duck tape - are you using it underwater, too?

I found a hardware store that sells 15 different colors of duck tape!

Thanks,

Nancy

Hi Nancy!

Just around the lid to seal the tank! and to cover hoses from my eheim. Never used it inside! I figured as long as it's not in direct contact with the saltwater, should be safe to use. But I'm not possative on that. Just know I've used it to seal tanks since my first octopus, which has to be at least 15 years ago! Would be curious to hear what others have used and if it's known to be something I shouldn't be using????

All I know, is I've bought the strongest packing tape, and it doesn't stick cause of the salt. Duck tape sticks through everything!!! (did you know recently in our home paper, they talked about duck tape as a cure for warts??? :yuck: Amazing what people do with it!!!)

Carol :)

I had another idea to cover the overflow. I've seen little mesh hang in breeder tanks . They are basically a little cube surrounded by mesh. One of them might be a good size for the overflow box. I'll check around and let you know. :D

Lawfish a good way to make more hiding spots with little LR is to take a clay pot or whatever you please then stack up the rock around it. Takes less rock farther.

Hello all:
Well, I finally covered the overflow box. I used net material held in place with plastic cable ties. It isn't very pretty but it seems to be working great. See attached pictures. I hope that this is of some help :shock:

If anyone has comments on how to improve my design please let me know. Cheers and a happy and healthy new year!!! :D

Looks fine!

I realised ages ago that the surroundings of an octopus tank dont always look very pretty! LOL The designers of skimmers and overflow boxes just dont take octopuses into consideration!!!! :lol:

C

Thanks:
I'm sure that it is a necessary prcaution because 2 of the mollies that I am using to cycle the tank ended up in the prefilter box outside of the tank. If they were swept in against their will then an Octo would likely find his/her way through the siphon tube. :shock:

Yep, that is a certainty! 8)

Try to make sure that as a precaution you cover intakes to filters and powerheads with a sponge or prefilter to make sure that if worst comes to worst it doesnt get pulled into the impeller!

Cheers
C

Hey all:

I found that using netting to cover the overflow box can be quite an annoyance!!! It quickly becomes clogged and interferes with water flow plus it is a real pain to clean. I have hit upon another solution. I am goig to cover the top of the overflow box with acrylic with a hole cut out for the siphon tube. Thus, the water can still flow through the slots but a curious octo cannot enter the box and end up in the sump. (Hopefully) I'll post some pics of this solution if anyone is interested.

George

i am getting ready to do this to my hang on overflow box as well. i have some extra plexiglass at work.
but after looking at it again. i havent put water in this tank yet it appears if i put it in the highest position the glass top my sit nicely on top of it. any way i figure ive got at least 3 months to work it out. although i think i'm gonna oder a baby bimac in 2 months to go in a new 15 tall i recently set up untill the 37+10 is ready in another 2 months.

another thing..about the u tube. consider installing a air valve in the top of it so you would'nt have to remove it to get a siphon going. just attach air hose open valve and suck. hold your thumb over the hose and shut the valve.

this would probably allow a tighter fitting u tube!!!

In my opinion, covering the overflow box is an invitation for disaster. If the octopus can park itself in the U tube, then U have yourself a big problem as the sump keeps pumping water into the tank.

regular fiberglas window screening and a rubberband is usually suitable for any intake grille, but it will need to be brushed out periodically.

Plastic needlepoint grids sold at any arts & crafts store is a ceph keeper's best friend. A huge sheet costs a buck, and regular scissors can cut it. There are a million ways to fasten it to things, but I've yet to discover anything better than a dab of silicone.

Of course, if you just keep a bimac, there is no need to cover or screen anything.

Rock on, Jimbo

hi Jim, in the last year or so there have been 2 or so octos that have climbed out, both were bimacs... maybe water conditions weren't perfect??? (maybe Nancy knows the number?)

Hi Colin!

One of the greatest things about studying behavior is it's diversity. Sure, terrible water quality could motivate an octopus to leave it's aquarium, but that's as much a guess as anything. Who's to say those two octos didn't kamikaze because something in the same room as the aquarium looked neat enough to warrant exploration? Perhaps the sound of a pump drove them crazy. Maybe it wanted another bite of iguana tail. Who knows?

By and large, I've found that bimacs stay put. When I visted the NRCC, their bimac tank was a large tub with no lid. When Forsythe took me over to the now defunct CephSource warehouse, I saw dozens of bimacs in equally lidless aquaria. I've lost count of how many bimacs I've kept, but only one ever wound up on the floor, and he was well into senescence.

The best advice is to get to know your octopus. In the beginning it's probably wisest to take precautions, and then, if you deem it reasonable, remove security measures to make your life easier (anything that you screen with any octopus-proof mesh IS going to clog sooner or later)

Rocking on, Jimbo

Of the two instances of bimac escape that I know of, both went out the top, not over the overflow.

A really interesting aspect is that in both cases, the escape happened shortly after the bimac went on a little trip - to a school in each case. Did seeing the larger world motivate them to climb out? In the later case, there was another tank nearby, so that could have also helped.

One thing I have noticed in keeping Ollie is rapid change of interests and behavior. There was a time when she would have climbed out in a minute! We let her do a supervised "sit on the edge of the tank and feel around", and that seemed to satisfy her. It was more like coming out to visit us. Now, with the eggs, I don't think she has any interest at all in leaving.

Nancy

I Think escape is very much a species thing! Our midgets rarely escape (once that I know of) but our P. cordiformis can be a regular Houdini! So we have EVERYTHING covered! Drains have caps, the tank is sealed to the ceiling. Only problem we have now is if one of the staff leaves the "door" ajar!

It's also an individual thing (even with P. cordiformis) we've had some that we've spent many hours retrieving from all over (including halfway up the stairs to the staff room :shock: ) but others (like our current one, Mrs Henry) don't seem to be interested in even trying!

J

Just FYI, Home Depot now sells clear duck tape. :heee:

Cheers,
S

That's OK. OK don't have any clear ducts.

Humph. I meant *I* don't have any clear ducts.