I was wondering if there were any octopus capable of being kept in a 10 gallon tank? That is all I have at the moment, although I may be able to purchase a maybe 20-25 gallon max 1. Any advice even off the topic of tanks would be help (any info at all for a new guy to octopuses would be nice)
Thanks for reading this if you did.

unfortunately, bigger is better for octopus tanks. In addition to the cramped space concerns, octos and cuttles produce a lot more waste than comparably sized fish, so they really need the water volume of a large tank. We generally recommend a 29 gallon for the smallest cephs, preferably with a sump. Also, the small pygmy/dwarf octos aren't very good pets, in that they tend to be nocturnal, shy, short-lived, and otherwise not very interactive, and because small tanks have less water volume, they're not as good for beginners, because any problem will cause the water to become a problem much faster than in a larger tank...

A 10 gallon is really pushing it. The problem is that octopuses produce much more waste than a similar sized fish, causing the water conditions to deteriorate quickly. In a tank that small, disasters can occur very quickly. If you were to upgrade to a 20 or 25 gallon with very good filtration you could keep an Octopus mercatoris. They are very small octopuses and quite common in the trade right now. The only downside is that they have a deep-seeded nocturnal lifestyle so you would have to stay up late at night to enjoy them. Many of the larger nocturnal octopuses tend to adapt to daylight hours, but I don't think anyone has had any luck getting a mercatoris to do such. On the other hand, their offspring can be raised relatively easily if provided with enough live food and a member here has had luck raising a second generation and some of them have lived over a year, in small communities which is uncommon among other octopus species.

To really get the most out of the experience of owning an octopus, you should consider a 50 gallon or larger and one of the commonly available mid-sized species. They are more outgoing and are much more likely to become interactive and display the behaviors that draw interested people to them in the first place.

As for general information, there is a lot of great information in the ARTICLES section of this website. http://www.tonmo.com/index.php?page=cepharticles

Before you seriously consider getting an octopus, take into consideration that none of them are likely to live more than a year and dwarf species generally have an even shorter lifespan. On occasion people can keep them up to 2 years. Honestly it's a gamble when you buy one because more often than not the ones available are mature adults with only months or even just weeks to live.

If you are familiar with keeping a saltwater tank and have successfully kept corals, then keeping an octopus shouldn't be too difficult so long as precautions are taken to seal the top of the tank and all of the filtration and powerheads. They are very curious and keen on squeezing through the tiniest of spaces which can lead them to serious injury or death by escaping the tank or getting arms caught in pumps. They definitely fit into the advanced care category.

You have to plan ahead for the expense of paying for live food. Sometimes they will accept dead raw items, but more than likely they will have to be trained to accept those items so plan on keeping live crabs, snails, etc. You don't want to use any freshwater items.

Copper kills octopuses, so used tanks or tanks previously set up as freshwater displays can be risky.

I think that's about it as far as the basics go. Welcome to TONMO.

thank a lot, I will now expect to, for sure, buy a larger tank. Do you know if 25 gal would be good for any diurnal species?

I'd get the largest filtration possible.

If there's any way you can go larger than 25, it will increase your options. We recommend 29 at least for any ceph, and it's not clear whether any of the "slightly smaller than bimac" species need for optimal health, but I'd guess really a 40-45 is wise. There isn't really a solid answer, the "standard" recommendation for bimacs was pushed up to 55gal when it was observed that they seemed to live longer, healthier lives in 55gal than 45gal, but that the 75 didn't seem to lead to healthier bimacs than 55. For some other species like hummelincki and aculeatus we haven't seen enough of them to tell yet, but 25 would definitely be too small for a full-grown one of either of those, in addition to the concerns about the speed at which the water could go bad.

Part of the problem is that when you purchase an octopus, the seller does not always know what species they are selling. You may request a dwarf species, but receive something else. So, besides the water quality issues, it is a good idea to have at least a 29 gallon because you never know how big your octopus is going to grow.

wow you guys know a lot, ok my new goal at least 29 gallonn as the smallest, also does anyone know about breeding your own feeder crabs?

I usually agree that a minimum size tank for even a dwarf octopus is in the 20-30 gal range, but in all honesty, this really depends on many factors that go beyond volume. The temperature, stability and maturity of the system, water changing regimen, species, type of food used, etc., etc. all play a roll in determining what size tank is needed to house an octopus. In my lab, we keep some blue-rings and other dwarfs in 5-10 gal systems with no problem. However, these tanks have large capacity filtration, have all been running for literally years, receive frequent water changes and have minimal biological load - one octopus and that is it. No coral or other invertebrates and uneaten food is immediately removed. So, to be fair, it can be done. We just don't recommend it since it only takes one problem to do in your pride and joy. There is enough uncertainty to keeping cephalopods that you need the largest possible safety zone and the easiest way to achieve that is through volume.

Roy

I usually agree that a minimum size tank for even a dwarf octopus is in the 20-30 gal range, but in all honesty, this really depends on many factors that go beyond volume. The temperature, stability and maturity of the system, water changing regimen, species, type of food used, etc., etc. all play a roll in determining what size tank is needed to house an octopus. In my lab, we keep some blue-rings and other dwarfs in 5-10 gal systems with no problem. However, these tanks have large capacity filtration, have all been running for literally years, receive frequent water changes and have minimal biological load - one octopus and that is it. No coral or other invertebrates and uneaten food is immediately removed. So, to be fair, it can be done. We just don't recommend it since it only takes one problem to do in your pride and joy. There is enough uncertainty to keeping cephalopods that you need the largest possible safety zone and the easiest way to achieve that is through volume.

Roy

Do you have enough staff that you have pros check the tanks every day? I've generally imagined that research labs have the resources, and are probably even required to use them, to have a professional check up on all animals daily, or something like that...

I know for mammals that's required, although I guess the rules are a bit more lax for fish and inverts.

After visiting my local pet store (of a national chain) I realised that tanks weren't that expensive so I really don't have a limit on size any more except under basically 70gal

Great! That really opens up your options!

ok, thanks Monty, what kind of octo would you reccomend?

bimac, briareus, hummelincki, or aculeatus would all be good choices to consider. The briareus is the largest of those, and occasionally get a bit cramped in a 55gal at full size, the others are OK in a 55gal. We haven't really been able to tell if hummelincki or aculeatus have a higher mortality rate in smaller tanks yet, so to be safe getting a 55gal or bigger would be ideal. You can read about all 4 of these species in the journals and photos section, I can't think of anyone who has a bimac right now, but Octane is a hummelincki, Kalypso is a briareus, I forget the names of aculeatus but I'm sure at least one member who has one now, and you can look for DHyslop's older posts about Mr. Octopus or Corw314's or Nancy's extensive journals about bimacs.

k, I will research those. Do you buy all your food, or breed it(if thats even possible)?

I buy all my food. I'm hoping some of the shore shrimp will have viable eggs and that the larvae will survive in my tank for the next inhabitant to enjoy but that's the closest to breeding food I'll get. For the most part though, mine eats frozen stuff like raw shrimp, krill, silversides, etc. Some of it's from the grocery store and some of it's from the fish store. I try to balance it out with live crabs and shrimp though to provide my octopus with enrichment through hunting and it's just more nutritious.

ok thanks, so do most octos accept frozen food? I will use live crabs also.

It depends on the individual octopus.

ok thanks

a_dustball,
Almost all of the octos recorded on the site learn to take freshly killed shrimp. Even my Mercs will eat dead shore shrimp if I feed it to them directly with a feeding stick (in this case a large pipette since the shrimp are a bit small for a stick). Additionally, fiddler crabs are a major food choice. Snails, hermit crabs, scallops and clams as food varies widely. My Mercs do not eat any of them but Octane (Hummelincki) will eat some snails (the larger expensive ones and I don't use them as food the ones he consumed were clean-up crew), may or may not eat the hermits on occassion (also in the tank for clean-up), has eaten only one frozen scallop (when he was first introduced to the tank but not again) and will open and eat about one clam a week (these can also be used for clean-up but you must watch them to be sure they don't die uneaten). Given this history, I would suggest that you start with a small amount of fresh frozen shrimp (or live shore shrimp if you get a small octo - the Mercs do not eat pieces of regular shrimp) and a supply of fiddler crabs when you first get your octopus then work with him/her as your experience together grows.

ok, sounds good, thanks. Also what exactly is a protein skimmer?

This should answer that question.

http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/16.htm

well, that really helped a lot! Thanks, would you like to reccomend a brand or type that you use?

look for the thread "What skimmer do you have, an do you recommend it?" I think it's in the "Tank Talk" forum.

ok, thanks.

I check the tanks every day. I don't know about being a pro, but I can tell if the salinity is off, the pump not working, etc.

At U.C. Berkeley, as at all U.S. animal research facilities, vertebrates research animals require specific animal care and use permits and protocols. (I have served on one such committee for several years.) Invertebrates are not covered except when I keep animals in space that is approved and controlled for vertebrate use. With increased animal rights activity, some countries have begun to include invertebrates (cephalopods and lobsters) under their animal research use regulations. It is my understanding that this is the case in the U.K. and Australia is moving in that direction. From my experience, while there are a few vets out there who specialize in invertebrate issues, most are not trained in invertebrate care and maintenance and requiring veterinary care of cephalopods would greatly increase the cost with little or no improvement in the health and well-being of the animals.

I check the tanks every day. I don't know about being a pro, but I can tell if the salinity is off, the pump not working, etc.

At U.C. Berkeley, as at all U.S. animal research facilities, vertebrates research animals require specific animal care and use permits and protocols. (I have served on one such committee for several years.) Invertebrates are not covered except when I keep animals in space that is approved and controlled for vertebrate use. With increased animal rights activity, some countries have begun to include invertebrates (cephalopods and lobsters) under their animal research use regulations. It is my understanding that this is the case in the U.K. and Australia is moving in that direction. From my experience, while there are a few vets out there who specialize in invertebrate issues, most are not trained in invertebrate care and maintenance and requiring veterinary care of cephalopods would greatly increase the cost with little or no improvement in the health and well-being of the animals.

At our lab/aquarium the animals are checked at 8.30 am, 5pm and 10.30 pm by the on duty technician and also at other times by the students/staff working with them. In addition all staff and students (or someone they bribe......ummmm.ask to stand in for them if they're away!) holding animals must be available at all times to come out to the lab if there are major problems with their system (that includes the middle of the night!). We have a live in technician (the lab is some 22km from town) who has a pager linked to the seawater alarm system.

In NZ animal welfare legislation includes Cephs and lobsters but not other inverts. However, the University's own animal ethics approval protocols include ALL animals. And its a prolonged and intensive procedure to get it! We don't call the vets for any of our critters (not even the fish) as they really don't have the expertise required, we do. In fact vet nurses in training come to us for their fish care module and we sneak in invert care too!

j

Dust bunny I dont want to be offensive or meen but i just wanted to know have you ever had a saltwater tank before because octopuses are much harder then normal reefs and fish only tanks you can get a octopus as a starter if you do all the research but you may want to first try a reef to get familiar with brands filters feeding etc....

See I can't really get a reef tank or anything like that because both time and space are limited for me very much, if I get a reef and then the fish don't die before I get done with high school I won't get an octopus till after college, and for me that's going to be longer than 4 years. And I really don't think killing the fish myself is the right thing to do. I will only be able to purchase one tank. Lastly wouldn't there be a lot of work converting the tank and redoing the water levels?

You can trade the fish back to most lfs's so that can be covered if not you can leave them in the tank until you get the octopus and let it eat them i may do something like that but to cycle my tank.....Now the only thing wrong with that is the octopus can get stressed if the fish nip at it.Another possibility is getting coral you can have coral with a octopus and it would be a great way to get into the hobby i would recommend doing that for a few months or so before you get the octopus but you would have to get ones that dont require much light so you can put the octopus in later.Or the hardest way but it fits the solution perfectly is get a octopus and just doing loads of research:read:

You can't put an octopus in with all corals, only with ones who a) don't sting and b) tolerate low light levels and remember every living thing you add to the tank increases the bioload! so be careful how much you add!

J

Would getting a bunch of shrimp and keeping them first work too? So I know there's coral and that's a living being, but what exactly is living rock and what does that do?

Live rock is basically fossilized coral with lots of living organisms inside and out. It contains bacteria that is extremely beneficial to your filtration. Quality live rock is very porous and lightweight, and will bring lots of surprises with it. Some good, some bad. Copepods, amphipods, isopods, macro and micro algaes, sometimes corals, sometimes crabs, shrimp, and on occasion octopuses.

wait, so if you get live rock, things come off it, and live in the aquarium, or do you mean when you order it?

A lot of little critter's live in and on live rock, when you add the rock to your tank all those little critter's come with it.

ok thanks.

So also is there any kind of, crab, clam, shrimp or other animal I could buy and put in my tank that the octo won't eat, preferrably one that helps clean and stuff?

seastar?

You could have a pencil urchin, a starfish, brittle star. I have a pistol shrimp that came on my live rock and some how it's avoided being eaten but thats not a recommendation its just luck.

don't the starfish reproduce by themselves? So after a while I'd have a lot of them in there?

...looking at other posts, a lot of them have something about mysid shrimp, what are they? Food? Cleaners?

Food.

Food, usually for small or young octos or cuttle's.

Ok, and are they just released in the tank or only put in for the use of immediate consumption?