I'm new to this but why can't an octopi be housed with an annenome? if the an. was on the side wouldn't the octopi learn to avoid the sting? and if so, would it be possible o have a clown fish that would hide in his "home"?

octopuses have naked skin and no defences on the outside of their body... perhaps just one sting from an anemone would be enough to kill it? Either way, i am very sure that an octopus may feel a lot of pain

Anemone stings can cause blistering and damage to the octi's skin. And I'm sure a great deal of pain. Even anemones that seem completely harmless can injure an octi. While I'm sure an octi could learn to avoid an anemone, they spend a great deal of time exploring their environment by touch, the chances of accidental exposure are high.......and besides you would make the available habitat for your octi friend that much smaller!



Cheers

J

A large anemone can kill and eat baby octo if its not careful. When octopuses are exploring, their arms are independantly searching for food, so their likely to touch the anemone sooner later.

I have also heard that one arm may learn serparatly from the others. While I see no benefit from this, it would be horrible to have the octo get stung 8 or more times! :(

Hmmm...they seem to thrive in tide pools, bimac, and it is chalk full of an.

maybe it's cuz I used to have piranhas, youd get a new guy for the shoal and he had to fit in or chomp. Of course it's a bit more complicated than that.

does anybody know what the least "lethal" an. is?

There have to be a few that are OK... they kept the NEAq octo in a tank with at least two large anemones, and on more than one occasion I happened past and noticed her sitting next to one of the anemones and passing an arm over it gently every few seconds. Looked for all the world like someone stroking a pet. Maybe she got a buzz from it? (Or maybe she was a masochist?) :?:

Your true colours come out, T. ! after all, why would you keep on posting on threads with Um??? :D
I've kept octos and anemones together before, with ok results...though I have never kept a captive bred octo yet (it will definitely be the next one...octopets is a great institution) and maybe they wouldn't know off the bat to avoid the stinging tentacles...
Why not just have a bunch of feather dusters or something?

can't speak for myself due to lack of both octo and anemone.

but the antwerp zoo and aquatopia keep O. vulgaris and have anemones together. the octo's sometimes touch the anemone but draw back immediately.

all anemones in the tank are small coldwater species, I can imagine larger tropical anemones could present a danger for an octo.

Hey, I'm new here too... but wouldn't the octopus create alot of waste which could be harmful to the anemone aswell... also the anemone would need bright lighting, and I thought alot of octopus liked subdued lighting due to different species having a nocturnal lifestyles.

exactly so!

There are lots of reason why i dont suggest keeping them together :)

if the octopus' waste is harming the anemone, the octo itself won't be feeling too healthy eather.

but the lighting is a good point.