Does anybody have any care guidelines for the Common Tropical Octopus? I hear they are a smaller species whose tentacles reach a length of 6", and that its total span is 12". Aparently, these octopi can be kept in a 30 gallon, hence my intrest! I also need to know where a dealer of this species is. ANY input would be extreamly helpful. Again, thank you....and GREAT site!

Hi,

I think there must be some confusion here. Octopus cyanea is a larger octopus (body to at least 6 1/2", arms to at least 31 inches) and is found around Hawaii and the Indo-West Pacific region. That means we don't see it here in U.S. much.

It's difficult to find a small tropical octopus on sale here. Since the local fish stores don't know their species. they can't really tell you what you're getting. If you want a wild-caught octopus, spring is the time to try for a young one.

Nancy

thanks. I guess I should listen to the professionals. Just for informational purposes, this information came from The Marine Aquarium Problem Solver by Nick Dakin. Tanks, I mean thanks!

i have seen that in the book too.

he has his facts all wrong... its not cyaneus its cyanea and as nancy points out his size is miles out!!!

i would class cyanea as a large species

actually, i also saw it in another book...not the same one! it said that they are the most common in the pet trade...i said to myself WHAT? oh, well!

yes there is an octopus cyaneus I actualy have a book hear The Marine Aqarium Problem Solver by Nick Dakin it grows 1 foot tentical to tentical its care guide is just like any other octopus so it says

Oh yeah and just so u know. I had a 30 gallon tank and I put a cyanea in it and it died within 24 hours. :(

Clownfish, this just proves that you can't trust everything you read in books. There is no such thing as "just like any other octopus" - different species have different requirements. There are octos that require very cold temperatures, like the ones Jean keeps in New Zealand. There are tropical octopus, and many in between. I have never found a totally accurate description of octos and their care in general aquariium books, even those about reef aquariums.

Nancy

oh I thought it was kind of obvious because the nickname had tropical in it. but the basic guide lines are hear.
http://www.tonmo.com/articles/basicoctopus.php
but maby the book was wrong :confused:

I've kept a few O. cyanea over the years and they have three things going against them. 1). They do get big. In several months the 3 cm juvenile that you start with will have a 10 - 12 cm mantle and an arm spread of 50 cm. If it has a large tank and continues to grow, they can reach much larger size.

2) They produce huge amounts of ink. and Adult can turn a 200 gal tank completely dark.

3) They bite. I think I've posted before my story of one that got loose on a flight from Hawaii to SFO. Trying to put an unhappy octopus back in a small-mouth container with screaming flight attendants and blood running down your arm makes for an interesting flight.

On the positive side, few octopus can rival a small O. cyanea in the range of colors, patterns and textures that they can assume.

Roy

Wow! I didnt know they got so large... When I kept mine I had the very same problem with inking. Almost EVERY time I put them in my tank they inked! I sorta found a solution for this if u are taking them out of the wild. Although u risk losing ur catch its better than letting them ink up the tank. When u catch them u have to milk them for their ink... Sorta. U have to release them back into the water then let them ink and catch them again, and do this over and over untill they have no more ink. As for biting I was never bit. But they were always so weak and timid after that long tramatic fight.
Also, have u ever seen them turn white and black? It's spectacular!

this sounds like a cool octopus what size tank do they need? I now a little about octopus cyanea. I thought they wre to different octopus one small one big what ever
that does sound like a cool octopus

I kept mine in a 75 gallon tank.

Neogonodactylus wroteTrying to put an unhappy octopus back in a small-mouth container with screaming flight attendants and blood running down your arm makes for an interesting flight.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

And there was me all happy with my brand new (and first) octo. We have just got - according to our LFS - an O. Cyaneus. And I have to say its absolutly f**king fantastic! It is so active, in the evening before the lights go out, and afterwards, it interacts with me, and it seems so friendly too, and the colour and texture changes are incredible! I was thinking it was clearly an adult, as its reasonably big, but reading all the above, maybe not! But it hasn't inked yet, and does seem happy. It's been eating shrimp, and has made a den etc. Hard to say what the leg span is, as it depends on how far it stretches... but at least 6-8inches I would think.

If this is indeed an O. cyanea, it will grow rapidly. It is not uncommon on the reef to find them weighing 5-6 kg and I caught one on Manihi a few years ago that probably went 8 kg. We coralled it just after it killed and was eating a 45 cm green turtle.

Roy

Not good. If they grow as big as you say then we are in trouble. But - responsible LFS people who do know about keeping octos in uk sold it to me, knowing how big our tank is (about 50 US gallons I think). Until then I will enjoy it, and if it gets too big will find it a better home. But it looks happy as Larry at the mo. He is a joy to watch, and has survived the first 3 days in his new home, so there should be hope.

N&J,

Be interested in where you got your octo, perhaps as an inclusion in my website.

Feel free to PM if you can share.

Hi Mikey, We got him from our LFS, The Acquatic Centre Ltd in Bulcote, Nottinghamshire. They are supplied by TMC. They have been excellent sources of info. We set up our first (freshwater) tank through them, and when we fell in love with an Octo they had in stock they advised us about setting up a marine tank specifically for one, which has been an ongoing process since last October. This is our first marine tank, so its been a steep learning curve to say the least. However, I would recommend them highly, not least for their Cephalopod knowledge and ability to refuse to sell me things that I liked because they wouldn't be suitable for a Cephalopod tank, but also because they are very gentle with severely hungover customers on Sunday mornings, and can also tolerate stroppy 5yr olds!

hey N&J!!

Hope your sound!

What shrimps and stuff are you feedin the littleun?

nice one

We've had some peppermint shrimps (pretty red things) in the tank for ages now - waiting to be octo food :sad: , plus a few crabs of various sorts - mostly hitchhikers on live rock cos we never bought them. I reckoned that they would keep him going for a few days at least.

When he was in the LFS before we bought him he was eating freshwater shrimp (yes - i've seen the posts now about these not being nutritional enough for marine beasties) - about two per day. We bought a handful of these, and put them in our freshwater tank. I thought he would eat our peppermint shrimps and crabs first, and then I would start putting the freshwater shrimps in. The first day he ate nothing as far as I know, the second day I found the remnants of one of the weird nocturnal worm things that lives in the live rock, and the third day I found the antenna of a peppermint shrimp. I thought he was eating away at the peppermints, but tonight have dicovered that the rest of them are just hiding well! I put him a freshwater shimp in tonight and it lasted about 8 seconds before being devoured.

I have tried him on frozen (but defrosted) Krill and raw Tiger Prawn, but so far no joy - not sure what to try next :confused:

yeah the peppermint look like dead ones when they shed there skin dont they!!! had me that one!!!

when you do tiger prawn try defrostin in tank water and then squezzin the water in an out so the water in the prawn kinda gets replaced by tank water then squeeze all out this worked for my in gettin stuff more intrested

an poss dangle in tank on kebab stick or pinchers to get him to hunt??

Good idea about sqeezing the water out - i'll give it a go. Have already tried waving it about on a stick in front of him - but no interest. Will keep trying.