HI, i'm new to the forums, but i'm already started to get addicted to octopus and cuttlefish :(. A while back I looked at getting some dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia Bandensis), but of course, the only source for them was quickly bought out before I even had time to click "bid".

Now, after my recent seahorse incident (my Hippocampus Reidi died from Vibrio x Gas Bubble Disease), i'm thinking about dedicating the tank to an octopus. While seahorses are still my "main thing", i'm relinquishing my 30 gallon to something else as I do not want the risk of vibrio being spread around again.

So, I guess my question starts here..are there any species of octopus that can be housed in a 30 gallon for LIFE? I keep reading different info everywhere I go. I see Vulgaris and Bimaculoides are the two "commonly" kept octopus, and are for "beginners". But, I never really see what maximum tank size is for either. One place says my 30 gallon would be okay, and another article says nothing but a 50 gallon MIN for any octopus other than blue-ringed, etc. (obviously I wouldn't risk it, but really,I have no desire whatsoever to own one).

I heard Bimaculoides gets "biggish", so i'm guessing that rules that one out.

Can anyone help me here? Any octopus OR cuttlefish possibly that can be kept in a 30 gallon? I'm not going to die or anything if I can't own one, but I have a 30 gallon that's empty, i'm LOVING octopus and cuttlefish, and I really don't like common saltwater fish like clownfish, etc. I was angry that I wasn't able to posess Sepia Bandensis, and I really hope my "dream" of owning a octopus, etc. aren't put off again. I'm not worried about care or the like..just worried about the size of my tank.

If you need any info on my set up, just ask and I can give it out!

Thanks in advance!

I think a single, or MAYBE a pair of sepia bandensis would do well in a 30 gallon. if you want an octo, you'll have to look at dwarfs, such as O. mercatori, O. digueti (not available too often in the States), etc. A dwarf would be very happy in a 30 gallon. O. mercatoris have a mantle (head) length of 2 cm. Average size (according to danthemarineman, if he does have O. mercatoris) is quarter to half dollar sized.

Hey Brock :p. Knew you were on here lol.

Do you know of any place selling them? I've gone all over, and i'm getting frustrated.....

Danthemarineman (that's his user name on TONMO) is selling O. mercatoris. Do I know you? Are you in the seahorse bunch?

On, your flamingonhot! Hey, what's going on? Sadly, I also recently lost a horse due to a vibrio infection. Even sadder was the fact that he was pregnant. I did a pouch evac on his corpse, and 9 babies popped out, plus the 2 premie fry that lasted about a week...:(
I've given up on seahorses.

There are several dwarfs that would do well in a 30 gal system. They inlcude O. mercatoris, O. bocki, O. wolfi, O. diguite, O joubini, etc. However, all of these species are shy and nocturnal. I would not recommed them for an aquarists interested in observing and interacting with the animal they are keeping. The two commonly available species that might just squeeze in, provided that your system is rock stable are O. briareus and A. aculeatus. Both are moderate in size, interactive, and are commercially available.

Roy

Flamingo
I have a bunch if octos fo sale. Everybody said that they are dawrfs, O. mercatoris. Brokc is gonna give them a +id. They should be great in a 30ga. I have mine in a 20ga.
Contact me, they wont be in season for much longer.
Thanks
Dan

Well, i'll post a pic for ID, but I know some of the odd chaacteristics that O. mercatoris have.

I hope they are Mercatoris. I'd like some good photos to compare Einy with.

How big is Einy? Dan's are quarter to half dollar sized, but then again, Einy looks very young.

http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/imgdb/imgsrch3.cfm?ID=136&PhotographerID=&CephID=555&Location=&Keywords=&LowestTaxa=

How big is Einy? Dan's are quarter to half dollar sized, but then again, Einy looks very young.

http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/imgdb/imgsrch3.cfm?ID=136&PhotographerID=&CephID=555&Location=&Keywords=&LowestTaxa=

Einy has the tiny "horn" over each eye, and very long skinny arms, little to no webbing really. Sometimes I am almost certain I see texture on his mantle, between his eyes. It seems the white spots on his mantle raise to form points much like the papilla over his eyes.

http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/imgdb/imgsrch3.cfm?ID=140&PhotographerID=&CephID=555&Location=&Keywords=&LowestTaxa= This looks exactly like him, best I can see.

There are several dwarfs that would do well in a 30 gal system. They inlcude O. mercatoris, O. bocki, O. wolfi, O. diguite, O joubini, etc. However, all of these species are shy and nocturnal. I would not recommed them for an aquarists interested in observing and interacting with the animal they are keeping. The two commonly available species that might just squeeze in, provided that your system is rock stable are O. briareus and A. aculeatus. Both are moderate in size, interactive, and are commercially available.

Roy

Well, I was planning on joubini for a 29 gal. tank. How many could I put in there? If not those, are any of the other species easily kept? And how many of them could I put in a 29 gal tank?

Well, I finally got a new seahorse for my 30 galon macro tank, so if I do get a dwarf i'm using my 10 gallon. There are a few I have my eye on... just need a little more money. I was set on putting one dwarf in my 30 gallon; just worried i'd never see it though.

I still have dawrf O. mercatoris. They would do great in a 30 gallon.

I think Einy would be okay in our 30 gallon with one of our seahorses, but as stated, don't know if you'd ever see him.

I just moved my O. Mercatoris out of the 10 gallon back into the 75 because he never would come out of his shell. Inside the critter keeper I see him watch the fish swim around. So, I would say they do better with some kind of activity going on around them. This is my first octopus experience though, and it could be an individual characteristic of his.

I think Einy would be okay in our 30 gallon with one of our seahorses, but as stated, don't know if you'd ever see him.

I just moved my O. Mercatoris out of the 10 gallon back into the 75 because he never would come out of his shell. Inside the critter keeper I see him watch the fish swim around. So, I would say they do better with some kind of activity going on around them. This is my first octopus experience though, and it could be an individual characteristic of his.

I don't plan on using my 30 gallon for a dwarf octo. It's heavily stocked with macro and live rock- I would never see it. Plus, my new seahorse is a tiger-tail (Hippocampus comes), and I don't want to risk anything with it seeing as they're more sensitive than reidi etc. and I just want a species only tank ATM.

Dan, i'll keep you on my list. I may be getting a joubini, idk. I'm also possibly taking in a small package of dwarf seahorses and dwarf pipefish- so i'll have to see what's going on.

Hey look! Its Flaming! :P
I didn't know you were into octos. :)

Ok, I'm confused. I was told that Mercs got to be softball sized.....now you're all saying quarter to half dollar sized....Is the quarter to half dollar not inluding the tentacles?

Be sure to sterilise your tank.Cephs can be rather prone to vibrio infections. We use bleach in the tank for a fortnight, then neutralise it then we fill with freshwater for a week, then seawater and reseason the tank and plumbing. All nets etc should be treated in the same way (sorry if I'm preaching to the converted but I would hate for a new octopus to pick up a vibrio infection as they are almost impossible to cure). We tend not to put cephs in with our horses but we have a giant species (H. abdominalis and our midget octopus are moderately aggressive, our other octi species gets waaaaay too big 2.5m +!).

Cheers

J

Jean,
What type of antibiotic is safe for the octos?

I keep a small supply of meds for the seahorses (mostly used for quarentine but I have had an occassional scrap to tend to) and have some clue on using them but I haven't seen anything written up for the octos for treating (or attempting to) infection (aside from vibrio which seems to be untreatable in all fish) or skin lessions. I don't think there was anything I could have done for JoeJoe but it did make me think to ask what meds are considered octo safe.

Thanks,

Ok, I'm confused. I was told that Mercs got to be softball sized.....now you're all saying quarter to half dollar sized....Is the quarter to half dollar not inluding the tentacles?

Mantle size of 2cm, that's about the size of a quarter.

Jean,
What type of antibiotic is safe for the octos?

I keep a small supply of meds for the seahorses (mostly used for quarentine but I have had an occassional scrap to tend to) and have some clue on using them but I haven't seen anything written up for the octos for treating (or attempting to) infection (aside from vibrio which seems to be untreatable in all fish) or skin lessions. I don't think there was anything I could have done for JoeJoe but it did make me think to ask what meds are considered octo safe.

Thanks,

Tetracycline. But they go so fast sometimes there just isn't time to save them :cry: I use TCL as a calcite marker (~0.5g/L seawater) for aging. I'm not sure if this would be therapuetic or not.

Cheers

J

Jean,

Do you also use it on the seahorses? I have used Neomycin Sulfate and a topical cream of 1pct silver sulfadiazine but I can't say much positive about the results. I have an Abdoninalis that has what appears to be a sore on her head and would like to try something else.

I've never tried it, we usually use neomycin as it seems to work. We've had some success with topical betadine (good old iodine!!!!!!!!).

Where'd you get your abnominalis???? (I'm guessing it's Southern Aussie as they're not farmed in NZ!)

J

Jean,
We found a US distributer (very small operation) through:
http://www.seahorse-australia.com.au/shop/seahorses/seahorses.html

Frank imports cold water critters (and some warmer water ones) onece or twice a year. We got our first pair in August 2005. They never ate very well and I would isolate them within their tank occassionally to keep them surrounded with food. We lost the male after about a year and a half (not sure why) and the female remains smallish. When we lost our male we ordered 3 more and had to wait for Frank to receive his shipment. These three look a lot more like the robust abdoninalis we expected. I know they considered the bleekeri as separate species and now not but there is a huge difference in the look and size of my newest three and my original and I don't think Gwen is a Brevi.

We swapped tanks around before getting the new ones (original was 4' tall but very narrow) and Gwen seems to be eating much better. We don't know if it was just harder to find food or if the addition of the more robust animals are the reason for her better appetitie. She has always had a rather weak snick but I don't think it has to do with illness or parasites (she has had several dips over time with no permenant positive results).

So far none of them have mated but the males keep strutting and showing off to each other (who needs girls?). One fills his pouch so much that he has a hard time swimming through the live rock and looks like he is trying to carry a beach ball ;>). Cute little guys but I wish I could find more background critters that can take the cold water.

I assume you don't put much in with yours since you mentioned the old fashioned sterilization techniques we used before live rock ;>). Is there a reason boiling/freezing/microwaving can't be used instead of Clorox? I have a very old shell that has been out of the water for a long time that I would like to try in my octo tank but I am not sure what to do to make it safe.

I already sterilize everything to begin with. I bleach everything 1-2 days and rinse out it repeatedly and let it dry. I don't freeze it etc. like mentioned because of the lessons were having in biology- states that even though it may kill most bacteria it doesn't kill all. Gram negative bacteria etc can be harder to kill off, some bacteria strains can lay dormant and will survive being dried, boiled and the like.

I redid my 30 gallon because of what it had- put my new horse in it- but like said I wan't going to use it anyways.

And yes, hi Scuba! I'm very much into cephs :p.