First briareus/octo/tank settup questions...

[sepiolida]

well, after a couple years of talking about it, I'm finally setting up my octo tank. I want to get a briareus as they are a good size and it gets much too hot in the summer for a bimac. I just have a few specific questions/comments, so if you much more experienced people could help me out, that would be great.

I have a 55 acrylic tank, 30 gallon sump, standing protein skimmer. I just have physical filtration in the overflow and carbon, should I get an additional filter?

I had everything set up nicely with many live rocks and shells, but I found out the substrate I have in there (crushed coral) is too rough for an octo. I'm thinking I'll replace it with fine silver sand. How deep should the sandbed be for a briareus? are they diggers?

The tank was a reef for about two years, but I've moved all my corals and fish into another tank to prepare for an octo, and all the parameters have been stable so I'm feeling pretty good about that. There's one little damsel in there that's refused to swim into the trap for two weeks, but I think I can catch him when I take everything out to change the sand.

I think it's off season for a briareus, as the babies are around in summer, but just for kicks, does anyone know of a source near Seattle, WA? I asked at my local fishstore and the guy gave me a very condescending look and told me they don't order them because they're very hard to care for and prone to escaping. Thanks, dude.

I sealed the two openings at the top of the tank with mini screen windows from home depot, velcro and bricks, and will duct tape around the back part where the wires come in, but what's the best way to seal an overflow? I have extra screen door mesh, but I can't figure out how to put it on there without any holes around the top.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. Thanks in advance!

-Julie

[DHyslop]

Don't plan to get any octo locally--most LFS will have some octos on their distributor's lists, but they will be foreign collected and species unknown. Mail order is your best bet. It seems to me people were getting some briareus in the late spring of this year.

What temperature does the tank run in the summer? Keep in mind you can cool it down quite (perhaps up to five degrees) with a fan over the sump. Seattle isn't the worst place in America to try and keep a bimac in the summertime!

Dan

[Indiana OCHO]

pantyhose is my favorite way to close things off. Just cut them down the side and use electrical tape to secure them. Since the streach you can use them around those difficult spots. Good Luck.