• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

escaped

squishy1

Blue Ring
Registered
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
46
I got ahold of a small (grape sized) bimac octopus last thursday, and had him in a 15G tall holding tank. The tank was only 1/3 full in hopes of making it more work than it would be worth to escape until I could get the lid all sealed up on it properly. Unfortunately the little guy didn't like something about the tank, and the following day I went through the tank to make sure he was doing ok before I sealed the top and noticed he was gone.

I'm so used to the cuttlefish being content in their glass house I didn't think the octo would try to escape in less than 24 hours. I was reading a couple 'urban myths' about octos in pet stores escaping their tank, crawling over to another tank to get some food, then either making that their new home or going back to their own tank. Is that at all likely?

The octo tank is located in a garage filled with a dozen other aquariums (almost all saltwater), and a few having their sumps on the ground. Is there any likelihood that the little guy might have gotten out, crawled across the floor, and into the sumps of one of my other systems? I looked everywhere I could and didn't find him curled up on the floor. I'm a little worried I'm going to walk into the fish room one day soon and all the fish in one of my tanks will be gone. I'm not as worried about the fish as I am my cuttles.
 
I was reading a couple 'urban myths' about octos in pet stores escaping their tank, crawling over to another tank to get some food, then either making that their new home or going back to their own tank. Is that at all likely?

Its not a myth, its true. It could have very easily happened too you. i would say that octo could be anywhere inside those tanks, but it could also just as easily be dead on the floor.


Rule #1 secure the tank!!
 
I have to go through all my sumps this week anyways to finish up the caulerpa cleanse. I'm hoping to come across the little one during the cleaning.

On a brighter note, the older bimac is doing great. Apparently its much happier in his tank than the smaller one was. The top is secured, but after reading some more threads about them opening lids, even with heavy objects on top of the lid, I'm going to add some more safeguards.

From my best guess this one is about a year old. Couldn't figure out a name until I saw him bolt out of his cichlid stone to catch crab after crab after crab. So i guess his name's Bolt.


 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top