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3mm overflow teeth escapable?

john135

Pygmy Octopus
Registered
Joined
Nov 2, 2016
Messages
9
Location
canada
i'm new to this and decided to turn my already established live rock only aquarium into a octopus tank however knowing how they're escape artists i was wondering if i need to put a mesh behind my overflow teeth to prevent it from going through if my overflow teeth are 3mm wide?

also if there's anything else i should know about it's habitat requirements please let me know!
 
Weirs can be an exit point for small or young octos (larger animals are not usually a concern). I typically use a very course sponge instead of a screen (I think the one I have for my 65 was part of an air conditioning filter, so not a normal aquarium sponge). The sponge needs to be placed so that it does not block the flow and will need cleaning regularly (as would screen). Here, Home Depot carries something similar to what I use as a gutter leaf guard (GUTTERSTUFF 5 in. x 48 in. K-Style Foam Gutter Filter-GS-K5 SPAN - The Home Depot).

One reason the weir is an attractive nuisance is its total darkness. Depending upon your setup, placing a light so that it shines inside the overflow area but not inside the tank (particularly helpful with all in ones where the whole filter are is a dark attraction) seems to be helpful as well.

EDIT: Gutterstuff contains a germicide and should not be used in an aquarium
 
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The sponge must be coarse enough to allow water to flow through at a rate that keeps up with the pump. You will have to clean it often to prevent detritus from building up in the sponge and blocking the water flow.
 
Weirs can be an exit point for small or young octos (larger animals are not usually a concern). I typically use a very course sponge instead of a screen (I think the one I have for my 65 was part of an air conditioning filter, so not a normal aquarium sponge). The sponge needs to be placed so that it does not block the flow and will need cleaning regularly (as would screen). Here, Home Depot carries something similar to what I use as a gutter leaf guard (GUTTERSTUFF 5 in. x 48 in. K-Style Foam Gutter Filter-GS-K5 SPAN - The Home Depot).

One reason the weir is an attractive nuisance is its total darkness. Depending upon your setup, placing a light so that it shines inside the overflow area but not inside the tank (particularly helpful with all in ones where the whole filter are is a dark attraction) seems to be helpful as well.

I picked up some Gutterstuff from Home Depot, but I notice that it has a germicide... should that be a deal-breaker?
 

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