• 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.

blue ring???

Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
3
i just purchased a blue ring octopus....WOW... this thing puts on quite the display. i just got him today and put 3 fiddler crabs in the tank. he instantly went on the hunt and killed all three and ate one... lol. oh well he is in my reef tank..10gal. with many corals i felt that this would be the most familiar enviroment for him... i would like to no a little more about him... if anyone knows... i work for a tropical fish store called Crystal Cove in murrieta ca. and all the books tell nothing of what their care is. only pic.

wb
 
You are aware, I hope, that he has a deadly venom, and if he bites you you might not even have time to call an ambulance. They did tell you that much, didn't they?
 
Go to the articles bar on the top of the page, then go to ceph care by Colin. Most of what you need to know to keep any cephs will be found in his and the other articles. First and foremost, however, is to make sure you protect yourself, your family and your friends. I'm not kidding when I say bluerings are deadly. They produce a neurotoxin that can prevent you from being able to breathe and it can act extremely quickly. You literally might not be able to call for help. There are no anti venoms. Put bricks, or stacks of books or something on top of the tank lid to weight it down.
By the way, no octopus can survive for long in a ten gallon tank, but since bluerings have a short life span, and there's no way to tell how old it was when you got it, it might not make much difference anyway.

Once you have read all of the articles, go to the search button on the next bar down and type in bluerings. There has been a lot said about them in a variety of threads. Pleae....read as much as you can. I wish you had come here and gotten advice before you got the octo, but since you didn't you have an awful lot to learn as quickly as you can.
 
sorseress said:
First and foremost, however, is to make sure you protect yourself, your family and your friends.

Sorseress' advice is all spot-on. The best summary I'm aware of describing the dangers of these animals is Roy Caldwell's overview-- he's a world-class expert on these animals, and is a frequent contributor to the science forums on TONMO as Neogonodactylus:

Death in a Pretty Package: The Blue-Ringed Octopuses - The Cephalopod Page

I consider this required reading to understand nature of these animals' venom. I should clarify that I don't mean to be critical of your decision to keep a venomous animal... the reason I (and Sorseress, I presume) are emphasising the danger is that there are a lot of irresponsible dealers who will sell these animals to people without warning them that the octopus is dangerous, and since you did not mention that in your initial post, it's not obvious whether or not you're aware of the risks.

Also, Sorseress is entirely correct that ten gallons is, as a rule, too small a tank to guarantee the health of even a small octopus. Octopuses and other cephalopods produce much more waste than a similar sized fish, so with that small volume of water, there is a danger of the Octo's waste, or any of the usual tank biology issues, throwing the water parameters out of the safe range extremely quickly. In order to keep your pet safe in that small a tank, you need to monitor your water parameters as often as possible, and be prepared for water changes if they get out of line. Octos are also particularly sensitive to water quality, so if things go south, you'll need to be prepared to act quickly. Unfortunately, this is all somewhat at odds with the venomous nature of your pet; having the tank open for water tests and water changes could put you at risk for being bitten, and particularly if you're doing a water change because there is a serious problem, your octopus may be upset and more likely to bite; when there are water problems, many octopuses are inclined to try to climb out of the tank to escape the bad water, and show signs of being upset.

Make sure to read the articles in the "Ceph Care" section by Nancy and Colin to learn about the particular water quality issues most important to octopuses, and also the techniques to make sure your tank is escape proof.

And, of course, :welcome: to TONMO, to you and your :bluering: friend!
 
well i didnt go in blind i have kept octos and cuttles for many years and where i work im what you can call advanced keeper in that department... but this particular species has facinated me for many years and i am just see how he does first then i will put him in my 30 gal. reef. and yes before i purchased it i did my homework but i thought that i would come to you guys because i can find out anything on here. and i did no about the venom i was aware and thats what makes it interesting... i have been keeping venomous fish for a long time. including the 1200 dollar purple rhinopias. scorpion fish, and the non venemous and one of my favorite mantis shrimp... but i thank you for all the warnings and for directing me in the right way
 
I really wish you had put some of that in your first post! We get kids in here who go to work for a tropical fish store, ( or just go into one) and jump in and buy one of those little beauties without having any experience with any cephs, or any other poisonous animals, and are totally unaware of the risks. When I read your post and you didn't mention your previous experience, all kinds of alarms went off in my head. Unfortunately, there are a lot of fish stores who get octos in and are themselves clueless about how to keep them, have no idea what species they have, haven't read any literature and as a result steer people totally wrong. If you hang around on Tonmo long enough, you will see exactly what I'm talking about. Now that I'm feeling relieved that a family in Ca isn't going to be wiped out by a pretty little octopus....welcome to Tonmo, and let us know what you name him. If you can get pics, please post them. All of us love to see pics or videos of octos and cuttles.:welcome:
 

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