• 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.

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Julia777

Hatchling
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Mar 26, 2014
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I'm about to buy a 65-70g tank next week to prepare for an octopus in 4-6 months. I'm a total novice at octo keeping but I've been reading pretty non stop about it for about two weeks.

Two questions (for now):

Will that size tank be big enough for a vulgaris or briareus? (My LFS guy said it would be).

And I would really like a colorful aquarium. Do you have any suggestions for live rocks or coral with bright and vibrant colors? No anemones and sponges, right?

Thanks in advance!
 
:cuttlehi: Julia,

A 65-70 rectangle (vs cube) with a 20-30 gallon sump is a nice size for O. briareus but O. vulgaris can be a challenge. Caribbean vulgaris are typically smaller than their Mediterranean cousins but are still heaftier than O. briareus (with roughly the same or even slightly shorter arm span). I have kept an O. vulgaris in a 65 with a 35 sump and was lucky that LittleBit did not outgrow her tank. I did have an alternative if she was more typically sized but never had to octo-proof the 140 for her. Linda's, El Diablo, on the other hand needed a much larger environment.

Sorry but if you want a brightly colored tank, then an octopus won't be your creature for this tank. You are pretty much confined to a species only tank and very few other animals. Most clean-up crews are either quite dull (in coloration, not necessarily in activity) and other critters can either harm the octopus or visa versa. I don't find my tanks boring even without an octo in residence but most marine enthusiasts are not fond to the "pile of rocks" style that decorate my rooms. Here is a list of tankmates CaptFish and I put together as suggestions. Note the article at the top of the thread of animals that did not work.

If you have your heart set on a ceph, have a look at cuttlefish. They can tolerate a wider variety of animal life (not fish, but corals), are somewhat easier to keep, can be grown from eggs so you will have a longer period of time with them (octopuses, for all intents and purposes are wild caught and half grown when they arrive at best) and there is a possibility of mating a pair to propagate an additional generation. Feeding new hatchlings gets quite expensive but once they accept frozen foods, the cost is similar to keeping an octopus. You still have to take care with what corals you can have but since most swim instead of crawling, you have more color options.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely get an octo eventually. Maybe I'll wait a little longer so I can get used to the bigger tank and enjoy a little color for a while. But I am excited to get my hands on one of the little guys. :smile:
 

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