Liveaquaria Indonesian Octopus

[jeremyvan]

Hello all,

I'm in the process of octo hunting. I've talked to Tom and am also watching live aquaria. Liveaquria just got a few octos in stock, advertised as "Assorted Indonesian" octopus. Anyone have any experience with what species of octo I could expect from those waters and from live aquaria?

I have a tank that runs about 72-74F so water temperature is my main concern; with my second concern being octosize. I have a 125G. tank, so I dont want a pigmy

Thanks Guys!

Jeremy

 

[SabrinaR]

If you dont want a dwarf then you should order from Tom. Live Aquaria normally sells A. aculeatus or a similar dwarf. A. aculeatus would fit well in a 55 gallon tank so I would say this isnt what you are looking for. Why is the tank kept so cold? Can you not run a heater?

 

[Cephdoc]

Who is the Tom character? What species does he regularly sell?

 

[CaptFish]

Who is the Tom character? What species does he regularly sell?

www.divertom.com

he sells Briareus, Vulgaris and Mercatoris.

 

[jeremyvan]

Thanks! Ill wait for Tom.

Im not running a heater right now because i wasnt sure what species i would get. I guess ill be warming it up soon. What temp is recomended for toms octos?

This is tom from tomscarribean.com. i guess he's a pretty well know resource for buyers.

(Sent from my cell phone, sorry for bad grammar)

 

[CaptFish]

This is tom from tomscaribbean.com. i guess he's a pretty well know resource for buyers.

Yes,
www.divertom.com is better to use, he told me some functions of the website dont work on TomsCaribbean.com. even though to me they look like the same website.

What temp is recomended for toms octos?

I keep my Caribbean species at 78 degrees.

 

[Neogonodactylus]

This time of year, plopping an octopus straight from the Florida Keys into a 78 degree tank could be a bit risky. Water temperatures run several degrees cooler in the winter. This is not just a few hour acclimation issue. The animals are adapted to winter temperature and significant physiological changes need to occur gradually. If you order direct from a collector, it is a good idea to ask what the water temperature is where the animal was collected and a bit about its history - how long has it been in captivity and at what temperature.

As for Abdopus aculeatus, it really isn't a dwarf or pygmy species and in my experience is a great octopus for the aquarium. The major problem with ordering them is that they tend to be collected and shipped as adults and will reproduce and/or scenesce relatively soon after you receive them.

Roy

 

[CaptFish]

Yesterday our water temperature at Molasses Reef was 73*F The coldest I ever saw it was last year when it killed everything then temp was down too 65*F usually the coldest it gets is about 68*F. What would you suggest as an appropriate winter tank temp?

 

[jeremyvan]

Wow this thread has been very helpful!

Ill definitly remember to ask tom about the water temperature down there.

 

[Neogonodactylus]

Given that I don't want to run chillers, we usually aim for 72-73 as a "winter" temperature. This seems to work well for the stomatopods we get from the Keys as well as O. mercatoris.

Roy

 

[SabrinaR]

Wow this thread has been very helpful!

Ill definitly remember to ask tom about the water temperature down there.

TONMO is full of helpful information. We not only have advanced hobbyists but we also have experts like Roy who work with and run labs specializing in octopuses.

Given that I don't want to run chillers, we usually aim for 72-73 as a "winter" temperature. This seems to work well for the stomatopods we get from the Keys as well as O. mercatoris.

Roy

Thank you Roy, we often dont think about there winter clock. I know I never did, but it make sense. Would you recommend keeping them at higher temps if the supplier has kept them at higher temps? Or would you strictly and slowly put them at a lower temp over the course of a few day?

 

[Neogonodactylus]

Given that we don't have data for most species, I would say that you have to use biological (common) sense. If the animal has already been held for several day at a higher temperature than at what it was collected, don't stress it any more by quickly moving it back down. Also, think of the habitat in which it was collected. Lower intertidal species have evolved to tolerate rapid and rather dramatic swings in temperature (and salinity). Subtidal species less so.

Roy

 

[DWhatley]

Roy,
You bring up an interesting thought. I have two captive raised Caribbean O.briareus. What are your thoughts (and lab practices) for seasonality on tank born?

 

[Alexander]

Toms Webpage isnt working at all currently, does anyone know if he has taken it down or if there are temporary technical difficulties?

 

[CaptFish]

Works for me...
http://divertom.com/Home.html