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need advice on starting out

cuttlechris

Wonderpus
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Mar 13, 2008
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Ok so this is my first post so i'll just say hey to everyone. hey... so i'm considering cephalopod husbandry. I have a 45 gallon tall with a 200gph biowheel filter with no skimmer and a snowflake eel(that's it) argonite sand almost 3 inches deep. I know the bare essentials like the neccessity of a skimmer, sump ect. but is a 45 gal tall an ok tank size for say a bimac or what ever i may find in the dallas ft worth area?Are octo's easier than cuttles? How much can an octo cost and will live in captivity? I'm looking into the remora pro for a skimmer and creating my own sump. I'd like to have an octo within a year, i figured that sounded reasonable. tips? advice? anything?
 
45 gallons is a little small for an octo. 55 gallons is recommended for a bimac. but for a bimac you will also need a chiller. for a 45 gallon i would recommend a hummelincki octopus. but if it's possible you should get a 75g and then you can get a briareus. take the snowflake out. he may fight with your octo or octo may eat him. moray eels are predators to octos. octos can be expensive to feed. search through the threads on tonmo for other info. this question is asked a lot. and welcome to tonmo!!!!!
 
:welcome: Since you're adding your own sump, you'll probably want to make it as big as you can: one of the main issues with octos and tank size is that they need a lot of water volume and extra filtration compared to other animals their size. I second that hummelincki would be about the best choice, although they've only been showing up recently, they seem to be able to handle slightly smaller tanks than bimacs and briareus, but still are outgoing, diurnal, and interactive. Also, make sure to read up on escape-proofing the tank while you're doing the modifications. And if you haven't yet, make sure to look at the ARTICLES button at the top of the page for some overviews.
 
Planning out your tank and researching over the next year is a good plan to start with.

Really a bio-wheel filter isn't going to be much good for anything other than running carbon. It's hard to octo-proof a hang on filter, and you're going to need a filter that's made for a tank 3 times the size of your tank. You're really going to want that sump and a quality skimmer. You probably won't find a Bimac anywhere around the DFW area. Dallas North Aquarium gets octos in occasionally, Rift To Reef in Lewisville had an octo not long ago. Some other stores might be willing to order you one, no telling what you might get though. Really I find it easier to order one online, although it is nice to be able to see it before you buy it so you don't end up with an old dying or otherwise unhealthy octopus. Cuttles probably are a tad bit easier considering they won't climb out of a tank, so no octo-proofing the tank is necessary, although they can injure themselves bumping into things if startled which can lead to infections, exposure of their cuttle bone, death.

I would recommend a tank with a larger footprint, so either the octopus will have more of a horizontal plane to crawl around, or the cuttle will have more room to swim without more risk of bumping into the sides of the tank. Also, just FYI, but that eel will not be compatible. Octopus is eels favorite food. Really to get the most out of a ceph it should be housed alone.

If you're not already a member, or at least aware, you should check out www.dfwmas.org and that will help you close in on what's available in the dfw area. Several stores post their shipment inventory in the forums, and you can find good deals on used equipment from other members, like live rock for $2 or $3 per pound, or even complete tank setups for real cheap if you decide to go with a larger tank. Most of the members are friendly, helpful, honest, and experienced.
 
Wow that was very helpful thanks to all for your insight. I'll register at dfwmas and consider a new tank upgrade. I knew the snowflake and an octo were a no no and my uncle really likes the snowflake so i might consider upsizing. Just kinda sucks that the bare minimum for ceph care is top of the line. lol
 
cuttlechris;112799 said:
Just kinda sucks that the bare minimum for ceph care is top of the line. lol

Yes, but it is very much worth it!

Actually I wouldn't call my setup "top of the line". For my 75 gallon I have a skimmer rated for 120 gallons and a large HOB refugium packed full of chaetomorpha that I prune occasionally, and a lot of macro in the tank I prune even more often. Then 25% water changes monthly. It's a decent setup for my budget. I'm definitely going to improve on my setup when I switch to a drilled tank though.
 
i'm unfortunately still reading into the benefits of the refugium and what ever can grow in it. What is chaetomorpha and macro? I'm assuming it's something that helps remove organic molecules? Like i said i'm still reeding in the diy thread onn sumps ect. I'm currently waiting a confi email so i can start posting on dfwmas. so if i upsize what type and how many gallons should i go for?
 
i would go with a 75g. then you can get a briareus which are very personable octos. have you kept a saltwater tank before? you want really good filtration and a good protein skimmer.
 
Yup, what Jean said. The macro algae's absorb nutrients from the water. The downside is that the particular macro I have in the display is a strain of caulerpa (commonly called feather caulerpa). It grows VERY fast and will take over if not taken care of on a regular basis, and once it gets to a certain point it dies off and releases EVERYTHING it has absorbed back into the tank making a potentially toxic soup. It's actually illegal in some states because of problems it has caused in certain coastal areas. Very invasive. I don't recommend it and if I could go back and do it over again, I would have never put it in any of my tanks. Chaetomorpha on the other hand doesn't do this, and just grows and grows to a point where it almost blocks off the water flow.

So basically a well setup refugium will absorb a lot of excess junk out of the water and holds it there for you to remove. Just take some out, and let the remains regrow. It also provides a place where predatory animals can't touch the beneficial creatures that might otherwise be eaten in the display. At any given moment I can see dozens of pods and mysis shrimp roaming freely, and these make great food for baby cephs or finicky fish.

Some people prefer other methods like using wet/dry filters or canister filters.
 
75 gallons would be ideal for just about anything except an O. vulgaris. Even for the smaller octos, the amount of water that large of a tank will hold will dilute any potentially problematic garbage in the water like ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, etc. A 50-55 gallon will suffice though. Honestly I'm second guessing the 75 gallons being big enough for a full grown O. briareus. If my briareus reaches her maximum potential size, she will be able to touch both sides of the tank from the center. That seems small to me, but we shall see how it goes.
 
Animal Mother;112828 said:
75 gallons would be ideal for just about anything except an O. vulgaris. Even for the smaller octos, the amount of water that large of a tank will hold will dilute any potentially problematic garbage in the water like ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, etc. A 50-55 gallon will suffice though. Honestly I'm second guessing the 75 gallons being big enough for a full grown O. briareus. If my briareus reaches her maximum potential size, she will be able to touch both sides of the tank from the center. That seems small to me, but we shall see how it goes.

I was thinking the same thing Olorin is getting rather large,if he gets much bigger the tank will seem small.Although I haven't had any water quality problems yet.
 
This was my first salt tank quite new to the hobby, chem major so i've read on the basic chem process like nitrification and alkalinity, but when it comes to the function of "pods" and other microorganisms i proably don't know. I know i've got some reading to do... so i guess im going to start a project 75 or 100 gallon....
 

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