New Octopus owner! :)

New OctoDad

Cuttlefish
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Jan 15, 2012
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17
I am getting a new octopus soon, and I was wondering how to keep it in it's tank? What type of lid do you need? My Octopus is a Carribean Reef octopus.
I want to be able to have the filter in the tank, and don't know what kind of lid/filter to use. I'm hoping to find one that isn't too expensive. They need a heater, don't they? And how do you avoid having them climb into the filter or pull the heater down?
What kinds of toys do they need?
 
Hi and welcome, It wont be too long and a couple of members with a lot more experience than me will be giving you plenty of help. Meanwhile there is a lot of reading that you can browse through explaining the do's and don'ts under the titles ... Octopus care or Tank Talk. I'm sure you will find some of the answers you are seeking.
 
My wife has a marine tank, and I had to do some talking to get her to let me buy this octopus. :smile: She hates the idea of an escape and having it crawling across our floor. Had to promise I'll keep his tank away from her tank! She saw a picture of baby cuttlefish here though, and thought they were really cute!
I was reading through some of the threads here last night, and was amazed at the wonderful amount of information. Still haven't found anything about the tank lid yet, though. :frown: I called a store that I generally take advice from-they said they've kept octopus before, and that it's easiest if you sink a large container covered in fishnet inside a larger aquarium, then there's no chance of it escaping
 
:welcome: to TONMO



For a Lids on all my tanks i just have a piece of clear acrylic that is cut to the size of the lid, and the with little cut outs where cords and plumbing enter the tank.

Most of the octopus kept in aquariums require a heater to maintain a temp of between 72*F - 78*F

What size is the tank? What kind of filter does the tank have now?
 
The tank is a 30 gallon one, and it has a BioSystem55 power filter on it. My wife likes the extra strength of a somewhat sronger filter on a tank. I was thinking of asking my wife(maybe begging's a better word) to let me put a large container in her 200 gallon tank for him while I am getting his tank top all ready. Have to find somewhere I can get a piece of acrylic-or do any of you use a glass canopy for them? I am really hoping that she ends up liking him, and later letting me get a bigger octopus. and a bigger tank.
There is nothing in the tank right now except a few pieces of live rock, live sand and a couple damsels that I used to cycle the tank. The damsels will go into my wife's tank when the octopus is here.

I don't know if the tank's really big enough for a sump.

Oh, and thanks for the welcome. I'm excited to be here.
 
New OctoDad,
We have a problem. If this is a Common Caribbean Octopus (let us know more about the animal if you can, especially where it is coming from and where it originated and photos if available - very often the vendors are incorrect in species ID). A 30 is about half the size of a needed aquarium for this animal. Look at the List of Our Octopuses 2011 and 2010 for the species name O. briareus (the animals name is a link to the thread).

Members will keep an animal in a smaller container for a week or so to be sure they are eating (sometimes a little longer if the animal is very very young) and often LSF's keep them that way for containment before purchase but you cannot keep one in a tiny space for its entire captive life or the life will be unnaturally shortened and miserable. O. briareus will have a 3-5 foot arm span as an adult and the tank needs to accomodate it. Additionally, you will not be able to maintain water quality in a 30 even for a young animal.

To help acclimate your spouse to the idea of these wonderful creatures, browse some of the longer journals and photos and send her some links. Many of our keepers (including me) are female :wink:
 
I'll see if I can find out more about it. And get pics if I can. it is pretty much solid red in color.
I don't know why she thinks they're so nasty looking. I think they're neat.
I hope he's not going to get too big for the tank I have! All I can do is ask the person who has it if I can get some pics to post here. I was told it's a carribean reef octopus. I guess if worse comes to worse I'll just have to get a bigger tank. That won't make my wife any happier about it!
 
If it is solid red with arms 2-2.5 times the mantle length and comes from the Caribbean, it will likely be the nocturnal dwarf (that ratio is likely to be dwarf, even if not Caribbean), Octopus mercatoris. If the arms are about 5 times the mantle length then it may be O. briareus (the "Common Caribbean Octopus"). There are a couple of other Caribbean options as well (keep in mind it may not even be Caribbean but my quick SWAG is O. mercatoris which will be fine in a 30). A photo would be helpful but just knowing mantle to arm ratio would be a start.

I have started (barely) a new sticky in the Tank Talk forum entitled HOW TO ... and will try to add thread links as I remember and find them to help with some of the questions.
 
In the only pic I have seen of him, his head is solid red fading to white arms. The arms do appear to be about twice the length of his head/mantle. He's about 10-12 inches long
 
If he is a foot long, he is not a dwarf (assuming you are using the mantle length (the body but often mistaken for the head) and the length of ONE arm, if you are using a length of TWO arms, arm tip to arm tip then it could be an adult merc with very little time left). O. briareus does have, as one of its color morphs, a redish/peach appearance but without photo, there is no good way to guess (and then sometimes it is difficult).

I have singled out a few tank builds to give some ideas and put links to them in the Tank Buildouts sticky.

An alternate that some use for a top is to make a screen top using a non-metal window screen, spline and window screen hardware. With care, this can be configured around filters. Securing it is a difficulty and usually duct tape and velcro are used. You will have difficulty making a cascade filter octo proof. If you can put a fingers into the tank, the octopus can exit.

One of the arrangements I have found to best deter escape is building a fixed surrounding edge around the aquarium top with feeding access in the middle (here is a larger example to get the idea, many acrylics are built this way). Lowering the water level to 2" below the full point will also help.
 
Yep, it was including the mantle length. Either way it doesn't matter now. The person just told me he sold it even though he was going to sell it to me as soon as I had the lid on the tank.
Sooo, guess I'll have to look elsewhere now.
 

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