New with Questions

chichila8

Hatchling
Registered
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
2
Hi I live in Sydney, Australia. I have kept reef tanks for a number of years and have always been interested in keeping an octopus.

Recently I purchased a tank for an octopus and have begun to cycle it. (it is fully octopus proof)

I have been researching different species in Australia (we can’t import here), and I have come across a huge problem - octopus are very easy to get here but they are all blue rings. I am after a small species as the tank I have purchased is only 90L. There is a small pygmy species here - but they are found in Tasmania which is no where near me.

I often see blue rings for sale in fish shops, and come across them quite often in rock pools around my house. I understand the risks involved, I would prefer an octopus which is non life threatening, but so far finding one has been impossible.

I have done a lot of research but I would love to hear from someone who has kept blue rings so I can ask some questions.

Thanks
 
Welcome Chichila8! 90L (about 24 gallons) is a small tank for a cephalopod of any size. Also, we do recommend against keeping blue rings, certainly a first-time ceph keeper. Try reading through our Exotics and Rare Species forum in the Cephalopod Care section of our forums for some context and information from prior blue ring keepers. Have you considered a larger tank, and perhaps using the 90L tank as a separate feeder tank?

NOTE that I personally am not a ceph keeper, so you may get some other input here from folks far more experienced than me.
 
:welcome: from across the ditch! I don't really know of any small enough sp from round your way that would fit in your tank, it's small even for a blue ring! You do get the Pale octopus (O. pallidus in NSW, but at 35 cm total length it's still going to be too big for your set up. sorry.
 
I live in the US, and while, I don't know anyone who has a blue ringed octopus in their house, I know a lot of people who have guns, and I think the decision to keep a dangerous octopus is similar to the decision to keep a gun in the house. As such, my suggestion is that if you decide to do it, keep it under lock and key, and have a set of conservative procedures for cleaning the tank, feeding, etc. that keep you out of danger. Maybe "never put your hand in the tank" would be a good rule. If kids live in the house, I would advise against it entirely.
Since one escaped octopus would cause my wife to ban an octo tank from the house, I designed a hinged lid that automatically latches when it is closed, and it closes due to gravity, so unless I'm holding it open with my hand, it is necessarily closed and latched (idiot proof). I suggest that you devise such a system, except make it so that it also locks curious people out.
 

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