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O. Cyanea vs O. Rubescens

Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
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Can anyone give me some general information on these two octopus? I've heard of O. Rubescens living together in schools during their planktonic stage. Does this carry over into the other stages of their lives? Where can you get Cyanea? Other than a chiller for Rubescens are there any specific needs for either of these species?
 
O. cyanea gets too large for most aquarists to consider keeping one. They are found from Hawaii and French Polynesia to East Africa, are often eaten for food, but rarely are found in the aquarium trade. We have kept a few that we captured as juveniles. Escaping, inking and eventual size were all problems.

Roy
 
I'm not a pro like roy or anything, but from my understanding of Cyanea, your tank is long enough but the other dimensions would make them incredibly cramped...not much wiggle rooom
 
Well if O. Cyanea is out, then I guess it's safe to say O. Vulgaris is a no-go as well? I'll be moving down to the Texas coast soon and if I can't get my hands on O. Cyanea, then I'd like to try my luck at catching O. Vulgaris which is common down there.
 
O. cyanea is not only big- it's a highly mobile animal that would get 'restless' in the aquarium, hence their tendency to escape. I have seen people try to keep them in tanks 1.5m diameter and 2mx1mx1m, and they have gotten out.

But O. rubescens doesn't get as large- and I think Roy has had good success keeping them in a tank about the same size as yours.
 
sulley;156077 said:
what tank would you put the cyanea in???

I am planning on keeping them in my current 250 gallon tank. After Bubbles lives out her life and I can secure the top of the tank I want to get a fairly large animal. I was thinking either O. Cyanea, O. Vulgaris, O Rubescens.
 
I'm worried about the Rubescens' tendency to bite. I want a large animal that I can interact with and not worry about injuring either the animal or myself.
 
I'm worried about the Rubescens' tendency to bite. I want a large animal that I can interact with and not worry about injuring either the animal or myself.

I have a extra feisty octopus right now, and I do have to be extra careful when I am cleaning or interacting, but it adds an extra element of excitment. Even if I knew how evil she was I still would have gotten her. I do think she ill come around eventually, and I bet the same would be true for the Rubescens, Just takes more patience. I say try it out if you can find one!
 
If I do get a Rubescens I'll have to get a really big chiller lol. I really want a larger octopus than commonly found in the trade industry because I find that they are easier to interact with and not get bitten due to the fact that their arms are longer and allow you to stay further from their beaks. lol
 
skywindsurfer;156101 said:
If I do get a Rubescens I'll have to get a really big chiller lol. I really want a larger octopus than commonly found in the trade industry because I find that they are easier to interact with and not get bitten due to the fact that their arms are longer and allow you to stay further from their beaks. lol

Octopus cyanea would go mad in 250 gallons. Yes, you may technically be able to keep a lid on it, but it would probably get so banged up trying to get out it would get skin infections. O. cyanea do bite, and there's a good chance it would try each time the lid gets taken off and an arm near. Plus, realistically you're more likely to find one being sold for sushi than for an aquarium.

Any time you handle any octopus you open yourself up to being bitten. Given most octopus's speed, for animals bigger than pygmies, I don't think longer arms would make anyone significantly less likely to be bitten- there's always a chance. In most species, longer arms can be stronger too and can easily get a good hold on you to pull their mouth to you if they want (also- O. cyanea, O. rubescens and vulgaris have equivalent relative arm lengths).
 
I would LOVE to have some form of sepioteuthis for this tank I have now, but I don't have high hopes for finding them, and I don't want to leave the system empty until that chance happens upon me. So until then I want to try my hand at a large octopus, which is half of the reason why I got this large tank.
 

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