• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

octoproofing a tank

cfsindorf

Hatchling
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Apr 20, 2010
Messages
3
Done much reading here and lots of great information. What I am looking for is what you did for over flow and return to keep all 8 arms safe and inside your tank.

I am going to have a tank built just for a couple and do not know what to do to keep them contained. I have lots of ideas but why reinvent the wheel if Ido not have to. I do not know what species I will get yet but would like to have 2 in a tank. Tank size will be determined at time I decide on species.

To could you post pics or describe real well what you did?

If price was no option I would have a single blue ring as they are my favorite but........


Thanks

Craig
DFW
 
HI :welcome: to TONMO

To octo proof my tank I filled my overflow with Bioball so the octo physically cant get in there and the return I used plastic mesh called "Gutter Guard" available at Lowes and Home Depot or similar home hardware stores. and to seal the lid i got a piece of 1/2 plexiglass and cut it to fit.

If you are going to have two in a tank then the only species you can get are Mercatoris, or dwarf octopus species. All the other species are highly cannibalistic and short of a HUGE aquarium it is impossible to keep more than one in a tank. A pair of Merc work best in an aquarium of 20-40 gallons, if the tank is too big you will never see them. Also Merc are strictly nocturnal animals.

We also try to discourage buying Bluerings for two reason one they are deadly and two their numbers are unknown in the wild so we consider them to be endangered. However if you did get one we would will still help you care for it. More info on them can be found in our Rare and exotic species section


I suggest getting your hands on the Book "Cephalodops: Octopus and cuttlefish for the home aquarium" By Nancy and Colin two TONMO staff members. which can be found here at Amazon
 
Craig,
Visit the Tank Talk thread and you will see a bunch of ideas for sealing the tank. Keep in mind that you will not just has one octo over time. To keep an octo tank means you will be getting a new animal once or twice a year. Not something we like but that is their natural life span and we have not been able to extend it. Understanding this is the case, designing a tank for the largest that are commonly kept is recommended if you are flexible with gallonage. Anything 65+ will accomodate any of the species that are commonly kept. Allowing the water to be 2" or better below the top is very helpful in your octopus planning. I have also found that a 2" or better lip around the top works as a good escape deterent.

As CaptFish mentions, a 65 gallon is too large for a dwarf species but anything designed for a dwarf is way too small for anything else. Several of us keep a second tank for the noctural mercatoris. I would actually recommend an even smaller tank (15-20 gallon with skimmer and heavy water changes)They are a different experience than other octopuses and you never know if you will ever see them or not. I have had one little guy that came out promptly at 11:00 PM and started looking for me but Sisturus was unusual. My current little girl never leaves her den but is always visible and will reach out with an arm at us. I am not sure what she is asking for but it is different. It is possible to raise multiple generations and I have enjoyed keeping them but as a secondary tank animal.

If you will look at the Journals and Photos forum, there are stickies at the top entitled List of Our Octopuses 2008, 2009 and 2010. The species and animal name are listed and linked to the journals to give you a vicarious view of some of the animals we keep.
 
CaptFish;154112 said:
HI :welcome: to TONMO

To octo proof my tank I filled my overflow with Bioball so the octo physically cant get in there and the return I used plastic mesh called "Gutter Guard" available at Lowes and Home Depot or similar home hardware stores. and to seal the lid i got a piece of 1/2 plexiglass and cut it to fit.

So you put a bio ball in the tube and gutter guard over the over flow or you filled the overflow basket with bio balls?
 

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