[Octopus]: Rocktopus - first octo, seeking advice

She may have already laid her eggs before being introduced to your tank. Since it lived this long, acclimation does not seem to be the problem but be sure to allow 3 hours of slow water exchange when acquiring one that has been shipped or the LFS water is different from the water in your aquarium. The PH of shipped animals is almost always significantly different.

I suspect you received a senescent animal but when you mention tank parameters, please give the actual numbers for salinity and PH as there is a recommended difference for salinity (lower for fish than for corals and inverts). Also confirm 0 nitrites and ammonia. Either of these not being zero can cause senescent like symptoms and death. Nitrates are less I important for an octopus (not so for many corals).

I think @Jocco meant, avoid star fish but consider serpent/brittle stars (correct me if I misinterpreted, Jocco)
 
We did our last water change just more than a week ago, so I was expecting ordinary conditions, but I just performed another test and here are the specs:
Salinity has been maintained at SG of 1.026
pH was and is around 8.2
Ammonia is between 0 and 0.25 ppm, closer to 0
Nitrates have apparently risen recently and dramatically, to 10ppm.
Nitrites too have spiked to 1.0ppm

This is bad. Obviously we will need to perform a major water change before taking any other steps, but what could've caused such conditions to occur? How can we increase the level of our biofiltration?
 
The ammonia and nitrites are a definite concern (nitrates are fine). While you have an animal in residence, there is no good way to continue to cycle (increase your biofiltration) the tank so frequent water changes are the best way I know of to minimize the negative effects of decaying food and waste. When you lose this one, you can increase your cleanup crew and then over-feed them (I recommend ground grocery store shrimp in small quantities but meaty dry foods will also work). Hermit crabs, serpent or brittle stars (avoiding the green brittles) and pencil urchins will all eat the meaty scraps and can remain in the tank with an octopus (hemits may become supper). This method WILL raise your nitrates (and you still want to do regular water changes). Snails are always welcomed for algae but won't help with cycling.
 

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