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NeilU

Pygmy Octopus
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Joined
Feb 25, 2019
Messages
14
Location
Long Island, NY
Hello all. I just set up a 40g IM Nuvo Fusion Mini AIO tank for my first octopus. Will run a Comline DOC skimmer. My question. I have a 180g mixed reef DT for several years. I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks on the 180g. Instead of cycling a new tank for 3 months, I'm thinking of taking water from my DT with extra live rock I have and live sand I keep in my sump and move it into the new 40g tank. I keep the salinity in my DT at 1.025 and all other levers are very good. Does this sound like a reasonable option to avoid the 3 month cycle? thank you for your advice.
 
Welcome to TONMO @NeilU, and thanks for joining! I'll let our resident experts weigh in; I'm not sure there are short-cuts to cycling... even with transferred contents you may need some settle time? Let's see what they say. You'll also want to beware of a 40g; depending on the species I've often heard 55g is the floor.
 
Great way to start up a tank but not really a way to short cut the growth of enough bacteria to convert a large predator's waste. Even after you place all the live (water might be better if new, not much advantage to established tank water unless you need to immediately match an environment). you will need to feed the bacteria to grow enough for handling the octo's mess.
 
Yes, I tried this once with live rock from another tank, new sand and half old water, half new. It was some time before the water parameters were good enough for inhabitants.

Nancy
 
If my established mixed 180 DT has a variety of fish, inverts etc, wouldn’t the water live sand and rock I move to the 40g have the bacteria needed for the octopus? Would I still need to cycle for 3 months or a shorter period would be sufficient? Do I sound excited and anxious to acquire my newest family member? Lol
 
We don't have a good test for knowing when a tank is "ready" but putting a small shrimp in the tank and monitoring the ammonia/nitrite as it decays might be a useful method. I have not experimented with this idea but the thought is that you should not ever see ammonia or nitrite if the bacteria has grown enough to handle the decay.
 
We don't have a good test for knowing when a tank is "ready" but putting a small shrimp in the tank and monitoring the ammonia/nitrite as it decays might be a useful method. I have not experimented with this idea but the thought is that you should not ever see ammonia or nitrite if the bacteria has grown enough to handle the decay.

Sounds like a plan to me. thank you
 
65796

Received my first octopus on Friday 5/3. Got her from Liveaquaria. She's from Indonesia. Her DT is a 40g IM Nuvo. Live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Plenty of critters and 3 damsels helped the cycle process. The tank was cycled for just over 2 months. Upon her arrival the water parameters were; temp 78.2, salinity 1.026, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 30ppm & PH 8.3. I removed the damsels and put them in my 180g mixed reef. Acclimated her for almost 3 hours via drip method. I was able to transfer her from the larger bag she arrived in and where I had acclimated her into a smaller bag for an easier transfer into the DT. When I put her bag into the DT she released ink. I immediately pulled the bag and was able to quickly pour out the water. The ink was greyish, not thick at all. I put the bag back in the water and waited patiently for her to come out of the bag. She seemed very content so I used my finger to try and nudge her out. She finally came out of the bag but upon her exit she released some ink again. It quickly dissipated. I immediately put a filter sock over my return and did a 20% water change. The protein skimmer went into overdrive and worked well. We named her "Inky". We saw her twice in the first hour of her release and she's apparently found a very good hiding place in the rock. There's 1 red claw crab, 1 peppermint shrimp along with dozens of hermit crabs and snails in the tank. I don't believe she's eaten. I understand her acclimation period will take some time but I have not seen her since Friday and I'm concerned and anxious. Can I move the rock where I believe she is hiding to make sure she is ok? I certainly don't want to upset her or make her more scared but at the same time I want to be sure everything is ok. Thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Thank you
 
Congrats! Our experts will weigh in, but I can say from many years of reading this forum, our experienced keepers do urge patience as it does take time for them to get situated. The "move in" may have been a bit traumatic but once comfortable with a stable environment, s/he could make a showing. Hopefully you'll see some signs of eating -- it has only been 2 days so probably no need for proactive steps just yet.
 
Inking on acclimation is not very common so she may be especially timid for awhile. Moving the rocks around in her new home may increase her discomfort. Instead of moving the rock. try holding a piece of shrimp (regular, raw grocery) on a feeding stick (bamboo skewers work well) in front of the area where you think she is hiding and see if you get a curious arm swipe (she may not take it because of the other options but may investigate).
 
Inking on acclimation is not very common so she may be especially timid for awhile. Moving the rocks around in her new home may increase her discomfort. Instead of moving the rock. try holding a piece of shrimp (regular, raw grocery) on a feeding stick (bamboo skewers work well) in front of the area where you think she is hiding and see if you get a curious arm swipe (she may not take it because of the other options but may investigate).
I found the area where she’s hiding. Very hard to see but with a dim flashlight I saw her pushing out sand from under the rock. She stayed there for a few minutes and then disappeared under the rock again. I’ll definitely try the shrimp
 
I am suspicious about her choice of hiding places and suggest you watch for eggs.
She came out several times last night for a very short time. We watched from a distance. Only red light on the tank but when she saw us she darted back into her den. We noticed she used her arms to pull larger pieces of crushed shells into her den. Her den is completely hidden. If she lays eggs how will we know?
 
If she does not come out for 2 weeks then you might consider moving a rock but with all the live food, it will be difficult to determine if she has stopped eating (the typical way one suspects brooding).
 

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