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Thinking about getting an octopus

Are there any requirements for the hummelinincki? I also need to know what temperature range suits them. I alsO have a question about oxygen levels, I don't get the oxygen thing that much, would an air pump for a bubbly treasure chest work, or do I need something fancy?
 
You want to make sure that the water in your tank comes into physical contact with room air over a large surface area. In most tanks, that is done by keeping the top of the tank open to the air in the room, and making sure that the water in the tank circulates such that the water that is in contact with the air, is constantly replaced by water from lower in the tank. A large sump, with lots of surface area, is another way to go (since you will probably want to cover the octopus tank to prevent escape, which will also prevent fresh air from coming into contact with the water surface in the tank). If you rely on the surface area of your sump, be sure that fresh room air can circulate over the top of your sump (i.e.: don't enclose your sump in a stand unless the stand is well ventilated. It has been found that skimmers don't oxygenate water very much despite all the bubbles they produce. I've read that an air pump making bubbles works mostly by disturbing the surface of the water, and not so much because of the air coming out of the pump, and also that free bubbles, especially tiny bubbles in the water can collect inside the octopus's mantle, and cause health problems, so many of us avoid blowing bubbles into the tank, just in case that's true. I use a wet/dry trickle filter for filtration, which is designed to provide a massive amount of surface area between water and air, which supplies a lot of oxygen for the aerobic bacteria that it houses, and as a side effect, maximizes the amount of oxygen in the water for the octopus.

Even if the bubbles from a bubbly treasure chest don't hurt an octopus, it could sustain an eye injury from constantly rolling it's eyes in response to the bad taste exhibited by the choice of a bubbly treasure chest, so I would recommend against that. :roll:
 
Wafflez777;194300 said:
Thanks Joe, I also would like to know the temperature range for the tank.
For temp range, I like to find out what the average surface water temperature is for each month of the year, where the octopus species is found wild. That will give you the natural temperature range for that animal. It's probably a bad idea to set your tank temp at the top or bottom of that range, since these temperatures are natural extremes, that are never endured for more than a month or so in the wild. For example, I keep a bimac from San Diego, where the average temp in Feb is 57, and in Aug is 68 (F), so I keep my tank at 60. The mid-point of the range would be 62.5, but I think a little cooler will slow down metabolism, and extend an octopus's life span, without being "too cold". The average monthly water temp along the south coast of Haiti (O. Hummelincki country) ranges between about 79 and 84 (F) during the year, so a tank temp of about 80-82 is probably about right for that species.
 

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