fishmanmike01 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 As you know I have that 18" cube and I am starting to lean toward putting a small octopus in it. What I would like to know is if anybody else has had one and what were your thoughts on it. I have read that they foul the water pretty bad. I will be tying this tank into my existing system and dont want to cause a problem, However I think this would be a great inhabitant for this small tank...and fun too. Please share your experiences and or thoughts. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Another thing is they are escape artists extrodinaire! Make sure you seal the entire top of the aquarium, then tape it down. Make sure there are no holes or gaps it can go through, they can fit through any space as long as their cuttle bone can make it. So a small octopus that you find in the stores could make it through less then a 1/4" hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr S Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hey Mike I researched this alot. I agree with stylaster's comments. I have also seen them in tanks. For my money they are kind of like sea horses. They are cool when you feed them (very active) but after that they don't do alot. They basically crawl into the corner and look like they are dead. Just my two bits. At least a cuttle fish will swim around a bunch more and kind of weird looking. They also seem a little more hardy. I have heard the life span of an octo in captivity is about 6 months if you are lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanmike01 Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 I had concerns with what both of you stated. I was worried it might go through the slots for the overflow. Maby it's not such a good idea.I just kind of want to do something different with this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 they're also incredibly strong for their size, when you seal the tank up, a lot of people use duct tape to make sure they cant push it open, ive watched video of an octo in a small tank actually push the lid open and crawl out, with cinder blocks on top of the lid, thats how strong they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef165 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 they're also incredibly strong for their size' date=' when you seal the tank up, a lot of people use duct tape to make sure they cant push it open, ive watched video of an octo in a small tank actually push the lid open and crawl out, with cinder blocks on top of the lid, thats how strong they are[/quote'] I've herd the same thing, Ya almost need to have a heavy duty hinged lid with a locking mechanism on it. Also for an overflow something with like 1/8 inch hole's or smaller if ya even do an overflow. As cool as it would be to say ya have an Octopus I think there's a reason no one has one and those who have will advise against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 i had 3 bimacs over 2 and a half years. I had them (one at a time, they live less than a year) in a 45 corner hex which was plenty of room. Bimacs are a perfect choice except they require cooler (72-75 degrees) water. I had a 1/10hp chiller on mine. Food also gets expensive unless you can train them to eat dead. a couple emerald crabs a week goes pretty quick. I used some fiddler crabs a few times. The last one I had trained to eat anything, I usually gave it fresh salmon. check www.tonmo.com for ceph stuff, there used to be a breeder in S. Oregon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undrtkr_00 Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 At least a cuttle fish will swim around a bunch more and kind of weird looking. They also seem a little more hardy. I have heard the life span of an octo in captivity is about 6 months if you are lucky. A cuttlefish seems like a cool alternative, though. Anyone know more about these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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