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32 cube?

Kungtao

Hatchling
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2020
Messages
3
Location
Ohio
Okay, so I am really thinking of entering the octopus arena. I am currently running a 32 gallon bio cube, but am down to two fish. I have plenty of rock and a little bit of soft coral. I know that an octo requires a good stable system. I have that. The two fish would need rehomed, and that's okay. I could probably even remove the corals, if necessary. There is plenty of live rock and the skimmer/filtration is on point.

Is there any species that could be ethically kept in a tank this small? I don't want to do it the wrong way.
 
I am also aware that I don't have time to get a tank up and cycled in time to get one before the Nov - March window to get an animal. So, it's either now or I plan a better system for next fall (which is better than never)
 
Hi @Kungtao - thanks for joining! I hope you'll get some help from experts - 32g is pretty small but there have been some successes with smaller species.... it can be very hard to get a confirmed species, however... many LFS and online providers will not specify species, or get it wrong. Here are some threads from over the years which you may find helpful as it relates to O. joubini:
 
Hello @Kungtao, welcome to TONMO!

An octopus the size of a joubini would be just fine in a 32 gallon tank. I am guessing you have this tank here?

This tank looks okay for an octopus. It's not perfect but if it is well established it would probably be okay depending on how regularly you clean your tank. The only thing I would be worried about is dealing with an inking event. Generally a protein skimmer is the best way to remove ink from your system, but if you have a very fine mesh net and you can catch the ink quickly you can prevent it from dispersing in your system. Inking events shouldn't be a huge concern for you, especially if you are careful and move slowly around the tank to prevent spooking you animal.

One way to see how well your system will be able to handle an octopus, is to kill 3-4 small crabs and leave them in your tank for 2-3 days. Measure the nitrogen levels over the next few days and if the dead crabs have no impact on your nitrogen levels, then the tank should be able to handle and octopus and its waste no problem.

I haven't ordered any animals from SaltyBottomReefCompany so I can't comment on their octopus quality.

Please let me know if you have further questions, I'd be happy to help!
 
Welcome @Kungtao! A 32 gallon cube should be just fine for a dwarf species. I love @pkilian’s advice about trying out the crabs to see how your system works. There are several different add-ons that can be used in the rear filter chambers- so if it doesn’t work initially there may be ways to improve it (I don’t know how you’ve got yours set up- so I’m just throwing out ideas).

I also have a cube (29 gallon Oceanic) and my biggest concern would be how to secure it so an octopus can’t get into those rear chambers... Do you have the original lid, or do you have a custom top? We ended up getting a new lid made for ours, so I know there are lots of options for that!

Ive done business with Salty Bottom Reef, and had great experiences with them! I can also highly recommend KPAQUATICS.com
 

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