• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

Back at it again.... maybe

SueAndHerZoo

Wonderpus
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Feb 3, 2011
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Hi all.... nice to be back. I tried getting on here Friday and all day Saturday but kept getting the message that my password wasn't right and it wouldn't let me reset it, either. Thanks, Tony, for getting me back in.

I received an e-mail ad from NY Aquatics yesterday listing his specials and saw that he has an octopus for sale. Of course that caught my eye and I had to check it out. He's calling it an Octopus cyanea, Bali, large, "day" octopus. I wrote and asked him what he meant by "large" and he said each tentacle is about 8" long, with a mantle about 2-3 inches.

I told him that apparently that was too big to put in my 55 gallon so I'd have to see about setting up my 125 if I wanted it, but he said that he has it living in a 40 gallon breeding tank and that it was a good size for him. I also said that I would need some time to turn my tank into an octo tank by making it escape proof, and he said there was no need, that if you keep it happy and fed it won't escape. He says he has it in a 40 gallon with NO top and it has never left the tank.

Obviously I'm not impressed with the poor ceph's current living conditions and I am interested in buying it for myself, but is it reasonable to think I could take proper care of one of these? They get HUGE, right?????

Here is a photo he sent me:
20140113_152358.jpg


Should I? Could I? I'm prepared to go to the beach tomorrow (in 15 degree weather and snow) to catch live crabs in preparation..... should I just stay on the warm couch and forget this silly idea?
Sue
 
Looks like a beauty..... DO IT! :wink:

Oh my word - that's not at ALL what I was expecting! I have spent all day so far convincing myself that this would NOT be a good idea and that I should just make a grown-up, mature decision to NOT take this on. I've been weighing all the pros and cons and the only "pro" I come up with is, "I want it!"

Realistically, (and my biggest con) is, can I really set up a proper environment for this gorgeous creature in just a few days? My 125 has been sitting on it's stand empty for about 6 months so I would have to clean it, fill it with new water, and scavenge as much live rock as I could out of my other tanks, but it would not be 100 pounds. Wouldn't the tank still through a dangerous cycle? I wouldn't use a sand bottom so that I could vacuum un-eaten food and debris easily. And how to filter? The 125 is not drilled so I was using a canister filter ---- that gives the octo an easy way out if he chooses to escape.

Or do I put him in a 46 gallon bowfront for a while while I let a bigger tank cycle for a few weeks? I would easily be able to do weekly water changes in the 46 gallon.

Darn you, Tony.... I was expecting the answer to be "No", you don't want to purchase this octo." The wheels are turning again!
Sue
 
I say go for it- but I don't think that it's O. cyanea. It looks like an A. aculeatus to me. O. cyanea gets really big and has a false eye spot, and it sounds really fishy to me that you could keep cyanea in a small tank w/ no top. Aculeatus are also very diurnal, making the "Day Octopus" a nice name but totally different animals! Check out pics of both kinds before you go check it out. Aculeatus are very happy in 55 gal and are my most favorite kind of octo!

Even if it is cyanea (which I would jump on if I got the chance) you have time to keep it in your bow front and cycle the bigger one while it grows.

I break all the rules and have been using canister filters the entire time I've been octo keeping, you just have to be diligent about cleaning them. Duct tape and ear plug wax are my favorite ways of octo-proofing. Go for it!!!
 
I have been to ny aquitcs and bought 2 of these from him and they wer bolth a aculeatus as well as the other three that he had in stock at the time and he told me they are allways the same and come from the same distributor so im pretty shure that's an aculeatus as well, they are very interesting octos and are often active during the day and can be fairly interactive. on the down side that one looks close to full grown and may only have a few months to live and for some reason is $10 more than he gets for the smaller ones that will live longer.
I will buy another octo from ny aquitcs but ill wait for a smaller one myself
 
Wow, again, not the responses I was expecting. But I think I'm thrilled that you're all pretty much giving me the thumbs up. I think I better get busy setting up tanks!
Sue
 
It's true that if it's an aculeatus that it's big- and therefore on the older side. Then again, the last "old" one I got lasted longer than I hoped, but that was only 2 months. It sucks that they think "bigger is better," as gpx1200 points out, that just means you won't have it as long- not worth more $$ for less time!
 
I agree with sedna. This is likely a full grown adult aculeatus and will likely not live a lot longer. Here is a link to the thread of one of our newest aculeatus, Kobe

As for setting up the 125 for any octopus, a new tank will not support one. An octopus tank needs not only to go through the initial cycle be needs to grow enough bacteria to handle the large amount of waste they create, requiring at least three months of heavy feeding before introducing an animal.

Cyanea would need a tank much larger than your 125. Not only are they large (too large for most home keepers) but they are are active and wander more than some of the even larger animals.
 
id say the 55 is your best option if you do get it don't put it in a new tank, mine spent their adult life in a 72bow front with a lot of rock and had plenty of room to swim.
they never seemed to be willing to even break the surface of the water with their arms never mind escaping but I would not take chances with an open top.
judging by the experiences ive read about others having with other species I think acleatus is the perfect pet octo, but I still want an o,barius
 

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