Echinoderms with octopus?

[brett]

I would really like to know if i can keep any starfish or urchins with my octo? I'd like to know for a lot of reasons most notably becasue they would do a good clean up of missed food and add a cool aspect to the tank... thanks for your input

 

[Cephkid]

Someone named Scott Greene had an octo that got high on a chocolate chip starfish:
"One of my octopuses used to get intoxicated (I really think so!) on a Chocolate Chip starfish. He would casually approach, purposefully insert a few tentacles into the central disc, and gradually turn a really ghastly color. I pulled him off thinking he was dead the first time, and it took about two hours before he could move again and regain color. I had not told my wife I had seen this, and several days later she suddenly screamed out to me "The octopus just killed himself!" She had observed the same thing, and felt he did it intentionally. So I filmed him this time as he was curled up in a stiff ball, stuck to the starfish, for quite a while, then VERY slowly inched over to his barnacle, half dead and dangling from it for several hours before regaining color. After I had seen this about four times, I removed the starfish. The octopus was stupid, or an addict."


Gabe

 

[Nancy]

I had a pencil urchin with my bimac last year, and they got along fine. But, as the urchin grew, he began to eat more and more of my coralline algae. I later learned that you need a much larger reef tank (200 gallons) in order for them not to eat a serious percentage of your coralline algae.

Would like to hear others' experiences with octo companions.

Nancy

 

[Jean]

We keep very large stars and urchins in with ours. The Giant Seven Armed Star ( Astrostole scabra .......I think!) and the Common Sea Urchin or Kina ( Evechinus chloroticus ) We've never had any trouble with either!

J

 

[brett]

thanks guys! any experiences with a brittle star or serpent star?

 

[Colin]

Serpent stars area problem with small octopuses as they are boistrous enough to steal food off them... I removed an 8 inch serpent from a 4" octo's tank for that reason.

Go for the smaller species to start with

 

[brett]

thanks alot, will do...

 

[Jean]

Serpent stars area problem with small octopuses as they are boistrous enough to steal food off them... I removed an 8 inch serpent from a 4" octo's tank for that reason.

Go for the smaller species to start with

The other way round the octi can do a lot of damage to the brittle stars arms .....even a relatively large serpent star can suffer a fair amoount of damage


J

 

[Colin]

yeah very true Jean, I am biased though LOL

 

[Andy Lister]

Sunstars seem to be pretty toxic to cephs

 

[Jean]

yeah very true Jean, I am biased though LOL

Me too really but when you are dealing with public displays EVERYTHING must look nice...........nature and all that kinda stuff plays no part!


sorry just had a group where all the adults thought Plasma our octi was "gross" and "evil" cos he ate a live crab I'm very proud of myself though I didn't run them back to the bus calling them philistines I just took a deep breathe an explained about octis (the children....all under 5.... thought Plasma was cool though.......they can come back so long as they leave their parents at home!!)


J

 

[Cephkid]

Nice self control!!!!!! I would probably either said how the crab was both those adjectives, while theocto is neither, or had them meet mr......ARCHITEUTHIS! HAhaHAhaHAhaHAhaHAhaHAhaHAhaHAhaHA!

 

[Colin]

When i was doing zoo work the policy was to wait until closing time until we fed the snakes and caimans etc... some people just cant handle seeing cute like mouses with their wee twitching noses and funny little hands sent in to certain death...

 

[Jean]

When i was doing zoo work the policy was to wait until closing time until we fed the snakes and caimans etc... some people just cant handle seeing cute like mouses with their wee twitching noses and funny little hands sent in to certain death...

Yeah i've heard other places doing that.....but we advertise feeding as an attraction! Also the octi has no real set feeding time. Crabs are available all the time for him, he suits himself when he eats. We used to feed only at set times unfortunately when the octi got hungry he'd go exploring and help himself (on one memorable occasion the octi ate 4 of our large spider crabs Jacquinotia spp. Not good these come from deep water and cost NZ$100's each to collect!!!!!).


After the group with the grossed out parents we had another couple of groups who though he was "OK" (teenagers and therefore way too cool to show excitement over a mere animal!). In my attempts to gain their enthusiasm I now have laryngitis and can't talk above a whisper (sympathy please!!!!!) Still no teaching till Sunday (It's friday here!!!)

Cheers
J