Hello from Chicago

[ReefTeacher]

Hi everybody!

Joined TONMO recently as I've begun to explore cephs more and more. I am a high school science teacher in Chicago, and love to use aquatic systems for engagement and learning in the classroom. In addition to teaching, I've also owned a coral reef aquarium design and management company for almost 20 years. Most of the aquatic systems I use in the classroom are saltwater, and I use those systems for teaching, but also to try to develop and test new reef management concepts.

I had an octopus in the classroom last year that did pretty well. I never keyed out the species, but it came in as one of the cheaper Pacific browns. It was pretty shy, so we didn't see it often. But it definitely ate a lot. That one went home for the summer with another reef keeper teacher, and she told me it just recently died...so, it lived at least a year and 3 months (no idea how it was when I got it, but it was pretty small).

Now I've got a couple of systems (connected) going in the classroom, and want to get some cephs for them. One is a 50g reef, and the other is a 30g lagoon (the lagoon tank is the 'filter' for the reef). I think the lagoon would be great for cuttlefish hatched from eggs, and the reef would be good for O. briareus , at least while its small. My hope with both cuttlefish and the octopus is to use them in my physics classes as we study motion, fluid dynamics, light (chromatophores), etc.

In my brief time here, I can see that there is a lot of experience and knowledge, and I'm eager to learn as much as I possibly can from this amazing community.

 

[user 14033]

Sounds like you know what your doing. Welcome to the site.

As for the connected system. What is the overturn rate on the filtration?

 

[ReefTeacher]

Sounds like you know what your doing. Welcome to the site.

As for the connected system. What is the overturn rate on the filtration?

Probably 250-300gph

 

[user 14033]

Probably 250-300gph

I recommend that you get a bigger pump if you want to do multiple cephalopods. Your systems filtration at minimum should overturn the water volume around 4 times. So try to get a more powerful pump before getting the cuttles and octopus. 320 gph and up. Also do you have a protein skimmer? That is a must.
If you only did one of the cephs then you might be ok.

 

[ReefTeacher]

I recommend that you get a bigger pump if you want to do multiple cephalopods. Your systems filtration at minimum should overturn the water volume around 4 times. So try to get a more powerful pump before getting the cuttles and octopus. 320 gph and up. Also do you have a protein skimmer? That is a must.
If you only did one of the cephs then you might be ok.

No skimmer. I am using skimmers less and less over the years.

 

[user 14033]

No skimmer. I am using skimmers less and less over the years.

With the little dwarf octopus species, you can get away without one, (O. mercatoris, O. bocki) but you absolutely need one for your larger species and cuttlefish. (Abdopus aculeatus, O. Briareus, O. Bimaculoides, Sepia bandensis)Not only for the organics removal but also for oxygenation purposes. So I recommend at least getting a protein skimmer.
Add that and you should be good to go. Also try to make sure your cuttlefish and octopus species have roughly the same temperature range.

 

[ReefTeacher]

Looks like it’s been a couple of years since I last posted. I ended up changing rooms, so I never did put the system I was talking about together.

The new room I’m in is much bigger and better, so I was able to put a bigger system together, and have made a designated octopus tank. It is only 20gal, but it is tied into a 180g reef and a 20g macro-algae tank.

The tank on the end is the octopus tank. This is a pic from a month ago. I’ve since added more live rock, some Caulerpa prolifera, and small refugium-style LED, which really only lights the end that has the Caulerpa.

In order to keep the octopus where it belongs, I made a screen top that has Velcro tape super-glued around the entire rim-stock of the aquarium, with the other side of the Velcro tape super-glued to fiberglass screen cut to size. I also have screen around the drain line. I’ll get an updated pic tomorrow.

I just received a very small ‘Pacific brown’ octopus that I think will do well in that tank for now. It will be going in tomorrow. I’m hoping that having some macro-algae cover will encourage it to come out and wander around more.

I also have a 54g that I think would be perfect for where the current macro-algae tank is now. My plan over the summer is to remove the current macro tank and tie the 54g in. If I can get that going, then I would love to try cuttlefish. This is the current tank. So, like this but almost 3x bigger (and no powerhead):

Are there any macro-algae tank fish that could coexist with cuttlefish without becoming prey?

 

[tonmo]

wow @ReefTeacher -- amazing update! Very interested in knowing if your octo challenges your lid / how it performs. Would love to see your octo; how is/was acclimation?

 

[Tomh]

Hi, a 20 gallon tank is too small for an octopus. Not enough space. Thanks

 

[gjbarord]

Looks like it’s been a couple of years since I last posted. I ended up changing rooms, so I never did put the system I was talking about together.

The new room I’m in is much bigger and better, so I was able to put a bigger system together, and have made a designated octopus tank. It is only 20gal, but it is tied into a 180g reef and a 20g macro-algae tank.

The tank on the end is the octopus tank. This is a pic from a month ago. I’ve since added more live rock, some Caulerpa prolifera, and small refugium-style LED, which really only lights the end that has the Caulerpa.

In order to keep the octopus where it belongs, I made a screen top that has Velcro tape super-glued around the entire rim-stock of the aquarium, with the other side of the Velcro tape super-glued to fiberglass screen cut to size. I also have screen around the drain line. I’ll get an updated pic tomorrow.

I just received a very small ‘Pacific brown’ octopus that I think will do well in that tank for now. It will be going in tomorrow. I’m hoping that having some macro-algae cover will encourage it to come out and wander around more.

I also have a 54g that I think would be perfect for where the current macro-algae tank is now. My plan over the summer is to remove the current macro tank and tie the 54g in. If I can get that going, then I would love to try cuttlefish. This is the current tank. So, like this but almost 3x bigger (and no powerhead):

Are there any macro-algae tank fish that could coexist with cuttlefish without becoming prey?

I'm sure you could try blennies or gobies with cuttlefish, but they may wind up being food for them... Fish may also prey on the cuttlefish... For cuttlefish, you'd also want to make sure you have PLENTY of live food options, preferably mysid, for the multiple feedings they need per day as hatchlings. The macroalgae tank looks great!

Greg