Help for aquascape and substrate for 13.5 Gallon

[Thomasjedlicka]

Hey everybody!
I’m new here on Tonmo. I’m getting my first Octopus in roughly 6 months to the next year because I want to give the tank I’m getting soon a good strong cycle and I’m seeking some advice.

I have figured out what I am doing for the mechanical filtration for my 13.5 fluval evo. Now I just need to figure out what substrate is ideal for my tank.

For substrate I was think maybe Fiji pink rock but I am open to any. My next question is what should I do regarding rock. Should I use live rock or do a dry rock cycle.

thanks everybody!

 

[pkilian]

Hi Thomas! It's so exciting to be able to prepare for your first octo! Live rock like the kind you mentioned should be just fine. I would recommend live rock over dry rock because the biomedia refuge in your tank looks like it may be a bit small, so you will probably need a bit more bio filtration than just that refuge will provide. If you plan to cycle for 6 months in preparation this will give you ample time to ensure you have a robust nitrogen cycle by testing the rate of conversion from ammonia to nitrate.

Another thing you may want to look into is a protein skimmer. This is loosely dependent on the species and size of the octopus you get, but it will go a long way towards keeping your water quality in a good range.

 

[Thomasjedlicka]

Yh

Hi Thomas! It's so exciting to be able to prepare for your first octo! Live rock like the kind you mentioned should be just fine. I would recommend live rock over dry rock because the biomedia refuge in your tank looks like it may be a bit small, so you will probably need a bit more bio filtration than just that refuge will provide. If you plan to cycle for 6 months in preparation this will give you ample time to ensure you have a robust nitrogen cycle by testing the rate of conversion from ammonia to nitrate.

Another thing you may want to look into is a protein skimmer. This is loosely dependent on the species and size of the octopus you get, but it will go a long way towards keeping your water quality in a good range.

Thanks for your advice! I actually have a skimmer and am planning on upgrading flow rate and bio media. Does the size of the grains of sand matter?

 

[pkilian]

It matters somewhat but is not paramount to your tanks success. I would err on the side of smaller grain size to make it more comfortable for the octopus, but not too small that the sand particles get kicked up into the water to irritate their gills. I can send you a photo tomorrow of what I would consider appropriate grain size for an octopus. Maybe some other members can chime in as well with their past experiences with octopus-suited sand dimensions.

 

[leslie lightfoot]

Hey everybody!
I’m new here on Tonmo. I’m getting my first Octopus in roughly 6 months to the next year because I want to give the tank I’m getting soon a good strong cycle and I’m seeking some advice.

I have figured out what I am doing for the mechanical filtration for my 13.5 fluval evo. Now I just need to figure out what substrate is ideal for my tank.

For substrate I was think maybe Fiji pink rock but I am open to any. My next question is what should I do regarding rock. Should I use live rock or do a dry rock cycle.

thanks everybody!

My advice is not to start with an octopus.

 

[Nancy]

I didn’t see this thread earlier, but I have one comment: a 13.5 gallon tank is too small for an octopus. You could set up a saltwater nano tank, but with corals and small fish. For most of the octopuses we keep, we suggest a 50 or 75 gallon tank, or for a dwarf octopus (if you could be sure that’s what you’re getting) around 30 gallons.

Nancy