Hey all! from Israel

[Hands]

Hey
Im from israel, 27 years old, im an aquarium hobbyist for many years now, and lately developed interest in Octopuses and cephs in general.
Im fascinated by the behavior and the unique intelligence of the octopus, although im not sure that raising him in captivity in "sealed tight lock aquarium" seems appropriate for this type of animal, much like my opinion on birds (for octopuses- maybe if they are born in captivity).
Though im not judging anyone who has them and actually be very happy to see one irl even in an aquarium

Lately i was thinking about raising a cuttlefish, i dont know much about them as i already researched on octopuses, but i would like to use this introduction opportunity to ask you guys about the difference in intelligence, and about the system i need to have to provide them a decent life.

Thank you and nice to meet,
Hands.

 

[tonmo]

welcome @Hands - thanks for joining TONMO!

I am generally with you as it relates to keeping them in captivity; I don't own a tank. When I started this site, I didn't think it would involve the aquarium hobby at all. I was just looking to have a place to talk about news, information, research, references, etc., to cephalopods.

But, when the site took off (both on science and the hobby), we quickly got a LOT of experts helping each other, mentoring novices, and it was (and is) just a beautiful thing. So, I don't encourage anyone to own one -- I don't; it's too hard and it's a huge responsibility.

But, if someone does endeavor to have one for whatever reason, that's what we're here for -- to provide support and guidance, and to give the best life possible.

@sedna recently shared her VERY helpful point of view across social media on this; have a read:

https://www.facebook.com/tonmodotcom/posts/3926760017368688

Also refer to our staff's joint statement on ethical care.

Regarding intelligence differences, it's a good question! They are both SO cool to see in action, with the cuttlefish being a lot less gangly .... but really, they both take so many forms (and there are so many species).... lots here for you to read up on here to get a better sense. Looking forward to following your journey!

 

[Hands]

I loved your response, thank you for the dedicated attention.
I can imagine my experience here to be fruitful and enriching.

 

[TheSeeker]

From my experience, cuttlefish are more difficult to keep in the sense that they are easily scared and when they do, they ink big time...And cleaning up can be a nightmare! Why not start with an octopus to see how it goes...

 

[Hands]

How does one clean ink from the water?
Is there a designated filter or something?

 

[pkilian]

Generally it depends on how recently the animal inked and how much ink they put into the water. If it was a small amount and you notice it quickly, you can often remove it from the tank with a fine mesh net. The Ink is a protein-based substance that is usually mucous-ey if you can catch it before it has time to disperse in the system water.

If you don't catch the inking event quickly enough and the ink has time to spread thorough out the system, a protein skimmer will usually be your best bet for getting ink out. In worst-case scenarios, water changes and animal relocation will be necessary while the skimmer has time to clean the rest of the ink from the system.

Ink can be harmful to your cephs gills and mantle cavity so it should also be removed from your system as quickly as possible.