Hoping to be a octopus owner soon!

Joined
May 19, 2016
Messages
4
Location
Las Vegas
Hi there, I'm Dane. I recently acquired a 180 gallon tank (6'x2'x2') and I am hoping to use it as a octopus tank. I've wanted one for years and I think I'm ready to take on the challenge. I am working on cycling and establishing the tank currently and while that is happening I am researching types of octopus and their behaviors.

I guess I'd be curious on opinions of what species I could go with for a tank this large. I would definitely prefer something that would come out during the day and be semi social and playful. Of course I know these traits can not be guaranteed and from my reading it seems hard to guarantee the species. But any recommendations on a species that might fit in those criteria. Any help or links to more info would be fantastic.

Thank you so much, I look forward to my new friend!
 
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Cool! That's a nice-sized tank. Our resident experts will have some ideas... Be sure to use our Search feature; we've got 16 years of content for you to peruse in the meantime. Welcome to the community!
 
Thanks again! I definitely have been spending a few days prior to posting and all of last night reading articles and gathering info. Originally I was thinking a Octopus bimaculoides fit the bill of what I was looking for but I came across some things online saying you can't buy them? Not sure if this a state by state thing or if buying online gets you around it. But they seemed like a decent size and very social.

I look forward to more input
 
There is a note in the Box of Chocolates link above that briefly explains why it is very hard to source a bimac (see the last entry, Domestic - West Coast). It IS a California law but, sadly, that is where they are common in the US. Also note that they are a cold water species and would need a chiller.
 
Yeah I saw that, the more I read the more it seems to be kind of a crapshoot on if the Octopus is actually what it is labeled as. My LFS has told me if I give them a species name they'll try to order it for me. I'm still looking up stuff from the box of chocolates post. I suppose I'm looking for more diurnal but really something social whether it's nocturnal or not would be fun. I'm super excited after years of thinking about it to finally be pulling the trigger on getting a tank ready and eventually getting an octopus ( definitely not rushing that last part. I want to make sure this tank is fully cycled)
 
I prefer "box of chocolates" to "crapshoot" because each species has something positive going for it AND each octopus has a different relationship with its keeper.

Given that you take what you get, if I had to make a recommendation for a first-time keeper, I would suggest looking for O. hummelincki/filosus (the later being a discontinued name). Unfortunately, these names are almost never used. What you might see is the common name "Caribbean two spot" but it might also be listed as "brown octopus" and on a rare occasion, O. vulgaris (the confusion with O. vulgaris led to the issues with the original name). These are diurnal warm water animals comparable (IMO) to the bimac but with shorter lifespans. Until the 2010 earthquake, they frequently came from Hatti but we have not seen many since. They are also native to South FL but still rarely offered. If I find one, I get it.

O. vulgaris MIGHT just be my favorite (there are still many I have not kept Neal swears my favorite is whatever I happen to have at the moment) but I would not recommend one for a fist time keeper as they can be quite aggressive but they have loads of personality.
 

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