• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

i need help FAST

davec15

Cuttlefish
Registered
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
17
ok so heres the deal im on vaction in florida and about 15 minets ago i was on the beach looking for sand dollars and i found a octopus in a clam shell its about the size of a dime and i have it in a small plastic tank it got plenty of room right now for its size ive got a 48 gallon tank back home in maine im headed home in 3 to 4 days but all i have is the tank so i need to know what to do it was kinda a sprize i dident think i could get one intel next year.
 
uh, how are you going to transport it back to Maine? I can tell you're pretty excited to have found an octopus on the beach, but unless you have a tank setup for it with filtration and air and everything it needs, and a solid plan for how it's going to survive a trip back to your house in Maine, I think maybe you should consider taking it back to that beach. How is your plastic tank set up?

If you can pay to have it air-freighted to your house in an insulated box and a secure bag (not too much water, plenty of air, in my experience) and your tank is cycled (at least 3 months, stable cycle etc.) and ready for an octo, maybe it will be ok.
 
well i gess ill have to put it back cause i dont have the tank running and i dont have a filter or any thing and im down to my last $50 wich i was gunna use to buy a filter and every thing so i cant have it sent back to maine my tank is set up with the shell i found it in some sand and its about half full of salt water every thing in there is from the beach but this was all kinda a sprize this is actualy the first live octopus ive seen do you think a pet shop might be able to help me figure this all out cuase if i can keep it for a day i can take it there and see what they say about it
 
Take the little pygmy octopus back to where you found it, and let her go...it sounds like a female who has just laid her eggs, and will live no longer than a month or so...it is that time of year.

If you would like to keep a pet ceph, you need to have an established reef style tank (check out the pages about octo care) and be ready well in advance of procuring a ceph.
 
hmm....I'm not sure the pet shop will be much help - most pet stores don't see a lot of octopuses and although they might be able to sell you a filter for about $50, you need food, chemicals to test the water, and a bunch of other stuff. I think the best thing you can do for your own peace of mind and for the little octopus you have there, is take it down to a quiet stretch of the beach and get some enjoyment out of watching it swim off back to its natural life.

Give yourself some time to get your tank running at your house and then try again with an octopus from a reputable vendor.

Good Luck!
 
You've been given good advice. Enjoy the opportunity you had to see this little octopus, and put it back in the ocean.

If you really want to keep an octopus successfully, it's going to take a lot of preparation, time and money.

Nancy
 
Like Nancy said, consider yourself lucky you got to spend some time with a wild octopus and feel good about doing the right thing in returning it to its home so that it can live out the rest of its life naturally. Once you get home and get everything in order you can give it a real try. This can be your inspiration.
 
One more quick suggestion. Take a few pictures and include releasing her back to the wild in your photo collection. When you get home, print them and tape them to your empty tank. The idea is to give you some enjoyment and incentive to fully enjoy the next one you will likely see.
 

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