• 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.

im new

teen2

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ok, this is my first post and first octopus tank :smile:

i would like to keep a pygmy octopus mainly because that is what is available to me by my local fish stores.

i currently have a saltwater tank with live rock and a few fish and have had it for about 4 years now, and i am 17 yrs old, thats a pretty good job imo for starting at 13 yrs old.

i need to know, how big of a tank would i need for a pygmy octopus, and do i need any different equipment than is needed for a saltwater fish tank? will i need power heads? what type of filtration do most people use? is live sand or any subsrate needed? how about live rock? im very new to this, and i am willing to do what is neccesary to keep an octopus.
 
Just to say It will cost you about 400 dallors for a pygmy octopus. I'm planning on getting one to. You will need a protein skimmer, power filter or canaster filter, or another filteration. You should look for filters on the intenet because there isn't an exact filter system that aquariumist us. Try reading some magazins. I subjest tropapicl fish hobbyist for a monthly suscription so you have all the latest things out and read some aquarium books to buffer up on the tank. make your tank wich should be atleast 30 gallons excapeprof. dont us power heads because your octopus could get curius and stick its tentacle in the inpeler. I recomend building a sump so that all you equipment isnt torn of the wall and the octopus excapes through the tiny holes. About the size of a dime it can excape. Lighting should be low. Salt should be mesured and monotered closely. The octopus is sencitive to copper and will kill its self if you dont play with it and give it thing to do. Live food is good shrimp, crabs, and clams should be a good diet. Geting live rock isn't a must just have some other decorations so the octopus can hide. Get a test kit and keep the water quality at a good level. In return you will have a happy little octopus that will love to play and interact. It will remember you and can solve problems (try putting a crab in a gum ball container. It will chalenge the octopus and keep it intrested. Your octopus will change color, shape, and texture. The sad thing is that your octopus will only live 6 month when you get him because there life span is veary short. remember the octopus plus shiping will be about 65 dollars US HAVE FUN :biggrin2:
 
Hi and welcome to TONMO.com. :welcome:

If you've been keeping a salt water tank for 4 years, you have a head start on keeping an octopus. A pygmy octo can live quite well in a 30 gallon tank. Most of us use about an inch of sand, live rock, a wet/dry filter in a sump, and a protein skimmer. Octos do require a well-sealed tank (with ventilation) and intakes covered with mesh or some other protection. They don't require much lighting. Most pygmies are night-active, but can't see red light - so red leds or at least a red flashlight would help you see your octo moving about at night. Pygmy octos are more reclusive and less outgoing than the larger octopuses but still very interesting.

Since you must not be too far from the ocean, perhaps you'll have good access to fiddler crabs or other food for the little octopus.

For more information, please read our articles - just click on the Ceph Care button above. The Equipment List and Checklist are good to start with. Our most commonly kept octopus is the bimac, which can be ordered from Octopets in California. It's usually quite friendly when grown and lives about a 10 months in an aquarium. It would need about a 50 gallon tank.

If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Nancy
 
Welcome to Tonmo! Is there a chance you could post some pics of your tank? It is always interesting to see aquarium setups !!!
It sounds like you already have most of the equipment...follow Nancy's advice and read some of the care sheets and checklists...
greg
 
well i have plenty of tanks that are clean and ready to go, never been used with copper or anything. the octopus are not 400$ around by me, i dont know if there actually pygmy octopus though, thats just what there labeled, and there only 30$ (big diiference) but they are very small so im assuming there pygmy octopus. i live about 1/4 a mile away from the bay so i can get lots of minows, crabs, and shrimp as food. how much live rock is needed for one, is it 1-1 1/2 lbs of live rock per gallon as it is with fish tanks? i currently have a wet/dry on my fish tank, is it mandatory for the octopus too, or can i use like a fluval or sumthing? also, where do u guys purchase ur octopus from, is there a website? are they cheap?
 
No I meant the hole set up is $400. I would get it from the local store because the octopus on the internet are $30 pluse $35 for shipping. Then you have to worry about the octopus ariving alive. Most online stores dont have a garantee that it stays alive during shipping.
 
Be sure to read through all of the articles already online here on Tonmo...most of your questions can be easily answered by them! For captive bred bimacs, Octopets is the main source...cheap? Depends on how you look at it, I suppose...
greg
 
Well octopets has had some trouble I sent them a email about 2 weeks ago still haven't got an email back.

you should try aquarium supply.com they sell bimacs. Or you can do what I'm going to do and get an pygmy octopus at tampabaysaltwater.com
 
clownfish said:
Well octopets has had some trouble I sent them a email about 2 weeks ago still haven't got an email back.

you should try aquarium supply.com they sell bimacs. Or you can do what I'm going to do and get an pygmy octopus at tampabaysaltwater.com


Don't expect Octopets to respond to emails. The bimacs are the hobby part of a major aquaculturing business raising mussels for restaurants. He really doesn't have time to answer emails. Best way to get in touch is to call him.

I strongly suspect Aquarium Supply's bimacs are wild-caught. Note on their page that your octopus may arrive missing some arms. They also don't seem too knowledgable about the animals: They refer to them as O. bimaculatus when they probably are, in fact, O. bimaculoides.

Dan
 

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