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Is cold water the only way?

Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
8
It seems that there are no sources for medium sized octos unless they are cold water species. Do I need to get a chiller for my 150 to have anything other than a dwarf species? I feel like I have exhausted all options over the past 6 months trying to get a larger octo without any luck. At some point money isn't an object, I am just tired of looking at my octo-less octo tank. Octopus rubescens seems like an option if you have a chiller and say that you plan to eat it and promise not to love it as a pet.

ideas?
 
From the the Caribbean O. briareus and O. vulgaris would do well in a 150. The tank might be a bit small for O. cyanea (you might check with the Kanaloa Octopus Farm to get requirements and possibly an octopus).

Abdopus aculeatus, a day active, Indonesian is a decent (smaller then the animals mentioned above) size animal that would not disappear in your tank.

The biggest problem is sourcing the animals and finding someone who knows the species.
 
That is exactly my problem is sourcing anything. I would be content with pretty much any temperate medium size octo but no one can get any. I am still waiting on a reply from Kanaloa as I would love a CB Cyanea. So far Billy's Reef connection seems the most promising but they need to get their collection boat back in the water and I don't know when that will happen.
 
PS has anyone else noticed that Live Aquaria removed their assorted octopus option from their website? It is not even listed as out of stock. You cannot even be put on a wait list now.
 
PS has anyone else noticed that Live Aquaria removed their assorted octopus option from their website? It is not even listed as out of stock. You cannot even be put on a wait list now.
I have kind of been expecting this since the purchase by PetCo as I don't think octopuses are profitable because of their guarantee. They do still show the Atlantic pygmy with an email notification for out of stock but, as you mentioned the imports are missing from the Cephalopods product list.
 
Cephalopods are very difficult to ship and are one of the few taxa that wholesalers typically refuse to guarantee live delivery on. If a ceph inks in an enclosed space, misses a connection, is left out in the heat or cold tarmac, etc bad things happen. Also, there is a customer expectation issue here. It is difficult to ship cephalopods. It can be done but the risks are on the buyer and if buyers aren't expecting that and an animal arrives DOA, it can lead to a lose-lose for everyone. One solution is for wholesalers simply to opt out.
 

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