• 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.

is my tank an octo gas chamber? will clemency be granted?

Joined
Jan 29, 2004
Messages
11
I have a 55gal. looking to go ceph. preferably bimac. The tank has been going for months w/ fish, rocks, and squiggly bits. we had a problem with ick for a week or so, so we used KENT marine Rx*P parasite treetment. it says that it has NO COPPER and may be used with inverts (with caution). how would an octo do? has anyone had any experience with this product in the water? It has been months, and we have done extensive carbon filtration, as well as skimming and water changes. Should this have taken it out of the water? I have had bad experiences with two blue rings, they both died on the aclimation (drip system) one incked the other went epeliptic. this was in another tank, completly independant that never had anything added beyond calcium and the mormal little gimics they sell you for corals. I'm now a water change only guy. But i've gone tangental. I want a bimac ASAP, are they in seson at octopets? is 1 or two prefered? how will they do with a maroon clown, a yellow wrasse and an evil hermit eating goby. I'm thinking about ditching the goby, don't need competetors. I'm spent. my finger is on the buy key at octopets, just waiting for 2 or 3 ok's. and post.
 
hmm, reading the directions, it says that it is removed by skimming, and the one thing to be most effected by it is shrooms, and colonial anemones, i currently have a toosh lode of those in there. They are all growing, splitting and happy. i think it might be octo time!, but my question of seson still stands. are the octos small this time of year? what kind of life span am i looking at immediate purchase?
 
You have a bunch of questions - I'll take on some of them.
But first of all, please click on the Ceph Care Button and read our articles, especially the Checklist and Equipment List which will give you good information and answer some of your questions.

Only one octo per tank - it does not turn out happily with two, since one will eat the other.

People have been getting bimacs from Octopets, and yes, they are quite small.

Get rid of the fish - no fish in an octo tank.

I don't know about the parasite treatment - I've never used anything like that in my tank.

Nancy
 
If the goby eats hermits, it will probably do the same with the octo. So Nancy is right, don't take chances, get rid of the fish. The age is about 2 -2 1/2 months old. So they have about a year left.

I suggest that you use the skimmer since we have no idea what the parasite remover can do to octos.
 
sorry no idea on that brand


But dont judge blue rings failure as a problem for other octos, they normally die during travel aclimitisation... its a blue ring thing, not the case with other species!
 
I'd say trade the fish in at the pet store and order a bimac from octopets. They have babies in stock right now. I don't want to sound irresponsible, but there's only one way to find out, and that's to put an octo in the tank and see how it fairs. It really doesn't seem that there would be a problem if your corals are doing okay. I wouldn't tell you to get one if I thought it would be in danger, but don't come after me if something happens :roll: And I wouldn't judge my octo keeping skills on those bluerings. Goodluck, John
 
understood, the skimmer is going 24/7 even in my nano. (i made one for $2 and it works better than the one in my 55)

oh, what do you guys use to replace the hermits as a tank cleaning crew? big snails? tons of shrimp? perhapse a sea monkey with a broom? lol I'm really liking what i hear. my tank is ready, my wallet is burning. i'm way too excited about this addition.
 
All of the cleaning crew become food eventually. I usually just give the octopus a scrub brush and a squidgee and tell him to get to work. :lol:
Actually, you'll learn how hard it can be to clean a tank. Imagine, every time you try to use a brush to clean the tank, the octo comes out, yanks it out of your hand and stuffs it in his den. I'm serious! Either that or he plasters himself up against the glass, pinning down the brush so you can't move it.
ps...Neptune and I just recieved our bimacs from octopets...they arrived in great condition.
 
congratulations sideways thats spot on mate!! :biggrin2:

will a cleaner crew kept in the sump be enough, with a starfish or two to follow the octo an hoover his left overs up?
 
Yeah, I forgot about echinoderms. Any starfish(including brittles) or urchins would be safe with an octo. Although urchins will usually turn your rock into rubble and leave paths of destruction wherever they go. It's a shame because they look so cool in aquaria.
 
has anyone tried trainig the octo not to eat the clean u crew?

My thoughts are these. Paint the shells of your snails and hermits a bright contrasting color. then when he goes for one, you tazer the tank. then feed him one with no coloration, when he goes for it, no tazar. the next day drop another painted one in, taze him if he didn't get it the first time. then drop him a plain one. on and on untill he is a good boy.

For a tazer i'm talking about something low volt, would have to experiment w/ it a bit as not to kill the octo or myself. =) Soon enough you might be able to train the octo to attack a pesky neighbor, or file your income taxes.
 
Maybe ringing a bell like paslov would be more recommended. I don't now about shock therapy :?

I have a cleaning magnet in my tank and love it. requires less intrusion. highly recommed, and your octo may find it amusing!
 
I only had problems with Ollie eating the cleaning crew in the beginning. She became too large to be interested in hermits, preferred other food to snails, so I was able to keep both hermits and snails in the tank with her.

I also had a pencil urchin - I really like him, and he looks great and has grown a lot, but he did my coralline algae no good and spent more time on algae than cleaning up at all.

Nancy
 
Ocots are quite deaf and can only hear very very low frequency sounds. The shock therapy thing is quite cruel, and might cause it to ink.Its like kicking your dog for stepping on the carpet. Since octopus are about as smart as dogs could we train them by offering them rewards?
 
TheEvilbug said:
has anyone tried trainig the octo not to eat the clean u crew?

My thoughts are these. Paint the shells of your snails and hermits a bright contrasting color. then when he goes for one, you tazer the tank. then feed him one with no coloration, when he goes for it, no tazar. the next day drop another painted one in, taze him if he didn't get it the first time. then drop him a plain one. on and on untill he is a good boy.

For a tazer i'm talking about something low volt, would have to experiment w/ it a bit as not to kill the octo or myself. =) Soon enough you might be able to train the octo to attack a pesky neighbor, or file your income taxes.

okay I changed my mind...you may never ever own an octopus
 

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