• 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.

My tiny stowaway...

stellablu

Hatchling
Registered
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
3
I recently ordered aquacultured rock by mail order, when I received it I "picked" off most of the bristle worms, etc that I could find. However, the lucky hide-and-seek winner that managed to cling into a small hole was a tiny white octo. He is perhaps 1 1/2" in size.

He is currently in my reef tank which is home to a bunch of perching gobies, so I am worried he might become a nuisance to my current tank inhabitants...

My question is...I have a 10g mini set-up, would it be okay to transfer him (assuming I can catch him) to that tank? I've read that you shouldn't keep them in anything smaller than a 30g. I have a glass canopy for it with holes drilled out to fit my filtration and such. They are perfectly drilled, not allowing any space in between the equipment and glass. The tank was originally for a small eel until he was moved into an upgraded tank so precautions were taken for his escape, although his skills were not as good as an octo.

I mail-ordered the rock from Tampa, FL and I'm on the opposite coast in Florida, so it is feasible for me to hand deliver it back to them...it just seemed stressful for the octo. I'd like to keep him, I mean who wouldn't...but I need a place to isolate him from my reef tank for the time being.

A LFS suggested I get one of those clear "critter boxes" with the perfomated lid and rubberband the lid on but keep it in my main aquarium until I can move him permanently...

I'd take it to one of my marine specializing LFS's but they already have an octo that has been there for months and he's stopped eating and seems quite sad (plus in order to sell him they can't allow him to hide in rocks so the tank is bare)...so I'm not sure if I'd want to trade him in...but if I have to, so be it.

Any suggestions?
 
:welcome: I would love to find a hitchhiker in liverock!! Think the critter pen idea would be easier for everyone involved for now. They are fascinating creatures! Good luck with him. Any pics for Id?

Carol
 
My guess is that you ordered that rock from TBS - quite a few little octo hitch-hikers have shown up from there recently.

A couple of questions for you - when you say 2 1/2 inches, is that arm to arm or the length of his mantle (body)? Is it possible to post a pic?

Is your ten gallon piped into a bigger filtration system or have its own filters?

It would be nice if you could keep him, now that he's there. :smile: He may be a full grown dwarf octopus or maybe a baby that will grow larger. You say he stays white?

You could try with the ten gallon and see - we usually recommend a protein skimmer for an octopus in addition to the other filtration.

Octopuses like to eat crabs and other crustaceans, especially shrimp.
They may eat clams and fish as well. They may also accept pieces of thawed frozen shrimp.

Good luck with the little guy! More info when after I read the replies to my questions.

Nancy
 

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