N00blet questions

[matticus]

Hey, I'm very interested in buying a bimac, but I might have some beginner questions.

1) I live in Canada, does that make a difference for shipping or whatnot?
2)There is no place to get them, except mail order and maybe Big Al's Aquarium Services
3) Cost, how much (roughly) would it cost to maintain one of these babies?
4) I already have a 90 gallon freshwater tank and a overrated filter ( i have an oscar and a butterfokeri...if thats how you spell it)

thats about it, any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[tonmo]

Welcome to TONMO.com! The best resource for newbies is here:

Cephalopod Care

Have at it! Also use our forum search function for specific questions. I'm not sure what the latest info is on availability in Canada (there's a bit of a "drought" being dealt with in the US as well). There is a thread dedicated to octopus availability; it's one of the first threads listed in the Octopus Care forum.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

 

[cthulhu77]

After you've read the articles, you can also ask any questions you may still have here on the boards.

Greg

 

[sorseress]

I guess the best advice, besides reading everything, is to take your time. It takes a lot of preparation to be ready to keep an octopus.

 

[matticus]

well i read all that there is to be read.
and i found places where i can order an O, but, they dont have the "arrive alive" guarantee.
also, what's the bare minimum id need to invest in terms of a protein skimmer( i have a really crap ass one), my filter now is a rena filstar Xp3, that should be enough right?
also, whats the average i should expect to spend on feeding this beast?
thanks

 

[cthulhu77]

food typically runs between 250-400 u.s. per year, you should be able to pick up a good skimmer for under 150.00 u.s. for that size of a tank.

 

[matticus]

alrighty, so basically, i need a freaking job before this guy is happening, also, how many bimacs can i put in that tank?
i might consider breeding as long as they dont rip eachother apart

 

[cthulhu77]

Oh, only one per tank...rarely do they become social unless they are housed in massive tanks (think thousands of gallons), although some tonmo members have been lucky in keeping a few together in aquariums of the 125+ range.

 

[matticus]

alright, cool.
umm i have kiddie sand in my 90 gallon now (non silica), can/should i keep it in the tank when i get the bimac?
also
how much live rock( roughly) should i buy in order to make this guy happy?

 

[matticus]

alright, update
I found a Not so LFS that can get their hands on tank-raised bimacs, he also gave me specs as to what i should spend to get one, i was wondering if what he said sounds reasonable.
he said i should spend about 500 on a protein skimmer
he said i should get another rena filstar Xp3 (i already have one)
as well as a couple hundo for live rock, etc.
he said i'm looking at about a grand.

is that about right?
cause if it is....i need a job, and fast

 

[DHyslop]

You can get a solid skimmer for well under $200 US. I can't vouch for the canister because I don't use them.

I'm skeptical if your LFS says they can get tank-raised bimacs. The only ones on the market that I am aware of are being sold person-to-person and not through distributors.

Dan

 

[matticus]

thanks for the skimmer info, what kind do you use?
and as for the tank bred bimac
Well, It was an employee at a local big al's (its like a big well known high end aquarium superstore in canada, theres one in florida i know of) and he said that he can get them into the store from a guy or something. He said he had one that was the size of a quarter and it got ripped apart by a rather large sized ghost shrimp.
Also, can i trust ebay for skimmers and such? i found a skimmer/filter for 60$ canadian that's rated for a 175 gallon tank. It looks pretty legit, but I dont want to get ripped off. So I need a second opinion or opinions

 

[DHyslop]

eBay is a good source, just make sure you do your homework before buying to make sure whatever you get is compatible with your system (ie, in-sump, hang-on-back, etc). Also make sure you know whether you need to buy a pump separately for the skimmer. Before you buy anything find the manufacturer's website, the product website on some other retail store's websites (like bigalsonline.com or thatfishplace.com), and other user's opinions by searching aquarium sites like reefs.org or reefcentral.com.

One thing to keep in mind with aquarium products is they're typically "over-rated." If a filter says its OK for a 175 gallon tank it probably isn't This is made a little worse because octos generate a lot more waste than fish and require more intense filtration.

I personally use an Aqua-medic Turboflotor. Its one of a number of solid mid-quality skimmers under US$200. Its nothing special, I use it because I got it used for $5. Another skimmer I've heard good things about is the Coralife Super Skimmer.

A final note about bimacs: there used to be a company that bred them until they went out of business early this year. Its possible that they were Big Al's supplier. Sometimes its hard to find the exact animal you're looking for, so skepticism means less disappointment

Good luck!

Dan

 

[main_board]

Hey Matticus!

I live in London, Ontario where there's a Big Al's (out at university in Halifax now). Despite frequent trips over the years I've never seen an octo there before. Where I have seen one or two (rarely) are those small, privately owned operations. Talking to the owner of a good one once, I discovered that they are closed every Tuesday to go up to Toronto to pick up a new supply. If you ever wanted something specific, you were just supposed to ask and they would see what they could get at their supplier in T.O. I would seek out this kind of store and have a discussion with the owner and see how they run their business. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Cheers!

 

[matticus]

I talked to the guy in the Big als in oakville, and he said that they just ordered a couple actually
but that wont help me any, because i'm just researching them now.
If you want one, just scoot over to the one in oakville when you get home, im sure the guy can help you out there.