Natural tank filters

[scooter]

just wondering, but along with a sump style filter, would putting natural filters, like sponges and tunicates in the tank help kep it cleaner? tey would look cool too. same question goes for other filter feers like corals(non aggressive kinds only), i know clams would get eaten but they would filter good too wouldn't they? thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Nancy]

Hi and welcome to TONMO.com

I suppose they would help with filtration, but I haven't had much luck keeping them in an octo tank. They may require different conditions. And an adult octo can be very hard on anything in the tank, turning rocks over on top of your featherduster, etc.

However, it doesn't hurt to try. Avoid anemones, since they can sting your octopus. I'm going to try some soft coral when I "redecorate" and use many more shells.

Lots of the little creatures in the tank (that came with the live rock) help a lot with filtration, too.

Nancy

 

[scooter]

i think that the main problem would be light, since i know that octos don't like it and everything else does. i'm going to try to get ahold of some of the "dark coral" that are non photosynthetic and some of the other low light stuff and see how it works

 

[cthulhu77]

brown leather coral should be ok, maybe some green hammer coral?

 

[Nancy]

I appreciate the suggestions, too - something easy to keep and that doesn't quickly grow to three feet wide

And not too expensive, since you never know what your octopus will do!

Thanks,

Nancy

 

[scooter]

if u can find a place that sells cheap corals that r really nice, then u r a far better person than i am. usually (there ae exceptions) u get what u play for. u have to pay well to get nice stuff. as a pet store worker i say support ur lfs but sometimes u have to put alittle presure on them to get in the stuff that u want, especially if u want really odd ball stuff. i've gone through hell and high water just trying to get them to order an octo.

 

[scooter]

went through my corals book at lunch time and i found some really cool corals that would be perfect for an octo tank. they are very non-aggressive and require very little light, but they need strong water flow and supplimentenal filter food.

Tubastraea micrantha
Carijoa sp.
Minabea aldersladei
Scleronephthya sp.
Dendronephthya spp.
Chironephthya sp.
Siphonogorgia sp.
Nephthyigorgia sp.

But good luck finding them on an in-stock list. (please let me know if you do!)

 

[Jakxx]

i've gone through hell and high water just trying to get them to order an octo.

Haha! Tell me about it! The guy at the large aquarium specialists shop that I asked for gave he a really strange look. He said he once had one but he never would order one again. After that he just was like "If you want one, order one yourself.. oops.. noone here sells them.. my bad.. now get lost" Aw well..at least I'm not the only one who had similar experiences

 

[scooter]

the last lfs i worked for the boss flatly said "no". the one i work for now said she would try but wouldn't be responsible for it what so ever. so i guess that's better than nothing. i'd like to get a cuttlefish too, but i just don't have the room in my college apartment. (if i could get one of those nice dwarf ones that fit in a 30 it would be great). i think i would be asble to have a more diversified tank with a cuttlefish cuz they don't seem to mess with stuff as much

 

[tjohnson]

Thanks for that list of corals, I will try frags.org we should be able to find some cheap frags there.

 

[scooter]

if u can find them some where please let me know. i haven't found any of them so far other than for reference.

 

[tjohnson]

Yea, I am having a extremly difficult time finding them, but I will continue to search when I wake tomorrow.

 

[Nancy]

I have noticed that our local Marine Aquarium Society (which I am joining) has an active forum for buying/selling/trading and and many people have coral frags available.

They also point out good places in the area to buy -

You might have a look, if there's a group near you.

Nancy