Hello aaron,
I am sorry if I have to probably "pop" your bubble here but please consider what I have to say:
I was once like you. I've learned that you can keep an octopus in a home aquarium and I was fascinated by the thought. So I asked around, and began making a list of stuff that would be needed.
Unfortunately that is where the though part kicks in:
An octopus is a saltwater creature, and saltwater creatures are MUCH more sensitive to any fluctuations in water quality than freshwater fish. so water quality has to be your absolute top priority. Also, being a creature that lives in the open sea, it NEEDS some room. so the bigger the species, the bigger the tank has to be.
Please take note that you have to constantly monitor the water quality, temperature, salinity and so on which also produces costs and also you have to know what you are doing there. I don't mean to offend you, I just want to say that maintaining a saltwater tank is quite a bit of work and requires much more dedication than keeping a freshwater one.
Also you said you don't want to use the skimmer because it is expensive.
Unfortunately, if you think you can't afford it, you probably should consider if this is really the right hobby for you. Please note that setting up an octo tank IS expensive. There is no way to get around this, absolutely no way.
Here is a short summary of what you must consider when planning to buy a octo tank:
Size: It HAS to be big, the octo needs room and also the more water you have in the tank, the more stable is the quality. Also you ahve to make the whole thing escape proof
Filter: octopusses produce a LOT of waste, so the filter has to be overspec. e.g. for a 50gal tank (probably the minimum size) you need a filter for at least a 70-90 gal tank, if not even more. also the standard hang-on filters do not cut it in most cases unless you pay enough money for them.
Skimmer: same here. Absolutely necsessary. The skimmer gets out the stuff that the filter doesn't. And for an octo tank this thing is necessary, no way around this one.
Water: Here comes the critical part. octos are very sensitive to water quality so you have to constantly monitor it. Note that you may not use tap water by any means. also you have to do regular water changes, meaning you have to constantly mix fresh salt water , monitor it's salinity, oxygen level, temperature, nitrit, nitrate, copper (this is DEADLY for an octo!), ammonium and so on.
food: an octo is quite the eating machine. Scallops, shrimp, crabs, mussels... this also can get quite expensive so be sure to a) have enough money for this and b) have a source of food.
I could go on like this for some time, but you probably see where this leads.
I don't want to offend you in any way, I just want you to realize that this is anything but an inexpensive hobby... quite the opposite actually.
I've learned this lesson myself, and I urge you to reconsider if this all (and more) is REALLY the thing you want to do.
to TONMO!
anyway i bouth a 29 gal tank alredy so can i keep a small octo inside?and i m using the normal hang on filter can it be used?and i dun want to use the protein skimmer ...its too expensive...
