New to cephs , tank set up questions

[Jonny]

Hello !

I’m setting up a new 30g cube tank so that I can keep a a dwarf species. I’m not new to the hobby , but I’m new to cephs so I have some questions that have been unclear in my research.

Is it ok to have mushroom corals in the tank?
If not what, if any, corals would be ok? I’ve read about soft corals, leathers and mushrooms being ok to keep with cephs.

I’m in no hurry to get the octo but I would like advice on a dealer that knows what they are selling and can ship perfectly if need be. I live in California in the north bay and the LFS can order one but its listed as a brown and that’s all.

How often and how big should the water changes be? I have a general idea but I’m aware that cephs are sensitive to water temps and conditions. Our city water is fine for freshwater aquariums I’ve maintained and I want to mix my own sea water at home instead of buying plastic bottles of instant ocean all the time. I would have more control over the water condition this way.


We are located very close to the Pacific Ocean and have numerous beaches with striped shore crabs available. I want to start a breeding project with these as a food source and I’m wondering if that will be ok for a ceph? Very little info online about them. Would a fiddler crab be more beneficial?

With a protein skimmer and a tightly sealed lid , will I need to add an air stone for oxygenating the surface? The filtration area along with skimmer will be uncovered. And the lid will be sealed and secured. Just reiterating

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any helpful tips and knowledge bombs.

Jonny

 

[tonmo]

Welcome to TONMO, @Jonny! I don't have the experience to advise, but hopefully others will chime in. Definitely check out other threads in the forums, read our Cephalopod Care Articles, and generally study up. The Search function is powerful - nearly 20 years of content!

 

[DWhatley]

@Jonny,
Below are my takes on your questions. Hopefully others will counter suggest or add to my answers.

Is it ok to have mushroom corals in the tank?

Leathers are fine, mushrooms depend on stinging ability. Generally, the smooth red, blue and purple are fine but the ricordia can be a problem. As with anything you try, be sure you can remove it and observe what happens when the octo touches it. It the octopus reacts, remove it.

I would like advice on a dealer that knows what they are selling and can ship perfectly if need be

Sadly, no such "animal" exists, see my "Box of Chocolates" post in the Posts with Info for New Octo Keepers thread. The brown will likely be a Abdopus of some kind but is a generic reference to whatever they catch and is imported from (likely) the Philippines.

How often and how big should the water changes be?

Timing and quantity is somewhat arbitrary but I recommend 5 gallons a week. I also recommend getting an RO/DI unit so that you can start with better water than from your tap to mix your salt. As with freshwater, NEVER use straight tap water that has not been sitting out for at least 24 hours to remove the chlorine.\

striped shore crabs available. I want to start a breeding project with these as a food source and I’m wondering if that will be ok for a ceph?

Any crabs the octo will take are fine. Breeding, however, may prove more challenging than you think. Be sure you check on collecting the crabs as you may need a license and the fines are ugly.

will I need to add an air stone for oxygenating the surface? The filtration area along with skimmer will be uncovered. And the lid will be sealed and secured.

The lid needs to be octoproof, NOT air tight. You DO want surface air circulation and some kind of pump to circulate the water. Air stones in a sump seem to be fine but can cause problems in the display tank.[/QUOTE]

 

[leslie lightfoot]

Hello !

I’m setting up a new 30g cube tank so that I can keep a a dwarf species. I’m not new to the hobby , but I’m new to cephs so I have some questions that have been unclear in my research.

Is it ok to have mushroom corals in the tank?
If not what, if any, corals would be ok? I’ve read about soft corals, leathers and mushrooms being ok to keep with cephs.

I’m in no hurry to get the octo but I would like advice on a dealer that knows what they are selling and can ship perfectly if need be. I live in California in the north bay and the LFS can order one but its listed as a brown and that’s all.

How often and how big should the water changes be? I have a general idea but I’m aware that cephs are sensitive to water temps and conditions. Our city water is fine for freshwater aquariums I’ve maintained and I want to mix my own sea water at home instead of buying plastic bottles of instant ocean all the time. I would have more control over the water condition this way.


We are located very close to the Pacific Ocean and have numerous beaches with striped shore crabs available. I want to start a breeding project with these as a food source and I’m wondering if that will be ok for a ceph? Very little info online about them. Would a fiddler crab be more beneficial?

With a protein skimmer and a tightly sealed lid , will I need to add an air stone for oxygenating the surface? The filtration area along with skimmer will be uncovered. And the lid will be sealed and secured. Just reiterating

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any helpful tips and knowledge bombs.

Jonny

 

[leslie lightfoot]

In my opinion, a thirty gal tank is too small for an octopus. That said, they need three times the O2 of fish. They have three hearts. If you decide to go ahead......they love crab.

 

[sedna]

For a dwarf species, a 30 gallon is actually as big as you’d want to go. If you go too big with a dwarf, you risk loosing track of where they are in your tank.

My favorite source for octopuses is KPAquatics.com- you’ll have to join the waiting list, but you’ll know that you’re getting a mercatoris or joubini, both need the same conditions and can actually be difficult to tell apart.

Pretty much any marine crab species is good as a food source. I use raw shrimp from the grocery store, too.

It sounds like your set up should be fine! The regular filtration in the cube plus a protein skimmer sounds great. Good luck and have fun!