• 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.

New User/New Tank!

Thanks for the tips on the hydrometer. I don't think it came with a black stopper, to be honest. I will check, but I know I threw nothing away.

Lol, the damsels really don't seem like they will be so hard to remove... maybe I'm being naive. You guys have been correct so far. Oh well.

What would you recommend as a process to acclimate the octopus when it arrives? You are correct in assuming that I didn't acclimate the snails or the crabs. The crabs are fine though. Three of the five snails died.
 
I found the black stopper, and success! My salinity measured 1.018 four times in a row, so that's much better than it was. I still see white granules floating around in the tank that I didn't before I added the salt and it's been a week and a half.

It looks like only two snails may have died as some have miraculously moved... unless the bigger crab drug them off somewhere.

You guys are awesome, thanks for all the pointers thus far.
 
Well, better news... I just tested all of my chems and they are all golden, nitrites are about .05 though.

And even better news... I flipped the snails over as they were on their shells and they are moving around now. I just assumed they were dead... I mean, they were hanging out of their shells partially, but now they're back on the rocks moving around. Shows what a newb I am.
 
If you wonder about a snail's viability, pick it up and take a good whiff. If you are still standing, put it back in the tank :yuck:. When you order more, put them in the center of a plastic container (the microwave meal kind with a flat bottom work well) and put in a small amount of tank water in with them. As they move to the edge, you can put them in your tank. It there are any left in the center after a couple of hours, see above.

While you are playing with the tank (and after you get your mat), you can net out the white floaty stuff. If you don't have one, I would recommend that you buy a brine shrimp net (Tom's also makes a very fine (as in hole size) net that is entirely plastic, is very inexpensive and is my personal favorite). I find that the brine net and/or the soft one by Tom's do well for removing ink if (as is usually the case) you are in front of the aquarium when it happens. A second item you should have on hand is a decent turkey baster. This will be helpful for disrupting your bottom substrate, blowing off your live rock during clean-up and is also useful for collecting ink that is mucusy (thin ink will be difficult to catch but will be handled by your filtration).

There are several threads on acclimating an octopus and several things you should read about acclimation in general before you are ready for a sensitive creature. I tend to acclimate my octos a little differently than the best recommendations on the site and the site methods may be best for a novice.
However, if you don't find enough in the care section, PM me and I will give you the link to my write up for the website I webmaster for some general considerations (not octo specific).

A good source specific to octopus acclimation (with special octo specific tips) is the book written by TONMO's Nancy and Colin.
 
Thanks again for even more tips, I will pick up the items you've suggested to keep in my tank bucket. I'll also be reading a lot on acclimating the octopus before I get it.

I'm really happy that the water is so healthy so far, being the newb that I am. Also very happy that the snails weren't actually dead. What's the deal with those guys? Do they fall off the higher rocks and end up on their backs and need to be flipped, or will they right themselves?

I'm also thinking about changing my substrate. Currently it is crushed coral/shells and I'm not sure it will be good for the octopus. I know the crabs probably hate it.
 

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