Octopus in the UK

[Andy Lister]

What sort of octos do you guys keep over here in the UK, i've never looked into getting one as a pet before now, just imported them from work (Mostly from NRCC) and the prices for octos like bimacs aremassive once you have worked round customs charges and the like, £200 or so per animal.

Whats your advice guys??

~Andy

 

[Colin]

you probably have a tmc account to access through your work... they are one of two companies i have got octos from... including bimacs. aculeatus, bocki and briareus... they have also sold me stuff i could never ID. Average trade price is £20 before VAT and shipping... so say about 50 quid.

Cuttles are easier, i can get them for about 15 - 20 each depending on season... all officinalis.

the other importer i used got me a blue ring instead of vulgaris!

ut to date, no one can properly id what they import and its a lottery... i am toying with getting bimac eggs from jim at some point

colin

 

[cthulhu77]

Well now...guess the grass is always greener, huh ? Here we are, across the pond...trying to figure out how to get cuttles, and there you are, trying to get bimacs...
"can't we all just get along?"
greg

 

[Colin]

yeah its mental...

if only swapping wasnt so difficult

 

[Andy Lister]

TMC sound good to me, never thought of that! We do have an account yeah...

Colin, as far as officianalis go we have them in their hundreds hatching down here, it's pretty easy to hatch them and grow them on, try asking lobster fishermen if you live near the coast. They are laying at the moment in weymouth and we have a few batches of eggs now.

Lobster fishermen get their pots covered with them and usually just throw them back, can't hurt to ask!

Cthullu, you should be able to get pharonisis over there can't you? They are a lot more attractive and dont ink nearly as much as officianalis do, they are little buggers... look at them the wrong way and you are in a whole world of trouble!

 

[Colin]

hi andy

yeah thats one way of getting them i have used, none up this far north though but my eyes are open for Rossia.. i have a longstanding order

 

[Andy Lister]

I used to live in Maryport on the Solway and we got shed loads of them there, maybe if you could get to Stranrar or Carlisle or somewhere like that!