octopus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clownfish]

I have recently asked a small retailer if he could tell me when he finds another octopus in the Florida Keys. I only expected him to have one in winter but I was wrong. He just got one in stock!!! I really want to get this one but I need to get some filter media for my canister filter to filter out the ammonia. It is a pygmy so at this time it only has about a month of life but that doesn’t discourage me because at least I will now if I screw up it only had a few weeks in life. Still it is every bit as precious my tank was recreantly clamed cycling but I don’t think this is what’s going on. I need PH down, filter media to get rid of my ammonia, 200 clams, 30 crabs, and RO water. That’s really all. I don’t want to do something I regret but I really want this octopus and think I could be ready in a week or two.

 

[clownfish]

this is unbalievable!! I just teste my ammonia and it comes out 0 in the light .25 in the shadow coverd areas. I am thinking my ammonia is at 0.

 

[Nancy]

Clownfish, do you mean where you are when you're reading the results. Read the instructions on (or in) the box the test kit came in. It may give you guidelines on where to do your readings. What brand are you using?

Also, I understand you have no fish in your tank right now. You need to slowy add fish so that you can build up the bacteria in the tank - then you would remove the fish at the time you get your octo.

You're making progress - you'll get there!

Nancy

 

[clownfish]

i kept crabs in there for 5 days and before that fish were in the tank. the bactiria must be in there from the fish and crabs and everything else this is almost the 2 time Iv cycled my tank i realy think the bactiria is there. Realy it only showes a man tilting the test over the result sheet to test thats what I did. there were detailed instructions but I threw them away. I use a red sea test kit.

 

[cthulhu77]

Clownfish, the nitrogen cycle is really involved...even though you might be showing a low level of ammonia, it is doubtful that your tank is completely cycled...
the only way for the cycle to go completely is for animals or live rock to be maintained throughout the entire period, so that the bacterial load has a chance to rise to its maximum, and then get down to a normal count. If there aren't enough animals in the tank, it will never cycle, even though it might show low on ammonia...sounds to me like you might want to maintain some inexpensive fish in there for a few weeks and observe what happens before you plop an octo in the tank, no matter how short the lifespan.


Patience is really the big key to keeping cephs...I know, it sucks to wait, but if it is any consolation, I have had my salt tanks down for over six months now, and it looks like I won't have an octo tank up and running for more than a year while we wait for our house to be built...aaarrrgggh.

greg

 

[clownfish]

My tank was full with a clownfish, yellow tang, and 2 damsels for about 1 month. allot of fish were in hear and now there is live rock that i added a couple weeks ago my ammonia went up and now it is down. Bacteria really should have grown by now. Knowing that my tank was once a fresh water tank and it had fish for a week then I switched it to saltwater a week later I had saltwater fish (3damesels) I have repeated cycling process 3 times. Once fresh water for 2 weeks. Then 3 months with saltwater fish. And just recreantly I cycled my tank with live rock. My nitrite never went up of at least its not up Wright now. Same with my nitrate all 0 the ammonia came from fish and the live rock. It went away from the live rock because it was at 25. Until I got the live rock that is bacteria. My ammonia was at .25 and both nitrite and nitrate were 0 now my ammonia is at 0 to. All at 0. cycling is to get ammonia through the bacteria growth and prose’s so everything is at 0 true?

 

[cthulhu77]

Well, the way you have to view it, is if the tank itself is a living entity...if it has never had a full spike of output from the organisms waste (ammonia and then the nitrite/nitrate) it won't be able to handle the stress of keeping the water clean with an animal that puts much more pollutants into the limited water space (octos are very, very messy)...so you really want to be on the safe side.

Do you have a local fish store you could take your water to and explain all that you have done? They should test your water for free, and be able to give you an idea of where exactly your tank is at.

greg

 

[clownfish]

My tank has had a full spick of ammonia. I will try to test it at a lfs but there is only one octopus and I think i am going to get him. i talked to the retailer he said the octopus's head is oly the size of a dime so he cant put that much polutant into the water at least not a much as a full grown. the retailer thinks it is a O. briareus. my tank has had its fair share of ammonia.

 

[interways]

Don't!

clownfish,

reviewing your other more or less recent posts, I can only suggest that you do NOT buy the octo now. In your other posts you described salinity and ammonia levels which prohibit inserting an octo for at least three months, better even longer.

Be patient, read a book on reefkeeping!!!

 

[cthulhu77]

I'Ways is correct here, Clownfish...just wait a while until everything is perfect...that way, both the octo and you have a good experience!!

greg

 

[clownfish]

it is perfect I have all my ammonia nitrite and nitrate are all 0 salt level can be easily changed and my Ph is a little over but i am getting some ph down. my ammonia was up because I had over feed my old fish and I neglected to do water changes my tank was cycled all along. overfeeding can cause an increase in ammonia if you have been following along closely my ammonia has been decreasing slowly and both nitite nad nitrate have stayed at 0

 

[clownfish]

it is perfect I have all my ammonia nitrite and nitrate are all 0 salt level can be easily changed and my Ph is a little over but i am getting some ph down. my ammonia was up because I had over feed my old fish and I neglected to do water changes my tank was cycled all along. overfeeding can cause an increase in ammonia if you have been following along closely my ammonia has been decreasing slowly and both nitrite and nitrate are at 0. that is proof that my tank has cycled. I have decided to get the octopus because i am serten that my water parlements are perfect.

 

[interways]

clownfish,

what about your other fish? Do you plan to keep them together with the octo?

And: Getting your tank ready for such delicate creatures as octos takes a long time and, if possible, experience on how to keep a reef.

Please be patient before adding a living animal to an obviously not all that perfect tank! I suggest you try to keep some fish for half a year, then, if that works well, get an octo tank.

Good luck!