• 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.

Preffered substrate

sabo

Hatchling
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
3
Hello!
Have been madly reading posts and journals here for the last week or so since I saw someone mention these forums from a web site I usually visit. The discussion started about the octo that squirted the light out recently in the German aquarium, and a poster mentioned how she went to an aquarium and started doing sign language with cuttles! It was really interesting and got me researching these very interesting creatures. (I won't link the web site for fear of being accused of spam).

Anyway, after reading many journals and threads on octo care, I was wondering what the general consensus is for substrate. I recall people saying fine sand is good, but is there any scientific basis for one over another? It has gotten me interested in starting a marine aquarium with the eventual goal of octo keeping, but thats way off for now. I am still in the knowledge gathering stage and hoping to build an octo friendly marine tank thats as self sustaining as possible.

Also, I live in Western Australia, so if anyone is an Oz octo keeper or has info on local or preffered species here, that would be great info too. (Already ordered the book from Nancy and Colin. Even if I dont eventually get a tank together, I am having a good time learning about cephalopods :yinyang: :smile:
 
:welcome: We really love it when people talk about reading and researching in their first post instead of the "I just got my first octopus and I'm keeping him in a 10 gallon tank" posts. There are lots of people who can answer your questions. I'm not one of them, however. I'm here because I'm fascinated by cephalopods too, and I have learned so much by being here. I just received Nancy and Colin's book and it is great. You'll get lots of good info from it.
There are a few Tonmo members from Australia, and of course, we have a lot of members from New Zealand, home of the much maligned Steve O'Shea. I suspect there will be a lot of help for you , when you are finally ready to get that first octopus.
 
Hi and welcome to the site! We've had several people from Australia join us recently.

There's a lot of information on possible substrates in our ceph book and many photos, too.

I personally like a fine aragonite sand for octopuses, about an inch deep. It seems to help maintain the pH and is attractive as well.

Nancy
 
Nancy;127559 said:
Hi and welcome to the site! We've had several people from Australia join us recently.

There's a lot of information on possible substrates in our ceph book and many photos, too.

I personally like a fine aragonite sand for octopuses, about an inch deep. It seems to help maintain the pH and is attractive as well.

Nancy

Additionally, it is the only substrate I have used where I can see a huge difference in the my nitrate readings. With other substrates nitrates, including live rock have been a constant battle.
 
Just my experience

Well, I know most people here prefer/use a fine sand substrate, but I will throw what I use out there - just to show that there are options. Obviously, it really depends on the species of octo you have - some really like to burrow, others don't.

I have a briareus with a faux sand bed. Looks like fine sand, but hard as a board! I find it much easier to clean than an actual sand bed, but still get the look of the real thing. I was taking a gamble when I made it, hoping that nothing would leach, etc into the water. But so far so good - my octo is happy and so are my corals, among a few other things, and it's been in there for about 8 mo now.
 
Hi, got any pics of how the faux sand bed looks in the tank?

thanks
 
hey, im in australia too and had a very hard time finding out whats available here too. im on the east cost so im not sure whats around your area, but here a. aculeatus and o. cyanea are the most common. i eventually had to find a licenced collector to find one for me, so if you have trouble i can get you in contact with him. he might know of someone who can help you out, or if laws allow even catch one for you and fly it same day delivery.

the only cuttlefish i know is here is called the mourning cuttlefish, so if your intersted check them out too. a flamboyant cuttlefish lives around here but it might be endangered and its flesh is highly toxic, so not reccommended.
 

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