Question about Tankmates. Might be silly.

[Green_Tree]

So I realize that there is very little you can safely put in with an octopus, but i thought of an odd question today. Ignoring the complications of keeping it in the first place. Has anyone thought of trying a seahorse with an octopus? I would assume that the seagrass would be fine in the tank but would the octopus eat it? Just not sure. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[CaptFish]

Tough call, but i do see two potential problems. First, I had a lot of trouble with sea-grass in the same tank as my octopus (briareus at the time) when they move around the tank they just kind of bulldoze over everything. I had the same result with Gorgonia as well, all of it was knocked over as well. So i see potential issues with the octopus knocking over all the seahorse perches. Second problem i foresee is that the hard bodies of a seahorse may feel too much like the octopuses favorite food crabs.

 

[SabrinaR]

I actually think one of the members tried this combo a while back. If I remember correctly I believe he ended up removing the seahorse because of problems he was having. My octo Isis (bimac) has fake plants in the tank with her for a little color. Anyway she hangs on them some times so I dont know that sea grass would be actually safe. Also the hermits climb on the plants and she pounces on them too.

 

[DWhatley]

If you observe an octopus hunting you will note that if it finds something that moves with its arms, that something goes to the mouth. It may not go after the seahorse visually (like it will a crab) but it will ultimately find it with its arms and eat (or at least kill) it. The seahorse has absolutely no defense.

Here is a link to the most recent attempt

 

[Green_Tree]

Hmmm. Well scratch that idea then. I swear I had seen a reference to a successful attempt though.. maybe ill try to find it.

 

[Green_Tree]

Found it.

http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?14061-confused-about-tank-mates!!!&highlight=Tankmates 3rd post.

hmmm... So in the case where it worked it was a Abdopus and when it didnt it was a Briareus

So is it a case of species to species or octopus to octopus that it may or may not work?

 

[DWhatley]

I would PM Dom to be sure of the end result of Glove and the seahorse (I know the ribbon eel worked out OK but not sure about the seahorse in the end). A.aculeatus is the most likely candidate for tankmates but there lives are so short when we get them that there has not been a lot of long term experimenting.

 

[Green_Tree]

Thanks I did that. I will let you know the result in case anyone else is reading this.

 

[jakester]

This might be a little late but i have had my 2 seahorses and one pipefish with my octopus for a while now and there fine.

 

[Green_Tree]

This might be a little late but i have had my 2 seahorses and one pipefish with my octopus for a while now and there fine.

Jakester do you have a good ID on your octo? And if so what is it?

 

[Thales]

This might be a little late but i have had my 2 seahorses and one pipefish with my octopus for a while now and there fine.

How long is a while? Most of the time reports of octos with other animals end with one eating the other.

 

[SabrinaR]

This might be a little late but i have had my 2 seahorses and one pipefish with my octopus for a while now and there fine.

I dont think yours is the rule more than likely its the exception because A) Yours is a dwarf and B) Because you have yet to be able to post pictures ie shy octopus. I dont think yours "working out" can even be claimed at this point because its only been a month.

 

[jakester]

Yes it is a dwarf and yes the seahorses have only been with the octopus for about a month but the seahorses have also been with my first octopus and they were in the same tank for about 6 months. I think a larger octopus would have diffrent reaction though.

 

[SabrinaR]

What was the other octopus?

 

[jakester]

the other octopus was a dwarf.