question from the new guy

[cjkennedy]

I am in the process of setting up a 90 gallon reef tank.
I would like to get an octopus more then anything, but would also like to have things it may not get a long with. Has anyone ever used a tank divider to seperate a living area for an octopus?
would this be a problem?
thanks

 

[rcl]

Dividing could be possible if you were crafty, but even if you had that in place you have to consider --

1) You can't have corals with him or he will disrupt them or be hurt by them
2) Even if his area is okay, the temperature he wants is NOT going to be what the corals want -- or what you'll be able to provide with strong lighting. I'm assuming you would get an o. bimac, these are colder water species and the colder the better. Getting up past 76F'ish (or lower depending on who you ask) is going to be stressful to the creature and will shorten his lifespan.
3) Logistically, doing this separation will be very difficult and probably even expensive.

Unfortunately, you would be considerably better off giving the octopus his own system... I think if you wanted the 90 to be a F/O tank it would be possible, but still very tricky.

Good luck

Robert

 

[cthulhu77]

Welcome to tonmo! Robert is rather correct...it is a good idea, but probably wouldn't pan out all of that well.
An octopus tank can be quite beautiful, with good live rock and some nice plantings, (and some shrubberies, and a path..hehe) but the tank is really more dedicated to the octo than the corals.
Several of the tonmo-ites keep cuttlefish, perhaps they might be more suited to a limited reef tank?
greg