Scott from Florida (:

[Boogeyman]

Hey everyone ! My name is Scott. I’m a bit new to the saltwater hobby but, I am VERY determined. I’m going to attach some pics to this post but I have my first tank cycled and ready to go. It’s a 90 gallon, I bought the biggest in store I could so that the octo I purchase will live happily. I came into this hobby specifically to house one creature, and that’s the octopus. I didn’t care for fish, corals, I had money to spend and I had one creature in mind lol. I’m not new to tonmo, before making my account I searched and read thread after thread of info, YouTube vids, and info from LFS. Anyhow, back to my tank. The current lighting has 3 options one being moon lighting which I might use when I get the octo. Maybe 2-3 hours of the purple light in the pics and moon lighting until I go to bed. Hoping my coralline algae keeps growing with less light. I’m my tank I have 88 pounds of live rock, live sand, and 5 damsels to “portray” the waste an octopus might excrete. My only worry is that, im hoping the damsels don’t try anything dumb when I introduce the octo, which I receive by mail tomorrow, overnighted to me. In my refugium sump, I have marine pure (2/3 of the box dumped into sump lol) macro algae, 5 pounds live rock. As well as a skimmer where the drain water enters the sump. My water parameters are stable, ph-8.2. Ammonia-0. Nitrite-0. Nitrate-0. (Hoping macro algae is helping keep Params low and not starving) last but not least I am of course using RODI water, my unit is hooked up next to the sink.

Sorry for all the info, if you have any advice feel free to let me know!

As for the octopus species I bought, it is the wonderpus. I know, a lot of people are against exotic species and for good reason. I feel as though this will be a challenge to raise him, and I’m ready for it, 100%.

With all the info I presented, there is only one thing I am worried about, the damsels picking on the octo at first entry. In turn causing more stress.

 

[DWhatley]

If you do nothing else, please remove the fish. Wunderpuses are very small, delicate animals that live in a muck environment. Your new friend will need more hiding area than your current layout provides (rearranging the rock will help).

Florida has several local species that would be a better choice. Please consider O. briareus, O. hummelincki or O. vulgaris next time around (octopuses lifespans are very short) as I think you will have a more positive experience.

 

[Boogeyman]

If you do nothing else, please remove the fish. Wunderpuses are very small, delicate animals that live in a muck environment. Your new friend will need more hiding area than your current layout provides (rearranging the rock will help).

Florida has several local species that would be a better choice. Please consider O. briareus, O. hummelincki or O. vulgaris next time around (octopuses lifespans are very short) as I think you will have a more positive experience.

I agree with you, I did a lot of research on the wonderpus, I eventually planned on adding a deeper sand bed. I actually just received an email from the site I ordered from and was notified that my order was placed in quarantine, and will ship when it is ready. So, I will look into the species you mentioned, and go ahead and purchase one of those instead, thanks for the tips! I might just purchase more rock instead of rearranging. As for removing the fish, is that with any species of octopus?

 

[debbie]

Damsels are aggressive and will pick on ANY octopus. You cant have them with an Octopus. Any fish with an octopus is asking for trouble> Thanks

 

[Boogeyman]

Damsels are aggressive and will pick on ANY octopus. You cant have them with an Octopus. Any fish with an octopus is asking for trouble> Thanks

Okay thank you, I was just making sure. I will remove them before adding any octopus

 

[tonmo]

Welcome @Boogeyman - thanks for joining TONMO! Please do share all your experiences in the Exotics & Rare Species Forum. Looking forward to pics and insights!