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seeking an octopus

sdubler

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woodstown nj
Hi all! I have a 1,000 gallon new aquarium that I am seeking an octopus for. I am not looking for a small species like dwarf(s), pygmy(s), or caribbean reef octopus(es), I am looking for a larger species, whether a GPO or smaller, such as the maori or the maya, etc. Does anybody know where I could find one? Unfortunately, I’m not willing to go out diving and retrieve one myself.
sdubler
 
Hi all! I have a 1,000 gallon new aquarium that I am seeking an octopus for. I am not looking for a small species like dwarf(s), pygmy(s), or caribbean reef octopus(es), I am looking for a larger species, whether a GPO or smaller, such as the maori or the maya, etc. Does anybody know where I could find one? Unfortunately, I’m not willing to go out diving and retrieve one myself.
sdubler
Have you had an octopus before?
 
I believe so but they contact and ask. When they first started up, yes but that may have changed.
Do you or anyone else know if they still do? I tried calling a little while ago, (because it is 2 pm there) nobody answered. I will try again tomorrow and keep everyone updated if they get back. Do they have an email address where I could reach them?
 
I am afraid you will not be able to contact them until after this mess slows down. Note this statement in their upper right hand corner,

"Due to a new state-wide mandate for COVID-19 —farm tours will be cancelled until May 1st. Reservations for the month of April will be refunded. Booking is currently available for tours after April 31st. "


but here is the posted contact info,

"Kanaloa Octopus Farm is located on the Big Island of Hawai'i, behind the Kona International Airport, in the Hawai'i Ocean Science and Technology Park.

73-970 Makako Bay Dr, Kailua-Kona,
HI 96740 / [email protected]
 
I am afraid you will not be able to contact them until after this mess slows down. Note this statement in their upper right hand corner,

"Due to a new state-wide mandate for COVID-19 —farm tours will be cancelled until May 1st. Reservations for the month of April will be refunded. Booking is currently available for tours after April 31st. "


but here is the posted contact info,

"Kanaloa Octopus Farm is located on the Big Island of Hawai'i, behind the Kona International Airport, in the Hawai'i Ocean Science and Technology Park.

73-970 Makako Bay Dr, Kailua-Kona,
HI 96740 / [email protected]
Any ideas of what I should say and include in the email?
 
That's why I asked if you'd had a cephalopod before. If you haven't they may not be as willing to sell to someone who hasn't had one and I know you have a big tank and all but if you're new to owning I would start off small. Even the small ones are quite powerful and their bite would be less painful or not as significant as one the size you're looking for...all octopus have venom too but nothing like the blue ring. Just so you are aware.
 
In addition to what others said, I'll make the case for a smaller octopus rather than a larger one (such as a GPO).

- you have a large tank, this is perfect for a small octopus because it will give them room to move around and live comfortably. Most octopuses will find or build themselves a den, and then den up and spend the vast majority of the time in said den. A lot of octopus owners are disappointed that their animal spends so much time camouflaged hidden under a bunch of rocks. This will happen regardless of animal size, species, and temperament. They are solitary creatures with incredibly delicate bodies packed full of protein and nutrients for other animals to eat, and their only defense is to hide extremely well. If your animal is more comfortable in the tank, they will likely spend less time hiding away, and more time exploring the environment or moving from place to place.

-If you put a large animal in a small tank, they won't be as comfortable, so they will spend more time in a "comfortable" position (usually tucked into the corner as far as they can go, with their arms all wrapped around their mantle. Time and time again I've seen aquarium exhibits with a GPO and the octopus is tucked as far away in the back corner of the tank as they can be. This will happen to you with any octopus you get, but the behavior will be more pronounced depending on the ratio of tank size to octopus size.

The bottom line is, larger octopuses require more food, create more waste, cost more, and require more space than you would likely be able to give them, even with a 1000 gallon tank. If your goal is to increase longevity of the animal, and have a shot at seeing them move around and interact with their tank environment, you are probably best off getting a mid-range octopus (O. bimaculoides or Cyanea).

I don't mean to discourage you from owning an octopus, they're excellent creatures and very fun to take care of. I just want to make sure you know what to expect so that you and the animal don't have a negative experience.

Keep us updated if you do find an octopus source! I would love to see photos of your tank setup.
 
O. Cyanea might be a great choice for a tank of that size. The Kanaloa Octopus Farm in Hawaii would be an optimal source
In an attempt to tie off a loose end, I have reached out to The Kanaloa Octopus Farm to see if this may be a potential source since suppliers seem to be dwindling except for the occasional specimen offered at LFSs, but their number is not working and they seem to be dodging the question. I've sent an email and tried reaching out via social media but as far as I can tell they just do tours. If or when I get an answer I will report back.
 
In an attempt to tie off a loose end, I have reached out to The Kanaloa Octopus Farm to see if this may be a potential source since suppliers seem to be dwindling except for the occasional specimen offered at LFSs, but their number is not working and they seem to be dodging the question. I've sent an email and tried reaching out via social media but as far as I can tell they just do tours. If or when I get an answer I will report back.

I was bugging them a few weeks ago and the owner was nice enough to reply:

Aloha DH,

Sorry for the late reply.

We have entertained the idea of sending our octopus to the mainland, however due to local regulations (can't sell an animal smaller than 1lb), they are extremely hard to ship. There's a possibility we might re-start that program, especially due to financial losses associated with the COVID outbreak.

Perhaps we can contact you after I discuss this with staff?


So... maybe if enough of us got some +300 gallon tanks ready... we might create enough demand to make it worth their while.
 
So... maybe if enough of us got some +300 gallon tanks ready... we might create enough demand to make it worth their while.

What if we were to set up a separate thread for “unsolicited market research” for Kanaloa? Like how many of us have a +300 gallon tank ready to go...
how many of us are actively putting a +300 gallon tank together (now that there’s a chance of sourcing a Cyanea)...
How much people have paid in the past or would be willing to pay ( I told them how those Bimacs recently sold for $180... and that I would expect to pay more for a Cyanea).
 
A little off topic but does anyone know why they refer to this species as the big "blue" octopus? I have been researching and nothing I have found specifies why they call it that and even it's scientific name has the word "Cyan" in it. I thought maybe it displays that color predominantly but what I've read is that they are brown most of the time with the capacity to change their color, markings, and texture numerously but nothing mentions the words blue, or greenish-blue. I had not even heard of this species until I came across a pic of one that was in fact blue colored and blue is my favorite color. I'd buy and cycle a 300 gallon tank right now if this octopus was solid blue! (In my opinion, the Caribbean Reef Octopuses fit this description more and part of the reason I sought them out.)
 

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