Hello All,
Throughout the last couple months I have been doing a lot of reading on saltwater aquariums. I originally had my mind set on a nice reef tank with some clownfish and other critters.
I got this idea in my head, "I have always been facinated by cephalopods, I wonder if people have them as pets?", a google search late, boom, I am here.
I spent the last two weeks reading up on ceph care and reading just about anything I could get my hands on. I am almost certain I would like to try and raise an octopus as a pet.
This is what I am planning to purchase so I am looking for some advice. I am 25 and have a nice paying steady job so I am willing to pay a decent price for a nice setup.
I know that the octopus should have atleast 50 gallons so I would be going with a 55. I was wondering, is there a difference in going acryllic vs. glass for an octo? Acryllic seems to be cheaper.
Make sure I have atleast 1" - 1.5" of fine live sand on the bottom. Any recommendations on what type to get? A fine white sand has also been appealing to me.
I would like to add quite a bit of live rock. I realize the octopus will need many places to hide so I would like to offer that and a pretty setup to admire even when he/she is in hiding. What is a nice live rock setup any of you have used?
I would also like to add some coral for color and decoration. Is there any to stay away from?
It seems ideal to setup a sump since water quality is of the utmost importance with a ceph. What is a good size sump for a 55 gallon tank?
Inside my sump is where I would like to have all of the heaters/filers/ect. Is anyone here currently running a sump with all of that, and, if so, could I have a list of the equipment you use and how well is it working out?
I plan on feeding it live food at first working towards a combination of frozen/live food. Hermit crabs seem to be the food of choice. Is there reliable places online to order them? Are they always kept in separate tanks or can a few be tossed in with the octo? Also, when he is done with his meal, what becomes of the shell? Do you just fish it out?
After I get a nice setup I will cycle the tank for a couple months, most likely 3, while I check on the availability of a ceph. I live in the Detroit area and have yet to see an actual octopus in my LFS. I think I would like to get my hands on a bimac. I have checked the availability thread but have not found much recent information even in the last couple pages. Living in Detroit, would it be too dificult to find an bimac for purchase?
Sorry for the long post but I want to be sure I want to take in an undertaking like raising an octopus. If I decide to do it I want to make sure I do it right. Thanks in advance for any replies. I love the site and look forward to being a possible ceph owner!
Throughout the last couple months I have been doing a lot of reading on saltwater aquariums. I originally had my mind set on a nice reef tank with some clownfish and other critters.
I got this idea in my head, "I have always been facinated by cephalopods, I wonder if people have them as pets?", a google search late, boom, I am here.
I spent the last two weeks reading up on ceph care and reading just about anything I could get my hands on. I am almost certain I would like to try and raise an octopus as a pet.
This is what I am planning to purchase so I am looking for some advice. I am 25 and have a nice paying steady job so I am willing to pay a decent price for a nice setup.
I know that the octopus should have atleast 50 gallons so I would be going with a 55. I was wondering, is there a difference in going acryllic vs. glass for an octo? Acryllic seems to be cheaper.
Make sure I have atleast 1" - 1.5" of fine live sand on the bottom. Any recommendations on what type to get? A fine white sand has also been appealing to me.
I would like to add quite a bit of live rock. I realize the octopus will need many places to hide so I would like to offer that and a pretty setup to admire even when he/she is in hiding. What is a nice live rock setup any of you have used?
I would also like to add some coral for color and decoration. Is there any to stay away from?
It seems ideal to setup a sump since water quality is of the utmost importance with a ceph. What is a good size sump for a 55 gallon tank?
Inside my sump is where I would like to have all of the heaters/filers/ect. Is anyone here currently running a sump with all of that, and, if so, could I have a list of the equipment you use and how well is it working out?
I plan on feeding it live food at first working towards a combination of frozen/live food. Hermit crabs seem to be the food of choice. Is there reliable places online to order them? Are they always kept in separate tanks or can a few be tossed in with the octo? Also, when he is done with his meal, what becomes of the shell? Do you just fish it out?
After I get a nice setup I will cycle the tank for a couple months, most likely 3, while I check on the availability of a ceph. I live in the Detroit area and have yet to see an actual octopus in my LFS. I think I would like to get my hands on a bimac. I have checked the availability thread but have not found much recent information even in the last couple pages. Living in Detroit, would it be too dificult to find an bimac for purchase?
Sorry for the long post but I want to be sure I want to take in an undertaking like raising an octopus. If I decide to do it I want to make sure I do it right. Thanks in advance for any replies. I love the site and look forward to being a possible ceph owner!