Setting up my tank for a bimac

[Pennyworth]

Hi all,

I'm pretty much looking at getting a bimac for my first octopus, after reading the pros and cons of each species.

I recently bought a 56 gallon marineland tank, which is currently empty.

I have two questions, as I have never set up a tank of any sort.

Where can I find a list of all the equipment I will need? I did look on the forum but must have missed it if it is here. Based on what I've read, I need to set it up like a reef aquarium with a sump, skimmer and heater, but the differences are to have only live rock, and make sure the top is closed/locked.

My second question is in regards to light...I have the tank in my living room....and work from home so often have the light on....will this be an issue? I'm guessing I shouldn't use the fluorescent light that came with my tank...

Thank you...

 

[tonmo]

I have a bunch of Articles that I need to get added to the site... working on it! Done by EOY. Meanwhile hopefully someone can provide some guidance...

 

[DWhatley]

We have several new members considering setting up their first octopus tank so it might be helpful to read the first half dozen threads (as well as the stickies) in the Octopus Care forum. I will point you specifically to this entry because it lists and briefly describes the most common animals we keep. I am not sure why so many new keepers "decide" to keep a "bimac" and it would be helpful to know what you read that points you in this direction. It is not that this animal is undesirable but it is very hard to source because of legal restrictions and requires a chiller, something new members never seem to have read when they are led to this choice.

The other thing that seems to always need mentioning is that octopuses have a very short life span. You will be setting up a tank for multiple animals over time and it will likely take longer to set up your first tank than the amount of time you will have with your first octopus. The animals we keep live between 12 and 18 months (bimac have been known to live as long as 3 years but we don't see that often and when we do they are kept at about 62 degrees F). They are all wild caught and the age will be unknown when they are introduced to the tank (but you can count on several months old as hatchlings are rarely available and do not ship well when they are).

Yes, a reef aquarium (with a secured top - almost always DIY) is a suitable environment for an octopus. Aquarium set ups are not cookie cutter though so every set up is going to be a little different. Lighting is not a major concern as long as you can set up a regular schedule. The lights that came with your tank should be fine. If you end up with a nocturnal animal you will want to add red lighting at night. See the links in the Tank Buildouts thread in the Tank Talk forum for some ideas.

Since you have never kept a marine aquarium, you have a lot to learn about creating the proper environment. Freshwater tanks have a learning curve but marine tanks require far more understanding of the environment and a lot more work. I recommend people new to marine keeping to find a local coach, preferably a friend but sometimes your local fish store has knowledgeable people who are willing to help you get your saltwater thumb. Perhaps the best source of help can be found at your local aquarium club. It takes a full three months to cycle a ceph tank and build enough bacteria to handle the waste (this is NOT setting it up and leaving it alone for 3 months) but for aquarists that have never kept a tank, a full year is highly recommended to acquire your saltwater thumb.

We have a couple of sayings/phrases in the hobby that are so common, you can google them and get pages of definitions. The first is, "New Tank Syndrome", or why everything dies when you set up a new tank. The second is, "Nothing good ever happens quickly in a saltwater aquarium", meaning that any fast changes in parameters are likely to cause a system crash.

 

[tonmo]

Well I've added a bunch of old articles, including this Equipment Checklist from Colin Dunlop:

Ceph Care Equipment List

 

[Pennyworth]

Thanks Dwhatley and Tonmo.

I am looking at getting a bimac beecause they are friendly, will do well in a 56 gallon tank and seem to be a good beginner octopus. I am not set on a bimac though, it just seemed like a good choice.

I plan on buying all the equipment at the end of this month, and setting up...so hopefully at the end of April I can introduce an octopus to the tank.

Tonmo, that article is fantastic, thankyou. Just a heads up, the link to the turbo flotor 1000 multi no longer works.

I don't have a local coach available...and am pretty set on starting with an octopus first. But given the amount of material available and the large support community, I think I will be ok.

 

[tonmo]

Thanks for the heads-up about the broken link... I tried to find the same product and updated the link..

Good luck - the community will be here for you for sure.

 

[DWhatley]

JingoFresh,
Hopefully you read over my list of animals that we commonly keep and noted the difficulty in sourcing a bimac as well as the need for a chiller. If these two issues are not a problem (you have a local source and the expense of a chiller is not our of range) then a bimac may be in your future but otherwise, you need to consider my notes on the different animals, understand that you may not be able to specify the animal(s) you will keep and learn a bit about each of the more available species.

 

[Pennyworth]

JingoFresh,
Hopefully you read over my list of animals that we commonly keep and noted the difficulty in sourcing a bimac as well as the need for a chiller. If these two issues are not a problem (you have a local source and the expense of a chiller is not our of range) then a bimac may be in your future but otherwise, you need to consider my notes on the different animals, understand that you may not be able to specify the animal(s) you will keep and learn a bit about each of the more available species.

I did glance over it, but not in detail as I'm still a few months from actually buying the animal. I think from what I read elsewhere was that the bimac had a pretty liberal temprature range, which was part of the appeal, which seems to be incorrect.

I live in NYC and I've seen live octopuses for sale in Chinatown, although no idea what they are. I will choose whatever species is easiest and will do well in my 56 gallon tank, although I'm a while away from researching that.

 

[DWhatley]

Here is a bit more reading you might enjoy. TONMO member Dave Lin experimented with octopus as food rescues (Washington DC area) a couple of years back. He was not successful but is the only one who has found them live and journaled an attempt. I have looked for some here (Atlanta area) in both restaurants and markets but have only found frozen or dried octopus, never live. I would not discourage attempting the "rescue" and would try it in a heartbeat myself but be aware that they are likely to be cold water animals, shipped in lethally cold liquid oxygen.