ware to start

[crazy8svt]

I'm a experienced reef keeper looking to branch out. I've decided my next tank is going to be for and octopus. I belong to the Monster fish forum and they lead me here. My question is am I heading in the right direction. I was thinking of getting a cub tank 24"*24"*24" which is about 60 gallons I'm also going to use a refugium and a protein skimmer. Will that size aquarium be sufficient, and what species should I start out with. I seen a blue ring in my local salt water store and was hooked, yes i know they're poisonous but all the cool animals usually are (dart frogs). Thanks for any info.

 

[monty]

to TONMO!

It sounds like you've already done this, but just in case, make sure to read the ceph care articles in the tab at the top of the page, these answer a lot of common questions.

That sounds like a great size tank for most of the species commonly kept. I'm sure some of the experienced tank-keepers will chime in with more details, but it sounds like you're on the right track. We recommend getting a tank-bred bimac if they're available, Zyan Silver has been breeding some, and he may have some available now or in the future. Tank bred octos are usually healthier, happier, and they're a known species and age so they're much less likely than wild-caught ones to be close to the ends of their lives. Octopus briareus is another species that does fairly well, but they're not available tank bred.

TONMO recommends strongly against keeping blue rings. They're really very, very venomous, and their bite can be lethal in minutes. Often fish stores will downplay how dangerous these animals are. Remember, octopuses can even escape their tanks, so you could step on a blue-ring unexpectedly on the floor or something, and it is would be far more likely to kill you than a rattlesnake. If you were to have a blue-ring, unless you're suicidal, you would be able to interact with it far less than other octopuses you could choose, and you'd have to take all sorts of precautions if you had to clean the tank, move the animal, repair filtration, take care of "octo-proofing," and so forth. By most accounts, they aren't as personable as some other species, either, so you get "less octopus" and have to deal with a bunch of extra stuff. Roy Caldwell, who's kept blue rings in the lab for research, has written an extensive article about them here if you are considering buying one from your LFS, but pretty much everyone agrees that they don't have any benefits that outweigh the liabilities.

 

[DrBatty]

As far as the specs you have for your tank go, you are headed in the right direction for keeping any variety of species....but I agree with Monty on this one about the danger of keeping blue rings. In addition, I have also read an article [and heard from others' personal experiences] that the blue ring octo itself isn't the only poisonous thing to worry about. Because you are essentially keeping this HIGHLY poisonous creature in water that continues to circulate, there is actual venom that builds up in the water itself and can be absorbed through the skin, causing a tingling sensation, and some claim a mild temporary paralysis, or flu-like symptoms [most likely pertaining to a mild swelling of the liver].
Given that, from the accounts I've read or heard firsthand, these people have only been in contact with the contaminated water once. There is no telling what could happen if the toxin could build up in your system over time. You are bound to be in contact with that toxic water fairly frequently - it would be a great risk for you to take to try and keep one.....and if you have anyone living with you, I really recommend you run this idea by them first.

 

[Michael Blue]

Cool thing about dart frogs (since you mentioned them) is they appear to not be poinonous in captivity, particularly when bred in captivity. It is thought the venom is a by-product of something in their natural diet.

Whether this is true of Blue rings is not known, but obviously when dealing with lethal options it is not only safe, but sane, to err on the side of safety and always assume they're lethal.

They sure are pretty though.

I think you will find some of the other species being kept by members here actually have more camouflage ability than the Blue ring, giving them possibly an even more appealing aesthetic.

Good luck with your search!

 

[crazy8svt]

Thanks

Thank for the responses.yes you are right about the dart frog diet. My pregnant wife also agrees with your concerns on a blue ring. I have been told long before I posted this thread I couldn't get one yet (she did say yet lol). I've been looking at other species I just thought that one was pretty neat looking. Other than pictures I've only seen 3 face to face, that blue ring a giant at the Georgia aquarium(a must for any fish enthusiasts) and this little bugger that I accidentally caught in a shell will me and my wife were snorkeling on Captiva Island on the gulf side of Florida. Thanks for the advice.