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Would this setup be adequate for a Bimac?

Joined
Sep 3, 2005
Messages
9
List/setup.
50 gallon tank with plumbed in tank over flow.
Seaclone 100 protein skimmer.(maybe 150)
wet/dry filter with trickle plate and bio balls. 12x10x18in
Mix of meridian oolitic aragonite/silver shores aragonite/ figi pink sand. 2& 1/2 inch depth.
Two lime wood airstones 10 lph each
Two penguin 600 powerheads.
55 lbs of figi live rock.
covered w/ all glass versatops (locks)
random pvc hides and ping pong balls and legos for enrichment.
one chocolate chip sea star and one red pencil slate urchin.

Maybe a fluval 304 for extra filtering.
 
Hi Dragon Keeper and welcome to TONMO.com! :welcome:

In general your list is fine, but you have a little more than you need here:

A one inch sand bed would be fine and will cause you fewer troubles in the future.
You don't need the airstones and your octopus would be taking them apart soon, anyway.
One powerhead will do.

Legos are fine, but not ping pong balls. You can find many small baby toys that are entirely plastic (no metal) that can serve for enrichment, too. Not all octos play with toys - my bimac preferred to play with me.
Make sure you buy a small sea star or pencil urchin.

I'm not familiar with versatops, but you must make sure the top is well sealed (but allowing some ventilation). Also all water intakes must be protected with mesh or foam.

Nancy
 
thank you. how will i keep the oxygen up w/o air stones? could i put them in my sump? is the live rock ratio the same as a reef tank? and could i keep a linkia star w/him or just hardy stars?
and why small. btw its an aquacultured bimac about an inch long will i never see him?
 
The protein skimmer and even the wet/dry will help with oxygenation.
If you want to put air stones in the sump, that's OK.

The live rock is about 1 pound per gallon - you need to save some sandy areas in front for your octo to play in, even when he's an adult, so you don't want to fill up the tank with rock.

You don't want other large creatures to overwhelm your octo - also, a fifty gallon is small for a pencil urchin (a 200-gallon is sometimes recommended), who eats coralline algae, so better buy a small one. I need to do more research on the starfish.

Have a look at the descriptions and pics in the thread about Dr. Pus under Journals and Photos. He's in a critter cage which enables you to see him when he's quite young.

Nancy
 
oh from what ive read pencil urchins dont need alot of room. are silver sides okay other than crabs and shrimp. i hope to get it eating off a feeding stick. and a hermit crabs okay for them like those blue leg crabs that are a buck each and are crayfish good kus ive got a bait store right next to me. and why not ping pong balls?
 
:welcome: to Tonmo !

Have you read over all of the ceph care articles by Nancy and Colin???
Ping pong balls rather buoyant, and would more likely end up aiding your octo in an escape attempt, or bruising him as they knock about the tank...and they can be punctured easily, leaving sharp ends.

greg
 

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