OK, Tell me what you think about this idea. I have been toying with the idea of creating an octopus "fully secured cage” when I upgrade my 55g to a 90g at the end of the summer. According to Dr. Fosters& Smith they stock an octopus that grow to only 14”. The idea is to have two tanks, a main display tank that sits on top of the stand “obviously” and an octopus tank on the bottom. The stand would be designed to give full view of the 55g octopus refuge on the bottom with only 2 -4x4 post on either end for proper support. The idea is to create a FOLR set up on the bottom and a reef on top. I would only use actinic lighting and provide as much live rock as possible. I would also be open to the idea of having two stand alone systems that appear to be a refuge type setup. I think it’s important to keep the tank low as it may help create an exclusionary cave type zone for the animal. As far as inking goes, I assume it only happens under agitation. So if I accidentally caused the animal to ink I could just shut down the return pump to the main display, there fore isolating the contaminated water. I have an unlimited supply of free salt water from a local research facility, so water replacement is not a huge issue. It’s just a logistical pain to replace any more than 40 or 50 gallons.

I would appreciate any input especially from anyone that knows the physiology of octopus such as diet and metabolic rate.

that sounds interesting, but I honestly don't know a whole lot about octopuses (sp?). I know they are hard to keep,
need excellent water quality and live food.

Wish you the best of luck. When you are done, post some pics.

honestly, i would not keep an octopus
1. harder than heck to keep.
2. life span is tiny and ends after reproduction
3. Most spp are nocturnal
4. and they can be a serious pain to identify, even if you have invertebrate knowedge. (impacts 2 &3)

they can range from 6 mo to a few years for the giant octopus here in the pacific.

i personally feel you are better off choosing something else, this could become an excercise in futility.

if you are bent on it then go here: www.tonmo.com its the best resource i know of.

Keep in mind that they are also natural problem solvers. They are able to figure out how to operate simple mechanisms and their physiology lends itself to being able to squeeze through tight spaces. i.e they are real escape artists (or at least I have hear this is tha case).

I have a friend that had an octopus that managed to crawl out of his tank into the reef tank, snatch up a few fish and then get back to his own tank before the owner noticed. He did this many times before my friend figured out that it was the octopus causing the demise of the fish. The octopus actually crawled completely out of both tanks a few times as well and he would find it on the floor, get it back into the tank and everything would be fine. The final journey, however, led to his bedroom and he didn't find the octopus until too late, unfortunately. This all happened with a very "secure" lid, where my friend thought there was no possibly way that he could get out....

its like peeing into a space extraction tube, u wonder if its ever going to fit, but u will be surprised cause it can be bendable. :rolleyes:
just like the octopus body, very plyable! can fit into an crevice

I have a friend that had an octopus that managed to crawl out of his tank into the reef tank, snatch up a few fish and then get back to his own tank before the owner noticed. He did this many times before my friend figured out that it was the octopus causing the demise of the fish. The octopus actually crawled completely out of both tanks a few times as well and he would find it on the floor, get it back into the tank and everything would be fine. The final journey, however, led to his bedroom and he didn't find the octopus until too late, unfortunately. This all happened with a very "secure" lid, where my friend thought there was no possibly way that he could get out....
there is a story about an octopus at the steinhart aquarium that would undo the locking devices and go into another another tank to steal dungeness crabs each night. initially it was thought that the night janitors were stealing the crabs and a camera was installed to catch the workers. everyone was shocked when the thief caught on film had eight legs.

i heard somewhere that octopus does not like to climb on astro-turf.

well when i pull mine out at the super bowl i'll let u know blubber

well when i pull mine out at the super bowl i'll let u know blubber
American football does not use astro-turf any more. the cleats of shoes get caught. it is now fake grass and fake dirt.

hey, what did i tell u, sooooo yesterday..lol
im making this a bad habit being trapped in the 60's

Have you ever checked out www.tonmo.com ? One of these days I will have a Bimac Octopus. If I can ever find a captive bred baby. There used to be a guy in CA that bred them and sold them on his website: www.octopets.com , but he got out of it. Now, I can't seem to find any.

hey, what did i tell u, sooooo yesterday..lol
im making this a bad habit being trapped in the 60's
the 60's will never die. people here kill themselves to find old cars and blue jeans form that era. what is retro now in bush-land?

Hi m8298,

Welcome to TR. Tonmo.com looks cool. Thanks for jumping into the forums!

Welcome to TR m8298! Hope you like our reefing style! :-)

Thanks for the warm welcome. I've learned so much from the shows, I couldn't help but join the forums.

I dunno if you like Cuttlefish too, but here is another great site: www.stickycricket.com .

John,
thanks for the link.. i have always been extremely fascinated by cuttlefish.. i have to check that on out

And Welcome to TR.. :)

John - that is an amazing website! Guys - check out the movie of the flamboyant cuttlefish. too cool....it looks like a psychodelic swimming hippo or something...

that is an awesome video..

maaan.... i LOVE cuttlefish... :)

That is pretty cool!

yeah i like to cuddle fish, what, whats that,..... read it again, ok,,,,,,,,,,, opps, hehe:oops: :oops: sausage about that, miss read...lol

welcome Secret Agent M8298
im octopussy, shaken & alittle stired!
but u can just call me bubblegum, cause i attach where im not wanted, & removal is to much of a pain to be worth it ;)

hope u enjoy kickin it in the walm surrounding that we call home. *Hey rob turn the heating down abit, im cooking over here bud*

thanks for the posts, the tommo site is proberly one of the best in regards to octopus site, and web sites go anyways. and im yet to check the cuttlefish site out, but i will. i like cuttlefish, major mood displays. the cheapest way to get them is talk to a deep sea fishman, they should be able to bucket u one if its in their catch. did someone say cold water tank! *rob, i'll retract my last request*

oh my god....check this one (http://www.stickycricket.com/aquarium/movies/imperialmarch.html) out!!!

I think I'm going to have nightmares tonight!!!

OMG.. that rox...
i want one.. (or 5.. :D )

very preditor like, both in looks and in nature. very cool

This is one this I actually know a fair bit about as I've had 9 giant pacific octopi. When people say they are escape artists BELIEVE THEM! As to them figuring out simple locks nope they don't do that.... they already know how to get thru those, nothing to figure out.

True story about my Octo named Frank. I ran an aquarium in Westport Wa. and we had tanks that butted up against each other down the wall he was "contained" in. One day I go in and the fish in the tank to his right were gone, a bit confused by this I looked for them (surf perch) on the floor and found nothing. The next day I go in and the baby ling cod in the tank to his left were gone, still no idea. The third day I caught him 3 tanks to his right eating up the rock crabs, AH-HA! So after picking him up and convincing him to let go back in his tank I put a tight lid on with a hook latch on it. Next day I found out that this didn't even slow him down so I added some big rocks to the top of the lid, you guessed it he still got out.

I sat and watched him one night and the expanded metal that was on the lid had holes too big he just went up and out. I ended up having to put new toys in his tank about every other night or so just to keep him busy so he wouldn't run off.

Think of them as being as smart or smarter then a pet racoon and you should be ok. Everything must beon extreme lockdown.

That's what makes them fascinating, beautiful creatures, smarter than us, that's the same reason we get married...

Oops... did I say that out loud??? lol

whatduya mean? you gotta keep locks on us??? :-)

Your all giving great advice on this octpi that just makes me want one. I would gladly buy cheap fish to put in a nearby tank just to watch the thing open a lock, crawl accross the room and eat fish in another tank.

Heck I sit up at night following critters in my sand and they are slightly higher on the scale than a single cell.

It might even keep a few of the teenagers boyfriends from comming around at night.

he he he :D

It might even keep a few of the teenagers boyfriends from comming around at night.

shark tank here we come.. :twisted:

whatduya mean? you gotta keep locks on us??? :-)
yes RB. our eight legged friends is a fair comparison to women: beautiful but powerful, intelligent but cryptic, strong but soft, gentle but sometimes deadly, can be had but never truly kept, can be kept but never ever contained. i would not know what to do if i woke up and Mrs Walrus wasn't there. octopusses remind us or ourselves, that is why we are so fascinated with them. you can't blame a guy for trying to figure out a locking system.

yes RB. our eight legged friends is a fair comparison to women: beautiful but powerful, intelligent but cryptic, strong but soft, gentle but sometimes deadly, can be had but never truly kept, can be kept but never ever contained. i would not know what to do if i woke up and Mrs Walrus wasn't there. octopusses remind us or ourselves, that is why we are so fascinated with them.
lol.. very well put blubber... :D

arryeah, i only wish mine had a lifespan of octopus, then i could get myself a younger model at the tradeoff fair:eek:

the best way to contain an octo, is with astroturf around the cage.

the suckets can not hold, so they dont go.

(its what the aquariums use.)

the best way to contain an octo, is with astroturf around the cage.

the suckets can not hold, so they dont go.

(its what the aquariums use.)
yes, i remember reading this when doing my research, thanks for the reminder adam..

WOW! thanks for the input everyone. I see it can be done, so I will continue to research. It looks like they are a serious challenge. I can’t wait.

check out cuddlefish instead...

I think restricting an octopus to that little space would be cruel. Would you raise a cat in a shoebox?

I would gladly buy cheap fish to put in a nearby tank just to watch the thing open a lock, crawl accross the room and eat fish in another tank.

Probably won't happen since octopus generally are shellfish predators. Hide your clams.

And for anyone who cares... I know it SOUNDS wrong, but the plural of Octopus is "Octopuses." Go figure.

Just remember as long as the beek of the octopus can fit into the space then the entire body can go along with it so make sure thing are secure the last thing you need is an octopus carpet diving. Fish are hard enough to get off the floor after their little escapes.

By the way just stay away from the Blue Ringed Octopus Please.