Does your LFS carry Blue Ringed Octopus?

[KrisReef]

You read my mind. You just can't compare an inanimate object to an animal with a mind of its own. Even if you aim a gun at someone and pull the trigger it will do nothing because it isn't loaded. You have to intentionally load, aim, and shoot in order for a gun to do harm. A blue ringed octopus has instincts regardless of your actions. If you hold it and it bites you, you didn't force it to bite you, it did so on its own. You don't dictate exactly what it does like you do with a gun.

What is interesting is that it is a crime to point a gun (assault), even and empty one at a person. If you get caught doing it, or if someone takes a picture of the act, even it it was done in jest there may be an district attourney who would want to send a person to jail for that crime.

Having a dangerous animal in a pet store is stupid, imo, since anyone with the purchase price can take it home and what they do with it might possibly come back to haunt the LFS, but not necessarily.

If a LFS sells a dangerous animal for cash, once the customer leaves the store it may be difficult to prove that the LFS actually sold the animal to the customer. IF the customer subsequently dies playing with it, or if they drop it into their mother-in-laws bathtub and she is bitten and dies, if there is no paper trail back to the store then any legal team is going to have difficulty attaching any guilt (and damages) to the LFS that may have sold such a stupid pet.

I'm glad they are available, but I don't know why really. It is really hard to imagine that anyone needs a Blue ring octopus, but if they do then I am ok if they have one.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Very cool but shouldn't be allowed to sell them imo.

 

[Stomatopods17]

Both my LFS can get them in. One got a customer a quote on price and availability (I joked and ask them to order one and they told me I was the 2nd person that day to ask lol), the other told me a really grim story that happened there in the past.

I jokingly ask the other LFS to order me one cause I was ordering all kinds of crazy stuff, and they took me by surprise telling me no problem you'll just have to sign a waiver... I will say I got ideas that day but never attempted it lol. After declining they told me a story about a women who came in asking to order one, which sounds straight forward enough.... until she start asking some questions that felt like an assassination attempt on her husband, she asked questions like "how aggressive are they, would it bite my husband when he cleans the glass, is it fatal enough (If you researched enough to know to order a 'blue ring octopus' you don't even have to ask the question)... well the LFS asked her to sign the waiver, and she high-tailed it out of there even though the owner was plotting to basically 'pretend' they were getting it in to try and buy her husband time for whether the hell was going on between them.

Personally, I always kept an open mind about getting a blue-ring, primarily because I don't have room for another 29g for a dwarf octo that hides the 8 months it lives, a blue ring can reasonably be in a small nano or 10 gallon. The issue is as other's have pointed out... they only live weeks lol, they're very small and with octo's, the last thing you want is a full grown one and since they already are tiny you're likely only getting full grown ones, they do not live long in captivity or even naturally, its a big waste of time getting a blue ring cause that thing if you're lucky you might only have a few months max, and when they die they nuke the tank. Biologist have been poisoned just from sticking their arms in the tank, its not as fatal as a bite, but its really nasty what happens when those toxins release from its corpse since the poison is in the skin too. Its not hard or complicated to not get bit (just don't ever think you can do physical contact with one, octopi in general will 'curiosity' bite to test if you're food regardless of the mood they're in.. with dwarfs thats w/e, they learn quickly you're not food and likely won't test bite you again, with these thats the last bite) but why bother setting up a 10 gallon that has the potential to be unusable just for something that potentially only lives a few weeks, its hard to justify unless i decided one day 'just to say i did it' kicks in.

 

[Hadla]

My local got a load of new stock one day while I was there. 2 octopus hitch hikers. One very small which fell into the floor. I picked it up. Pretty sure it was not a BR though.

What did they do with the two hitchhikers? I would love to find one in my tank that came in on live rock!

 

[oceancowboy]

Stopped by one of my LFS today and they had in a small blue ringed octopus (about 2 inches) and not bad at only $69. That said, I did not buy it but first time I’d ever seen one in person or even for sale, making me wonder if any of your LFS get one in?

*They did have warnings on the glass stating it was deadly and that a waiver must be signed when purchased.

Here’s the little guy:

While folks say "cool"....these should not be in stores. They need specialized care and are deadly. Let's leave these in the ocean.

 

[marinesnow]

I don’t like my clownfish biting me, I can’t imagine having one of these lol.

 

[littlefoxx]

OP Is the octopus still at the store? Im just curious if someone got it. I think these guys should be in the ocean, they are way to smart to be in tanks honestly IMO. I just hope that whoever has him (the LFS or an aquarist) can take care of him the way he needs to be… best thing they could do for him would he to take him to a professional aquarium where they would be more equip to care for him (his needs and the fact he is super deadly)

 

[littlefoxx]

I don’t like my clownfish biting me, I can’t imagine having one of these lol.

THAT

 

[Reefing102]

OP Is the octopus still at the store? Im just curious if someone got it. I think these guys should be in the ocean, they are way to smart to be in tanks honestly IMO. I just hope that whoever has him (the LFS or an aquarist) can take care of him the way he needs to be… best thing they could do for him would he to take him to a professional aquarium where they would be more equip to care for him (his needs and the fact he is super deadly)

I honestly am not sure. I haven’t been back to the store since my post (may stop by today though).

 

[littlefoxx]

I honestly am not sure. I haven’t been back to the store since my post (may stop by today though).

Ah okay! I feel bad for the octopus

 

[Reefing102]

Just checked. They still have it

 

[mdrobc13]

Ah why would anyone want to own it? One bite will likely kill you...no known anti-toxin. Only way to save you is to intubate you and let the venom wear off. Plain stupid to own or order it including the LFS in my opinion.

 

[Stomatopods17]

Ah why would anyone want to own it? One bite will likely kill you...no known anti-toxin. Only way to save you is to intubate you and let the venom wear off. Plain stupid to own or order it including the LFS in my opinion.

tbf venomous reptile hobby is one of the most well known proving grounds people will own anything dangerous.

An octopus is less likely to make physical contact with a human being than a bolting snake (that serves a risk to neighbors if you're irresponsible), and although mambas/cobras aren't particularly commercially available, there's still some really nasty symptoms some snakes can cause that are.

Blue Rings are dangerous, and if they weren't so short lived I unironically think their popularity would be higher, they are the only octo that comes to mind you can house in a 10 gallon since even dwarfs need really special 29g+ sized tanks. My only worry is how toxic the water gets when it does die, I know biologist have had some really bad poisoning in their arms when reaching in tanks of a deceased blue ring, skin absorbs it still. I occasionally get chills rethinking the story of the women who tried to kill her husband via sneaking a blue ring in his reef tank as well but for as creative as it is, it certainly isn't the only method anyways.