How to identify my octopus

[AMPM]

Trying to identify this octopus. Any ideas ?

 

[Tahoe61]

Where did the Octopi come from?

 

[Zack K]

Just the fact that you have an octopus im jelous.

-Zack, who knows nothing about Octopi

 

[Scotty Buttons]

I use to keep octopi years back and they are very hard to identify, but my best guess would be O. Bimaculatus. Also known as the California two spot octopus. Good luck! There really fun animals to keep!

 

[Tahoe61]

I use to keep octopi years back and they are very hard to identify, but my best guess would be O. Bimaculatus. Also known as the California two spot octopus. Good luck! There really fun animals to keep!

^ This would be my guess as well, but really need a collection location.

 

[andrewkw]

Octopus Briareus would be my guess. Where is it from?

 

[skiergd011013]

as long as its not a blue ring! how are you going to contain it? They can get out of just about anything.

 

[Tahoe61]

Keeping Octopi is no small feat. They require a solid escape proof system dedicated to the Octopus, if there is a hole or opening, even tiny they will find it and escape. They will eat the fish and inverts if introduced to a system containing that live stock. Octopus eat live foods and feeder fish are not ideal by any means.

 

[skiergd011013]

Keeping Octopi is no small feat. They require a solid escape proof system dedicated to the Octopus, if there is a hole or opening, even tiny they will find it and escape. They will eat the fish and inverts if introduced to a system containing that live stock. Octopus eat live foods and feeder fish are not ideal by any means.

I saw behind the scenes of via aquarium and they had all kinds of contraptions on their octopus tank haha. No thank you.

 

[Tahoe61]

I used to put 2 by 4's on the lid of my tanks with a stack of book to boot. ;Bored Octopus take dedication, but worth the experience if you have a passion for keeping Octopi.

 

[andrewkw]

Keeping Octopi is no small feat. They require a solid escape proof system dedicated to the Octopus, if there is a hole or opening, even tiny they will find it and escape. They will eat the fish and inverts if introduced to a system containing that live stock. Octopus eat live foods and feeder fish are not ideal by any means.

It really depends on the species. Both Octopus I kept never attempted to get out.

Fish are not ideal, but you can buy fiddler crabs in bulk very cheap, shore shrimp (marine ghost shrimp) are also available cheaply in bulk. After an initial adjustment phase they take frozen food without issue most times. Their short lifespans contribute to the idea they are difficult to keep. It would be difficult to keep in in a regular reef tank, but in a tank built around the octopus they really aren't hard to care for.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

I use to buy freshwater fiddler crabs from petsmart, they will live in saltwater for long enough to be eaten haha.. my octopus loved those things you could hear it cracking the shell open eating the meat and discarding the empty shell. I use to put a crab in a small mason jar full of tank water and drop it in the sand bed and that octo had no problem learning how to open that jar to eat the crab.

 

[Tahoe61]

I feed little neck clams, and crabs and shrimp that I caught or bought. The clams were perfect, drop and walk you just have to make sure they are alive upon purchase.

It really depends on the species. Both Octopus I kept never attempted to get out.

Fish are not ideal, but you can buy fiddler crabs in bulk very cheap, shore shrimp (marine ghost shrimp) are also available cheaply in bulk. After an initial adjustment phase they take frozen food without issue most times. Their short lifespans contribute to the idea they are difficult to keep. It would be difficult to keep in in a regular reef tank, but in a tank built around the octopus they really aren't hard to care for.

I find that odd, I have only kept two types but both actively sought escape at night.

Funny story: There was a large fish/aquarium showing going on in Reno, fresh and salt water. Every morning when they opened some very expensive Koi fish were missing. Staff was sure someone was stealing the fish, so they set up a camera. Low and behold the show Octopus was getting out of his tank at night, walking to the Koi fish tanks, grabbing a fish and returning to it's tank to eat that expensive fish. Octopus are so smart.

 

[AMPM]

Thanks for all the replys. So I got it from my local lfs, they called it a Pacific brown octopus, which is basically just calling it an octopus. I am awear of the blue ring, and it definitely doesn't appear to be one.

As for the tank, it's definitely not going in my reef, it's in a 20 long I've had up and running almost a year now, it's a tisbee and amphipod culture tank. It has sand and rock and two sponge filters. It has a heater set at 79 degrees ans a low watt florescent bulb. Also I cut a piece of glass and siliconed it over the top of the tank covering alittle more the half the top. I then cut another piece of glass that sits on the other remaining half and is taped down.

After temp and drip acclimating the octopus, i fed frozen krill about three hours later and he shot out and gobbled it right up.

 

[AMPM]

I use to keep octopi years back and they are very hard to identify, but my best guess would be O. Bimaculatus. Also known as the California two spot octopus. Good luck! There really fun animals to keep!

Thank you, this gives me something to work with researching

 

[Tahoe61]

This was my O. Bimaculatus. I used to collect them in the spring in NewPort Beach's back bay right after they hatched. They typically lived anywhere from 9-12 months.
The back round on the tank offered the Octopus a place to camouflage against and feel more comfortable. Very out going type that like to interact and be entertained, they really need textile simulation.

 

[AMPM]

This was my O. Bimaculatus. I used to collect them in the spring in NewPort Beach's back bay right after they hatched. They typically lived anywhere from 9-12 months.
The back round on the tank offered the Octopus a place to camouflage against and feel more comfortable. Very out going type that like to interact and be entertained, they really need textile simulation.

Wow that's awesome! What did you keep you tank temperature at? Also how often did you feed?

 

[Tahoe61]

Temp average about 76, they do better in cooler tanks though.

If I used little neck clams (you can buy them at any grocery store in sea food section) then 2-3 times a week. The clams will be on ice, make sure the shell is tightly closed and there is no significant odor. For an Octopus that size I would try to get small clams. You just put the clam in the tank and the Octopus can eat at it's leisure when hungry. The clams do fine, I never had one die prematurely but I would definitely keep an eye out for a clam dying and fouling the system.

If you live near the beach it's pretty easy to get live crabs and shrimp from the local fisherman or fish markets or catch them yourself. Crayfish will work in a pinch.

Ursala's tank was located in my kitchen on the island because that area offered a lot of activity. I could watch her and she could watch everyone else. She did grab me gently when I cleaned her tank or did maintenance and would wave her arms out of the tank when I left the lid off when I was present. If I was not present she was locked down tight.

 

[AMPM]

Temp average about 76, they do better in cooler tanks though.

If I used little neck clams (you can buy them at any grocery store in sea food section) then 2-3 times a week. The clams will be on ice, make sure the shell is tightly closed and there is no significant odor. For an Octopus that size I would try to get small clams. You just put the clam in the tank and the Octopus can eat at it's leisure when hungry. The clams do fine, I never had one die prematurely but I would definitely keep an eye out for a clam dying and fouling the system.

If you live near the beach it's pretty easy to get live crabs and shrimp from the local fisherman or fish markets or catch them yourself. Crayfish will work in a pinch.

Ursala's tank was located in my kitchen on the island because that area offered a lot of activity. I could watch her and she could watch everyone else. She did grab me gently when I cleaned her tank or did maintenance and would wave her arms out of the tank when I left the lid off when I was present. If I was not present she was locked down tight.

That's so cool! I'm very excited about this. That you so much for all the info

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I'm jealous, I've wanted an octopus for a while, shame they have such short life spans. I'd love to have a 500 gallon tank with a flamboyant cuttlefish colony someday, I feel like that be a neat reef tank.