Thoughts on owning an octopus?

[jasonrusso]

I've also read that the octopus "allows" any tank inhabitants to survive. When it wants something gone, it's gone.

 

[Stichaeidae]

That’s my dilemma beyond size at the moment. I keep seeing blue ring octopuses at my LFS. I’m really on the edge about this.

Just keep in mind they only live about 9 months, and are often halfway through by the time they are sold.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

+1 on what everybody else has said about short life, escape artist, will eat everything else. But here's a new one, if you accidentally spook it, it will look like you have filled your tank with grape juice if it inks. ( ;Facepalm First hand experience) Stock up on GAC!

 

[Saltycrew]

If you get one make sure you have every area closed up. If not you’ll find him dried out on your wall speaking from experience

 

[ScottR]

Here’s a pic of the octopus someone in my reef club snapped.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Local shop has one right now, and gets them regularly. $70 for 6-12 months is fine...... but securing a tank enough for one is too much for me........

 

[ScottR]

Local shop has one right now, and gets them regularly. $70 for 6-12 months is fine...... but securing a tank enough for one is too much for me........

$70 is crazy expensive. They’re around $4-5 at mine. Never was concerned about price. Now I can see why it may be a concern of them not living long.

 

[DSC reef]

$70 is crazy expensive. They’re around $4-5 at mine. Never was concerned about price. Now I can see why it may be a concern of them not living long.

That's unbelievably cheap! I want one of those crazy crocea

 

[Thales]

If you are serious, this is the site to check out

Cephalopod Care

Articles about keeping octopus and cuttlefish in home aquarium.

www.tonmo.com

 

[Katrina71]

I would love to own one someday.

 

[fish farmer]

I had an octopus as one of my first successful marine creatures when I was around 12. It must have been luck, she did really well in a 20 gallon high with early 1980's technology and lots of beach crabs to feast on, never tried to escape. I had her for a couple of months before she laid eggs. She died on Halloween night.

I considered bimacs a few years ago since the local university gets them for an invertebrate class. They do behavioral studies with them and have a decent system to keep several at a time. Those octos were a bigger than I would want to try, closed up they were the size of a grapefruit. One of the bigger ones was very aggressive at feeding, like climbing out of the tank to grab food from the caretaker. I couldn't justify a dedicated tank for a creature with a short lifespan.

 

[clm65]

I would love to have one. On a somewhat related note, I was at a local festival last night, and someone had a pet lemur. I’d love to have one of those too.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I had one 30 years ago, the most amazing creature you will ever keep in an aquarium! Hard to describe but Im still touched by that experience.. as others have pointed out they are short lived, will escape in a heartbeat and need live crabs or shrimp to eat.

sorry no digital cameras back then for confirmation on date note the air stone and uplift pipe for my UGF.. lol

That's one way to convert a picture into digital
I love the idea of keeping an octopus, but the short lifespans are a big deterrent for me. I get attached easily.

 

[lapin]

I eat danger like it’s breakfast.

Holy Irwin's Batman

 

[sfin52]

I would love one. Short life span and escape artist is what is keeping me away.

 

[andrewkw]

Besides TONMO you can also pick up the book : Cephalopods: Octopuses and Cuttlefishes for the Home Aquarium Book by Colin Dunlop and Nancy King. This is a pretty good read if you are one of the few who still likes to keep books around.

Depending on the species the whole escape thing is overstated. The 2 I kept never once tried to escape. I just kept a mesh top over the tank with some pieces of wood holding it down that they easily could have moved if they wanted to.

First picture is when I just got my second one. They maxed out at about 30" arm to arm. I kept them in a 90 gallon (36x24x24). The short life span should not be a deterrent. They are great to keep, and once they have lived out their days you have a tank ready for something else. Unlike cuttlefish which require a lot of live foods once these guys got comfortable with me I could easily feed them frozen food.

 

[DSC reef]

Besides TONMO you can also pick up the book : Cephalopods: Octopuses and Cuttlefishes for the Home Aquarium Book by Colin Dunlop and Nancy King. This is a pretty good read if you are one of the few who still likes to keep books around.

Depending on the species the whole escape thing is overstated. The 2 I kept never once tried to escape. I just kept a mesh top over the tank with some pieces of wood holding it down that they easily could have moved if they wanted to.

First picture is when I just got my second one. They maxed out at about 30" arm to arm. I kept them in a 90 gallon (36x24x24). The short life span should not be a deterrent. They are great to keep, and once they have lived out their days you have a tank ready for something else. Unlike cuttlefish which require a lot of live foods once these guys got comfortable with me I could easily feed them frozen food.

Very beautiful, well done man.

 

[Roosterjack]

For whatever reason they give me the heebie-jeebies Was a supreme act of courage to open this thread!

 

[DSC reef]

It's funny. At one time we had 4 tanks going plus the octopus. With 75 a reef tank filled with corals and amazing tridacna, a 125 with beautiful fish and even a colorful cichlid setup, everyone that came over was instantly drawn to the octopus.

 

[Huff747]

If you are serious, this is the site to check out

Cephalopod Care

Articles about keeping octopus and cuttlefish in home aquarium.

www.tonmo.com

If one were going to keep an octopus what species would you recommend? Just curious, I do not have a tank secure enough for one, but maybe someday in the distant future.