Tips on keeping octopus

[anothermix]

Hi all, i'm planning to keep a bimac octopus. any tips on keeping an octopus? any bros here with experience?

Thanks alot!

[Polypterus]

http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/BimacCareSheet.php

Isn't a very wise idea to get one you know, you can't add anything else into the tank, doesn't live long. Pays to get a small specimen.

By the way, the caresheet seems like it has got some of the parameters wrong. No nitrites, ammonia and hopefully little or no nitrates.

Get one that doesn't have to feed on mysid shrimp. They're are a pain as far as I know, to keep alive.

[anothermix]

thanks for the link. i've actually read that page before. but was wondering if any bros here have any personalised tips on keeping them. yea i'm planning to keep only the octopus in it. also to check if fiddler crabs can be bought easily here?

[bluemask]

Have you consider what the octopus do when frighten? Your filter system able to handle that?

[Polypterus]

A good skimmer can deal with the ink quite quickly.

[VelvetAirwaves]

I've had a few that survived on dead market prawns. Trick is to make them look alive i.e dangle infront of the cave with tweezers and such. Live shellfish from the market work pretty well too. Just make sure you have a skimmer thats beyond your tanks capacity if you want it to live to its fullest. One inking session can cause your skimmer to go into overdrive, so do keep in mind. They're awesome creatures to keep, good luck

[Polypterus]

Based on some research, they are actually not requiring of extremely good tank conditions, although we should all strive to attain that for maximum results. As I remember it, most importantly, the tank cannot have any traces of copper. Additionally, we should be feeding a variety of foods, dead and live. Run carbon during inking, ink can suffocate an octopus during its long acclimation process.

[carbangle]

Just out of curiosity , where can get octopus, it seem that all the lfs i have visited doesn't sell octopus

[viceroy]

i heard its BAN bro...

[kenny1111]

u have to look the the east side bro.

[carbangle]

East side lfs i frequent , never saw it b4, unless u talking about changi beach...

[carbangle]

Issit ban ?? for what reason ?? couldn't be extinct rite ,we been eating tako pochi everywhere

[Terryz_]

It is not banned. The only octopus that is banned or restricted is Blue Ring Octopus..

It is not a popular stock for LFS as they will be stuck at the LFS and not a good seller..

If you are really interested in keeping octopus, go for wunderpus or mimic octopus.. Have much more personality that normal octopus and much more nice but it is more expensive also..

[kenny1111]

East side lfs i frequent , never saw it b4, unless u talking about changi beach...

u been to ah beng shop? last week i just saw 2 in bag.

[carbangle]

yah come to think of that , ah beng shop have some slimy creatures in the bag which i dunno whats that...ok thanks for the info

[bluemask]

It is not banned. The only octopus that is banned or restricted is Blue Ring Octopus..

It is not a popular stock for LFS as they will be stuck at the LFS and not a good seller..

If you are really interested in keeping octopus, go for wunderpus or mimic octopus.. Have much more personality that normal octopus and much more nice but it is more expensive also..

that octopus is not fast selling & that's why lots of LFS don't bring in, if not the octopus will becomes PR of that LFS

[Polypterus]

Not true. Mimics and Wunderpus' are bad specimens, even shorter lifespans, more demanding of water quality and more expensive. I think its unlikely to find a good, interactive octopus species in Singapore.

[MadScientist]

Not true. Mimics and Wunderpus' are bad specimens, even shorter lifespans, more demanding of water quality and more expensive. I think its unlikely to find a good, interactive octopus species in Singapore.

The most popular octopus you can find in singapore is inside tako balls, unfortunately

[Polypterus]

Tako Balls are interactive in their own right.

[alcohologist]

Not true. Mimics and Wunderpus' are bad specimens, even shorter lifespans, more demanding of water quality and more expensive. I think its unlikely to find a good, interactive octopus species in Singapore.

really all octopus species are interactive when compared to other marine aquarium livestock.

i was very surprised when i saw a mimic at ah beng just this year. am now seriously considering aquiring one instead of a more common species as i am in the process of tearing down my old 4' fowlr and setting up a smaller dedicated octopus tank (after several years, getting burnt out on the hobby)

on the subject of octopus husbandry, of which i have some experience:

they should be kept in a species tank - they will eat smaller fish/inverts, are susceptible to predation by larger fish, will be more easily stressed by tankmates and thus might ink the tank.

they have no problems leaving the water and have a reputation of being masters of escape. they can squeeze through the smallest of holes so you will want to tightly lid your tank. a sump might be neccessary because of this.

light levels should be on the low side.

enrichment is highly important and a great way for you to interact with and observe these animals.

[xeneryx]

i always see it at ah beng and aquamarin

[Polypterus]

Some notes. RODI, most importantly remove copper from the water.

A variety of foods. There are no cephalopods that will live beyond two years that are readily available in captivity.

Sure, there's octopus bimaculatus which you can have for 2 years when kept at 6 degree celsius, or the giant octopus which lives for 4-8 at the same temperatures.

Do not buy mimic's or blue rings. Six month life span, unknown toxicity for the former, and a lack of human friendly interaction in both species.