Krama Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 I had an 100l tank with a skimmer on it, and had it for my daughter as a project. The only fish in it was an Emperor Angel Fish, but for some reason it decided to spend Saturday afternoon evening dying so on Sunday, we popped across to the rock pools to get some rock fish to keep the cycle correct, and during our hunt, a tenticle swooped out from under a very small ledge at the rock fish we were hunting... long story short, we came home with a 30cm octopus, that is from head to tail, so to speak. Kids rapped, and all looking well at the moment. There is nothing else in the tank except dead coral and maybe/maybe not a rock fish.... might have become breakfast.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subflex Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 Man thats cool. Can you get us some pics? Hope you got a lid on that tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 real cool. There is a lid, it is an AR -620T with a hang on the back skimmer, so I had to chop holes etc to get the back part to fit..... I have some photos, at home, so will see what I can come up with.... still quite exciting etc even for us old fellas.. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 keep octopus before, they will escape through any hole. Had one for well over a year before he managed to pry open the lid and ended up dead on the carpet across the room. They will completely relandscape your tank, nothing will be safe. in saying that, they are great pets, intelligent and curious. Mine use to come to the top of the tank when people entered the room and squirt water at them through a small hole, a good solid jet from an octi would go 2-3 m acoss the room and drench unsuspecting visiters :lol: Crabs are great food, throw some big crabs in and watch him dismantle them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Thanks puttputt When you say any hole, I hear they can make it out of anything larger than the size of their beak. How did yours escape? should I make sure my lid has absolutly no holes and is held down with a brick? I have had to cut out parts of the plastic cover, maybe I should make a perspex lid and duct tape it down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelers Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Awesome! I would definitly be keen to see some photos. If he's 30 cms across, he will get much much larger. There are two species that you are likely to find here and the big one is Pinnoctopus cordiformis (formerly Octopus maorum) and from what I've seen they have awesome personalities. They can get to 20kgs plus, and suposedly can lift 20 times there own weight. If you have a chiller the cooler the water the less it will eat. At one of the aquariums down south they fed their big one 2 paddle crabs a day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 lets hope hes not going to be that big, if he/she does get out of hand, I can always pop it back in the ocean, its just over the road.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Awesome Krama Stick up the pics - love ot see them. Also get some before and after of your rockscaping (I guess the after shots will be his rockscaping ) Be interested to see the carnage he can create Also, how thick is the glass on your tank? If he is gonna start redecorating you might have a rock or two whacking the glass Very cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 and if the glass breaks...... I will be able to get the new carpet for the lounge..... 8) Glass not that thick, but then the rocks are middle size bits of coral. I am thinks of making a new lid. Just hope it is worth it, they tell me they only live a couple of years at best, and I am not sure of the age. The biggest one I have seen in wild was on a dive off the coast here, it was sort of purple and sitting just ahead of us at about 3 meters. I turned back to point it out to my wife who was behind me, when I looked forward again it had gone... then the lights went out.... my wife saw it all, it has shot up, opened up like a parachute and settled down on my head with its tenticles over my face, mask and back of my head. I calmly went into a panic and started pulling at it... it decided the better of its ways and shot off.... wife couldnt stop laughing for ages............. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
land_lubber Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 hahahah maybe it was attracted to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelifaxNZ Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 I'd be freaking out! Would the AR620 be big enough for the octopus? I say that because the only octopus I've seen is at Kelly Tarltons in a big cylinder tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelers Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 www.tonmo.com is the main octopus site, there's loads of info there. Supposedly the NZ species are very fond of live food which can be a hassle, but as you live next to the beach that's not a problem. Pics! About the lid, it's probably worth sorting out as quite a few people have lost them that way. Since its a rock pool octopus it's probably more comfortable out of the water than most people expect, apparently they crawl into a dark place and die in a carpet-covered furry mess. Your one is probably quite young, it will live a maxium of about 3 years, depending on the temp you keep it at. If you can put up some pictures of it's suckers and in particular the 3rd right arm going clockwise when looking from above it, I can tell you what sex it is hopefully. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 we have an octopus at work. he is in a big tank by himself. he is fed frozen mullet pieces and mussels. he goes crazy over crabs but they are really messy. They require pristine water- and will not live for long if your water is not perfect. They change colour as camoflague and depending on how they are feeling. you want the temp at around 18.5-19.5 degrees. if you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask me. Oh and put in some turbo's to help keep the tank clean(Catseyes), If the anenome stars eating them it is a sign that he is not getting enough to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Where do you work Davidb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 some photos she spent all day out, according to my kids, but now is relaxing out of site, so here are some photos from last night.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 very very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yep, what Devon said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Where do you work Davidb? Puttputt, he works at the Auckland museum. You need to take the girls there before you move up - its awesome Davidb - haven't forgotten your starfish, haven't been back to the reef where I saw them yet. Will get them one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 haha cool thanks skippy. Yep I work at the museum- I'm a live display assistant curator so I care for all the animals and equipment, and make sure everything is presentable :lol: of course that is only my part time job- I'm studying marine biology and environmental science double major at auckland (an awesome combo btw!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 oh and krama, he is looking quite white... is that just the aquarium light. he should go darker a he settles in- just lettin you know. (that is of course if you have dark coloured rocks. provide him with plenty of caves. feed him whole mussels and he will pull them apart himself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 hes allsorts of colours, sometimes quiet orange/brown. The rocks are white coral so he is sometimes trying to look like them... moves around quiet happily in the tank, man, they are a very interesting to look at, most interesting. Very hard to understand in a still photo the way they move. Look forward to being able to provide for him. thanks about the mussels, I had been thinking about them as a source of food, currently the kids have collectd crabs and rock cod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Puttputt that was a great story about your octopus! A truly unique pet, and unique visitor experience! :lol: Krama that is REALLY AWESOME!! To have something so unusual and fascinating, i think it would be well worth dedicating a tank to it. Octopus keeping is one of the few times in marine when using a cannister for biological filtration is acceptable. This is because of the big bioload the octopus puts on the tank, that extra filtration may be needed, and you water change out those extra nitrates. Feelers will know more about this, he is something of an octopus boffin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chikan Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Aeration is one of the biggest parameters to monitor in the tank, due to the octopus having a unique oxygen transport system. They need good DO levels or they will fade. The other is temp won't like it much over 23 deg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krama Posted January 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 thanks for this, with the skimmer, I feel comfortable with the oxygen levels, plus 2 powerheads will help with movement. Will try to keep up water changes, basically easy to do, but the limiting factor is tides and wind direction, which cause cloudy waters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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