Hey guys, had the kids at the beach today - and there was some kelp that came in.. anywhoo, I pulled the 30 metre hunk out so the kids could play and look at all the creatures on it and lo an behold - shewho finds a small octopus - then I found another!

Luckily I had about 6 empty beer bottles so we filled them up and now - I have a tiny tank with some salty water and an aerator and 2 grumpy little octopii...

The plan is show & tell tomorrow morning @ school then chuck them back in the surf - but I'd love to keep them as pets...

Are they hard to keep? I know they are escape artists, but what do I need to know if I wanted to keep them?

ps I am a salty virgin....

I think your best bet for info would be Livingart.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=30779

I haven't kept saltwater before but i know they grow fast, growing to full size in about a year, and they usually only live for just over a year. So I guess they'd have a pretty healthy appetite. Maybe add a small crab or two for a snack and then release them after show and tell.

from what i know about them they are particuarly sensitive to water conditions also copper in the water coupling that with being a messy eater a large tank is a must with a very tight fitting lid

very clean water and an established system

so long as it is small can be kept in a bucket overnight

if you are doing show and tell then airstones in bucket will work to keep them alive but do a 50% waterchange every 8 hrs or sooner

Thanks guys, - man they look like they would be great pets - but a 10 litre tank LOL nah and I like my amazons... well do I?

If anyone wants to pick them up from Nth Canty tomorrow - would save them from being seagull tucker!

Maybe you should see whether southern encounters would like them They might be interested and you would be able to see them again

He's the red blob in the corner...

And caught him out for a walk..

The more I see them, the more I want to keep them, recon they could handle a bit of fresh water as/if I convert my freshie tank?

Do salt water tanks have any more specific requirements than a water pump and a hundred litres of water?

@carzncats - good idea, but I'm out of town now... cant really pop in after work.

I have an empty/secure 600L established cold water marine tank waiting for occupants.

Would be keen to keep for a while and maybe pass on to somewhere when it gets too big.

Can you PM a pickup address if you are interested. Cheers

PM sent..

Love the airpump, btw. I want one.

Southern Encounter prob aren't keen on little ones - in the past they've had them & they've just hidden the whole time, so while very cool (& popular with the staff I'm sure.. he's sooooo cute!), there's not much point in having it on 'display'. They might be interested once he's bigger though.

Love the airpump, btw. I want one.

There used to be one in the Bio lab when I was at school I've wanted one ever since.

lol, lets all ignore the octopus and covet the airpump!

There used to be one on the shelf at Wetpets, but I doubt it is for sale.

lol, lets all ignore the octopus and covet the airpump!

I must say thats what i noticed also!

The octopii have hopefully by now been rehoused - they were fascinating to watch, swimming, crawling and changing colour/shape. Wish we could have kept them - and will start researching what's needed to keep them happy.

LOL at the pump - it's brilliant, no noise and very little maintenance, never seen another like it tho - and I'm embarrassed by how much I paid for it :-?

The octopii are now residing in my 80L hex in my lounge.

They blew a bit of ink as they swam to the bottom and promptly dug into the shingle under a rock.

They are even smaller than I thought they would be.

I have some raw snapper which I will place near them later today and see if I can tempt them out.

Nothing to photograph at the moment.

They came with two very small starfish, I think they are brittlestars. Like the octopuses they seem to be both different colours even with the same background.

Thanks again Hazara.

Keep us updated with photos! They are so cute, especially when that little.

If they won't eat dead food, try live crabs from the beach.

If they don't come out much, try keeping them in the dark with a red light, since they don't like direct light.

Do make sure everything is secure, as others have mentioned, they are fantastic escape artists.

How much space is need to keep one happy for a year or two? because that is the around there lifespan right?

6 to 8 foot tank and i had one for 18months

Without being curl how long could one be kept in a 3 foot tank?

How sensitive are they to temp?

Thanks for taking them Weka - if you hadnt I'm sure it would have ended up with me trying to make up a salty tank just for them.. I think I'll try some simpler animals first.

The kids would love a photo if/when they come out.... it was a great experience for them to watch the octopussys explore the little tank they were in. Have they eaten yet?

Thats great news and good luck. Keep us up to date with your progress.

We do have dwarf Octopus sp. in New Zealand which down south can occur in shallow water. They look just like our large common inshore one but only grow to about 20 cm in length (body, head, and arms).

There are also the mickey mouse or bobtail squids (Sepioloidea spp.). These lovely little guys are related to cuttlefish and are quite common over sand in shallowish water (I think about 20 metres+, sometimes shallower). Heres a pic one of my workmates took on a research survey.

Without being curl how long could one be kept in a 3 foot tank?

How sensitive are they to temp?

basically sensitive to all water parameters

young occies acclimatise to tank life quite easily, older ones can commit suicide

they are very intelligent and older ones like their freedom

they will eat most tankmates and can fight for territory when housed together

i have had most success with young ones and growing them on

dwarf Octopus that is so cool. Time to go reread that marine guide by Carly.