texasmetal
Active Member
Welcome to "Octopus Care" 101 with your host, Dale.
The main deciding factor if you are considering getting an octopus, is usually the lifespan. At 1-2 years, it is rather short, and an even shorter 6-8 months for Dwarfs/Pygmies. Tragically short, considering the wonderful nature of these creatures. The worst part about purchasing a wild-caught octopus is that you don't know how old it is. It might be a few weeks from death when it arrives. It might be a young juvenile with many joyful months to go. Unfortunately, very often new owners find that their new octopus has made a den, laid eggs, and won't see it out again until they are taking its carcass out of the tank, then they can try their luck at raising the babies... if the eggs are fertile.
Next you have to consider that there really aren't any suitable tankmates. And even still, whether or not you can provide suitable live food if it never accepts frozen foods.
Also, a chiller may be neccessary as some species are from cold water areas.
If that isn't discouraging, then please continue reading.
Before I get started on the needs of a captive Octopus, let me emphasize that Blue-Rings are deadly. This is not a myth. It is not over-hyped. It is REAL. It bites you, YOU DIE. It's not a quick, peaceful death either. You lay there. Your brain and your heart are the only organs that continue to function unaffected, while you suffocate to death, hearing and seeing everything going on around you, unable to do anything about it. Not pleasant at all.
Mimic Octopus, Zebra Octopus, or Wonderpus are very rare finds in the wild. There is very little information about them available to hobbyists, and they are quite different from most other Octopus species. There are very reputable, responsible people keeping these particular species with mixed results. They do not display their amazing mimic behaviors in captivity. That said, with conservation in mind, let's stick to the more common species, and leave the rare ones in the ocean where they belong. Besides, why spend $300-$600 on something that might possibly die in a week or two?
Most Octopus species share the same basic care neccessities: Strong filtration, low lighting, and live food items of saltwater origin.
An ideal tank size is 50 gallons or more for most common species, 30 gallons for a "Dwarf" or "Pygmy", and 125 gallons for an O. Vulgaris.
The top picture is O. Mercatoris, about 1.5 inches long. On the bottom is O. Filosus, about 4 inches long.
The main deciding factor if you are considering getting an octopus, is usually the lifespan. At 1-2 years, it is rather short, and an even shorter 6-8 months for Dwarfs/Pygmies. Tragically short, considering the wonderful nature of these creatures. The worst part about purchasing a wild-caught octopus is that you don't know how old it is. It might be a few weeks from death when it arrives. It might be a young juvenile with many joyful months to go. Unfortunately, very often new owners find that their new octopus has made a den, laid eggs, and won't see it out again until they are taking its carcass out of the tank, then they can try their luck at raising the babies... if the eggs are fertile.
Next you have to consider that there really aren't any suitable tankmates. And even still, whether or not you can provide suitable live food if it never accepts frozen foods.
Also, a chiller may be neccessary as some species are from cold water areas.
If that isn't discouraging, then please continue reading.
Before I get started on the needs of a captive Octopus, let me emphasize that Blue-Rings are deadly. This is not a myth. It is not over-hyped. It is REAL. It bites you, YOU DIE. It's not a quick, peaceful death either. You lay there. Your brain and your heart are the only organs that continue to function unaffected, while you suffocate to death, hearing and seeing everything going on around you, unable to do anything about it. Not pleasant at all.
Mimic Octopus, Zebra Octopus, or Wonderpus are very rare finds in the wild. There is very little information about them available to hobbyists, and they are quite different from most other Octopus species. There are very reputable, responsible people keeping these particular species with mixed results. They do not display their amazing mimic behaviors in captivity. That said, with conservation in mind, let's stick to the more common species, and leave the rare ones in the ocean where they belong. Besides, why spend $300-$600 on something that might possibly die in a week or two?
Most Octopus species share the same basic care neccessities: Strong filtration, low lighting, and live food items of saltwater origin.
An ideal tank size is 50 gallons or more for most common species, 30 gallons for a "Dwarf" or "Pygmy", and 125 gallons for an O. Vulgaris.
The top picture is O. Mercatoris, about 1.5 inches long. On the bottom is O. Filosus, about 4 inches long.