Octopus

[janis]

Hi
Our local shop has a baby octopus for sale, they can't seem to tell us anything about it.
Are they suitable for a 60 gal tank in which we have a tellow tang, two clown, 6 line wrasse, orchid dottyback, flame hawk fish and a coral beauty.
We also have some shrimp and crabs, it would be cool to have an octopus but I am really not sure they are suitable, what do you think, as the dealer is willing to sell to us but can't give us any info about it.
That puts me off buying from them as I don't they should sell something that they can't advise you about, i.e what does it eat, how big does it get, will eat eat everything in the tank.
Thanks
Jan

 

[mr_bill]

An octopus can and probably will eat all the fish and inverts you listed there. They are best in tanks by themselves and do not have a very long lifespan(1 year). I bet they have this guy in a tank by himself right?

 

[birdy]

Everything Mr. Bill said is very true, They must have a tank that is only for them, and the lid must be practically glued down to keep them from getting out going to your fish tank, having a snack then heading back home. What is really cool is how they mentally stimulate a large Octopus in the public aquariums, they give them a jar with the lid screwed on tight with food in it, let me say it doesn't take long for them to figure it out!
Also, I belive they have pretty short lifespans, especially females, if they lay eggs then they die shortly after the eggs hatch.

 

[fishieness]

they definatly will eat anything and everything you have in there. Also as mentioned they can escape rather easily.
I saw this video online, i dont remember where it was though..... But at a reserch lab they had a bunch of expensive and rare fish taht would go up missing during the night. They thought it was a scientist who was taking the fish for his own collection, so they set up a suvalience camera. That night they found an octopus would open the lid from his tank, crawl out, walk across the room, grab a fish out of its tank, and go back to the octos own tank to eat it....... they are ccrazy smart and my favorite animal.

 

[janis]

Very lucky escape then. I can't believe that the dealer would sell this to anyone without telling them all the facts.
I am going to ring them tomorrow and tell them they better give the person they sell it to the right info.
Thanks
Janis

 

[janis]

Well I didn't phone them I went in to see them. I told them what you had advised and the dealer tells me that it will only eat a fish much smaller that it, a fish larger than the octopus will eat it.
I have a feeling that they might have a very angry customer if they stick by this advice and the person who buys it gets all their fish eaten.
He was a really cute little guy though, he was changing colour all the time and looked like he has a lightbulb inside his body.
Janis

 

[fishieness]

he lied..... i cant take credit for this find.... carshark found this and posted it in another present octo thread....
but i thought it was awsome enough to put it here too and to prove wrong the guy at your LFS
http://media.skoopy.com/vids/vid_00733.wmv

 

[mudplayerx]

Everything above is true. Octopusus' live only about 6 months (if that), and will probably die within a few days from crawling out of your tank. They are very smart and keeping them secure in the tank is borderline impossible.

 

[willcon]

that was the coolest video i have ever seen. if anyone has a link or has the video of the octopus getting the fish outta the other tank im willing to paypal some money for it. :jumping:

 

[magickyl]

Awesome video! Thanks Carshark!

 

[monalisa]

We posted that video on 2 of our scuba boards...GREAT response. That is one cool video footage!!! Yeah, from what I've heard and read, you need a Fort Knox to keep an octopus, and only temporarily, cause they're gonna out grow or figure out how to get out, back in, and start all over again!!!
Lisa :happyfish