# OCTOPUS



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

I seen this store a long time ago that were selling octopus. I rember it was labblelled pygmy octopus and it was priced at 200. The guy also told me that you have to keep them in a species tank. and get the best filtration. he told me he fed them cockles

Has anyone ever kept one. I hear they are extremmely difficult to keeP

If u own one please post a pic and tell me ur experiences with them

thanks alot.


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## kingsnar (Nov 17, 2005)

tonmo.com is a forum dedicated to octupi and cuttlefish.

In short, cephalapods are extremely difficult to keep, unless you have much experience with SW dont even attempt to keep one.


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

You better seal your tank or he will escape. Most people feed them FW feeder fish.


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## Doddridge (Aug 7, 2006)

check_ya_self said:


> I seen this store a long time ago that were selling octopus. I rember it was labblelled pygmy octopus and it was priced at 200. The guy also told me that you have to keep them in a species tank. and get the best filtration. he told me he fed them cockles
> 
> Has anyone ever kept one. I hear they are extremmely difficult to keeP
> 
> ...


they sound like a hassle. if you scare them and they shoot their ink then you have to do immediate water change or they will die


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## kingsnar (Nov 17, 2005)

> Most people feed them FW feeder fish.


Maybe if you dont know any better, but they should really not be feed FW fish, or fish in general. They should have a diet of mostly crabs, prawns, and other crustaceans, whith only the occassional silverside or lancefish.


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## bjmarche (Jun 30, 2005)

And, Octupi only last about a year.
And since that one is already atleast a few months old, you won't have much time with him.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

im not interested in keeping one it was just surprising people have these in there homes.


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

the octopus commonly sold as dwarf octo lives 18-20 months and many of the females lay an egg right before they die...


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## flaredevil2 (Sep 3, 2006)

$200 bucks for a sw fish itslef! plus the added "benefits *cough* *cough* of the tank being polluted with ink AND the fact that they can escape pretty much sums itself up for you!


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

and not to mention the space it'll take up!


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

you can get cuttlefish for pretty cheap. they have small species that i was tempted to buy. unfortunately, like an octopus they only live about a year or so.


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

another thing to add to the list:

- $200 bucks!!!
- ink
- escape easily
- space issues
- life span
- not as active as fish


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## kingsnar (Nov 17, 2005)

Quantum_Theory said:


> another thing to add to the list:
> 
> - $200 bucks!!!
> - ink
> ...


I have never seen an octo for $200, theyre closer to around 40-60 dollars.
They hardly ever ink, only sometimes when first introduced into the tank or very nervous.
Most of the common octos can live perfectly fine in a 50 gallon tank,
They are active, they will even learn to play with you and doing tricks.
Life Span is an issue, but personally if you I feel its worth it even if I only get a 16 months to enjoy it.


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

well, they spray ink if you scare em


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## nelsong6969 (Jul 26, 2004)

yea one of my friend had one that cost $80 but think it only lived like 8 months


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2006)

Look at all the negatives.

You guys are missing something tho, the positives!

1. *Camouflage*- Octos are great hiders.

2. *Reaction*- Octos are smart and Ive heard the larger ones will react when they see you, as they learn to trust you.

3. *Smart*- Ocots are the smartest invert and one of the smartest overall living creatures on the planet. Did you know that an Octo has the potential to learn as much in 2 years a baby human does in its first two years on earth?

Not that Im saying they are perfect, jsut wanted to point out why some may want to keep one. I would never reccomend it tho, as they dont do well in captivity.


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

they are awesome and smart. maybe i made this up but i thought i read somewhere about a guy who had one in his fish room. and one by one the fish in his other tanks started to disappear. he eventually figured out his octo was climbing between tanks and eat the other fish at night. like i said i might be completely making that up, but i thought i read it somewhere. maybe on here.


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

lol! just picture an octopus moving like a slug and eating all the fish you own, and before you know it, go back to its tank. Man, I guess thats considered smart!


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## kingsnar (Nov 17, 2005)

Octos are *very* smart, smarter than most people I know







They are so smart they need some sort of mental stimulation, giving them baby toys (rattles, plastics keys, anything tank safe) and playing tug of war (octos are liquid muscle, they will ALWAYS win in tug of war) are some things that octo keepers do to keep their octos entertained, otherwise they get really inactive and shy.


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

at the aquarium in hawaii, the tech guy who maintains the saltwater dept told me the octopus will frequently leave his tank and travel to other tanks in the exibit at night to feed, and will be back in his tank by morning.... and all it takes for him to get in and out is a 1" hole... personally i think it would be kickass to own one for a "lifespan" but after that you would prob go insane


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

well, I guess its like a robot. A sly robot at that.


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## Mattones (Jul 9, 2006)

Picture being woken up during the night if your tank was in your room to your octo sucking your face. oh man. i'm to freaked to own one


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

I don't think octopus' like to suck snot!


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## kingsnar (Nov 17, 2005)

On an octopus forum I was reading that this guys octo got out of its tank and it crawled under his bed holding to a quarter curled up into a ball and wouldn't let his owner get him out. He said it was like a scared puppy dog. Luckily it didn't dry up and die.


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2006)

At an aquarium I went to there was an Octo that got out of his tank, ate all the lobsters then walked back to his tanked, closed the lid and hid the bodies in his tank. It took the biologists months just to figure out where the lobsters were going.

Octos FTW.


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