Has anyone ever kept one of these?

Or how about a species of Octopus, like O. Vulgaris?

--Dan

Dont know off the top of my head about the Sepiola Rondeletii. I would have to do some research on that one as you have stumpped me! Congrats :P

O. Vulgaris, I have. I will put a pick of Mr. Sacry on my Web Page tonight and post the link here. It was one of the more interesting critters I had. I stress the "Had" part as I treated my tank with a chemical that in the past had proven to be reef safe and low and behold when it comes to Octopus's its not so reef safe after all.

DO NOT use Flatworm Exit in thier tanks!!!!

These are cool looking guys and do well in a 25-30 gallon tank with lots of rock work, dim lighting but dont forget that snug tank top!!! I fed mine 3 times a week sticking a small silverside down to him with a pair of Chop Sticks and let him scoop them up and have dinner. They will also change colors when frightened as a defense mechanism. They will spend a fair amount of time hiding in the nooks and crannies of your rock work. Try not to scare of disturb then too much and keep maintenance to a minimum as if they "ink" this can have a negative effect on thier respritory system if unable to get to fresh water. They will appreciate well oxygenated water as well. They have a very short life spann thoiugh living only a year or so. They either die of old age or they die after spawning. They arent overly difficult just sensitive and short lived but really cool!

I think it would be really interesting to keep one of these guys!

I can't believe I stumped the king B) !

Can't wait for pics!

--Dan

Its a type of Squid or Cuttle Fish right?

That it is! jay

--Dan

These pretty much fall into the same situation as the O.V. They are somewhat shorter life span wise. Definitely best in a small species only tank, at least the ones that have passed through here at "Under The Sea" (LFS). These are tough to get off live feeder fish for food. Watching them move in on a prey item has to be seen as words cant discribe it. Its too cool to watch in action!

Here is a pic of Mr Scary my O.V. in his little species only tank out for a stroll about the tank....

http://img78.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img78&image=mrscary3fp.jpg

Hope you enjoy...

Oh my! Is he smart? I hear they are quite intelligent, and strong!

How much did you pay for him?

--Dan

what kind of care is involved with caring for the octopuses??? seems like an awesome species tank.. does anyone have any good links on them? i'm really interested now!

The need to be kept in completely weighed down, tight lidded aquariums, with great filtration and dim light, from what I've read.

Also, a lot of people say you should be very careful because these are very strong and very smart. I've heard stories of them climbing out of thier tanks at night, and climbing inbto other fishes tanks. They would eat all the fish, then return to thier tank.


Watch this, and remember, they are part of the same family :ph43r:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...280#post4621280

--Dan

DannyBoy17 pretty much hit on all of the high points.

They need a very tight fitting lid, and it might not be some bad insurance to weight it down a bit too. I never had this problem with mine though. Filtation is very important as they wont tolerate poor water quality. Thier tank doenst have to have a whole lot of flow but the water will need to be well oxygenated. The tank should be set up with some rock work that should be solidly placed and have lots of nooks and crannies to slip in and out of. Think of it as Monkey Bars (like the ones at the park for kids to play on) in your tank. They need to be able to explore and exercise a bit. They prefer very minimal lighting and will be most active at dark time. To keep the light down in my tank and allow for enough light for veiwing, I set mine up with Tahitian Moon substrate which is jet black. They most definitely will need to be in a species only tank and sleeping fish or anything else they can ambush is on the menu. You dont need many snails on the clean up crew as the lights wont be on enough or for long enough periods of time to grwo much in the way of algae besides they will slowly be picked off by your octopus one at a time. Adding some hermits to the tank is a good idea but these too will eventually be picked off time to time. They are very interesting to watch and can be quiet entertaining at times. They will frighten very easily and sometimes will "ink" the tank. This will require an immediate large water change, so keep mixed water on hand on a constant basis. These are also short lived animals and at best will last a year or so from the time they are born. Some live longer and get large but these are cold water specimens and will require a chiller which is very expensive to buy and operate.

If your considering one I would suggest a O.V. as they get a bit of size on them. The Blue Ring Octopus's that are sometimes imported are very strikingly marked animals but are very toxic to you should you get bit by one. Additionally most Blue Rings imported are usaully at the last thre months or so of thier life span and cant be expected to last much longer after purchase.

If you have some more specific questions then let me know and I will try my best to answer them.