Ink-redible shape-shifters in an aquarium: Are you interested in keeping an Octopus?

[littlefoxx]

I would not honestly want to keep an octopus. I have seen their intelligence and I feel that even the best setup I could offer would be an injustice to them. I personally feel they should largely be free to roam the open ocean.

Just my opinion.

I 100% agree with this. I love them and they are so cool but they are too intelligent to keep.

 

[Reef Rhino]

I have had a few, with varying success. I would not have one again given their intelligence and short lifespan and I would not want to keep one again bored and imprisoned. They require a dedicated and sealed tank, and keeping one in my Reef room would just tempt it to escape and switch tanks to feast out of my other tanks.

The first (circa 1990) was the most successful - O. Vulgaris, kept old school - a 30g undergravel filtered tank, with powerheads and micro bubbles, and a healthy amount of duct tape. She was kept in a room in a fraternity house at college for 3-4 months. The plus was she had lots of visitors and movement to keep her interested and not so bored. A real hit at parties, but died when transported back home over a break.

Later attempts were failures. One arrived tiny and impossible to feed and find. The other arrived basically dead, missing arms, and never made it.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

I do prefer keeping cuttles. They aren't as interactive as octopus but with care you can keep multiples. Their behavior is fascinating. I've kept S. bandensis and official is.

Absolutely. I would love cuttles in my own tank, but I keep some fish that may be consumed.
Anyone know whether they can tackle fish twice their size + is willing to eat cleaners?

 

[Rallic]

Ink-redible shape-shifters in an aquarium: Are you interested in keeping an Octopus?

There is something mesmerizing and nearly unattainable about keeping an octopus. We have all heard stories about these fantastic escape artists with significant strength and intelligence. Their amazing camouflage, creative problem-solving abilities, and ability to become interactive pets only adds to their mystique and desirability. Of course, they will require an aquarium setup and care that is designed around their specific needs. Are you interested in keeping an octopus? Please let us know if you have experience keeping one of these unique creature and tell us if you have any tips or recommendations.

Photo from @Nutramar; Starry-night Octopus

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i had a bluering in the mid 90s in a 100g acrylic tank. i had cut a top out of acrylic, drilled it and drilled and tapped my tanks top with a o ring it could set down on for a cap. i drilled 100s of .032 holes in the top so it was somewhat like a screen with a cnc mill at work. good to be a machinist.

i had the B ring for a bit over a year before he got into my over flow and out of the tank. it was one of the best and worst pets iv ever had. i didnt find it until it was to late and i still dont know how it got into the sump. i had made the drains for the sump my self and would of bet 2 months wages it was good sized for his beak not to fit..... anyways i have kids now and no way that intelligent poison monster is going into my home.

monster is the correct term. the things i watched it do and solve for food are next level. they are to smart to be a animal so that makes it a monster. i miss having one but not doing it again and the blue ring is a nope now i have kids.

 

[ARCkeeper]

Absolutely. I would love cuttles in my own tank, but I keep some fish that may be consumed.
Anyone know whether they can tackle fish twice their size + is willing to eat cleaners?

My experience with cuttles is that they are consummate hunters. They would likely eventually eat, or at least kill and attempt to eat, any animal in your tank that isn't big enough to eat them. If you put several in a large tank at the same time they can likely co-exist but any other fish, crustacean or mollusk is a potential meal. We even avoid feeding ours pieces of squid in hopes of preventing them developing a taste for each other. As they mature the males usually start fighting with each other and will have to be seperated.

 

[Barncat]

I'm sticking with my adorable clownfish!

 

[Hadla]

I’ve kept multiple species over the past 6 years and I’m looking forward to finding a small bimac off the coast around here to take home for a few months then release back into the ocean. I also feel that it’s hard to keep such a short lived creature but they’re so rewarding while you have them. I feel like what I plan to do is the best compromise to keeping one so it’s not living out the rest of its life in an aquarium. I would love to get a chance to interact with a gpo at the Monterey bay aquarium someday!

 

[MoshJosh]

I would love to keep one one day. . . just gotta set up a specific octopus tank!!!

My LFS got one in special order the other day when I was there and they showed it to me in the bag. . . even in the tiny bag it was fascinating to watch!!!!!!

 

[Timfish]

I've been succesful but it's really heart breaking the times I've had females lay eggs. Watching them slowly starve to death and hoping the eggs weren't fertile as there was no way to feed so many offspring is really sad.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I had one, a long time ago, 55 gallon Aquarium with a Clamped down top. Had an Old-time Metal Wired Mason Jar, with the bottom cut off and siliconed to the top, for a feeding port. One day it was playing with something, realized it had removed the gasket, from the jar. Had to bend the lid wire, for a glass on glass seal. Used LifeGard Strainers and Bulkheads, and they had to be glued, to keep it from unscrewing them. I think the Canister Filter was a MarineLand. It Loved the Hamster Habi-trail, was constantly rearranging it. BTW, I had a tiny padlock on the Mason Jar Wire, kept the key in a lock box, LOL.

 

[Azael]

I would love to have an octopus. They are just amazing creatures.

 

[Jajo1390]

My wife is a marine neuro-ecologist at a large academic institution who specializes in cephalopod behavior and genetics (PhD level). As such, she has a large marine lab where they maintain many dozens of octopus, cuttlefish, and bobtail squids (hundreds in total). I don't think I could have one at home, they are just too smart and complex to keep in a home tank. Her lab keeps their acrylic lids clamped on tight! I DO think one could have a bobtail squid, though from her experience they are fairly difficult to keep due to their sensitivity to parameter change and especially the micronutrients. It would be almost like having a highly sensitive Acro but in cephalopod form... any change in parameter and they're toast.

Can you have an octopus? Of course. Should you? Depends but unlikely unless you have the ideal aquarium setup.