I am looking into starting a tank for a pygmy octopus.
Do any of you have experience keeping a pygmy octopus or even a larger sized one? If so, let me know. I would like to read your tank journal.
I have a few questions off the bat. Please feel free to respond whether or not you have kept an octopus, but I will definitely pay a bit more attention to the people who have kept them before. Also if there are other important things you think I should know, please let me know.
1. Multiple sites have said minimum tank size is 10 gallons. For those of you who have kept this species before, did that feel large enough for you? I'm worried both in terms the octopus having enough room to move around and about the volume of water getting dirty too quickly. Octos seem to be very sensitive to water quality, if I need to do regular water changes after feedings (which I think I would need to do) will it be too disruptive to the animal changing over such a large percentage of the water.
2. My hope would be that I could modify my evo 13.5 into a suitable octopus habitat. In terms of escape, I can make a plastic cover to go over the top and attach sponges over the outtake. However, seeing as I keep reading that octopuses are "dirty," I doubt that the filtration that comes with the tank is sufficient. I am wondering if there is some sort of hang on filter of sorts that I can attach as a secondary cleaning source. Does anyone have suggestions on this?
3. For the people who have had pygmy octos before, did you keep any corals or fish in the tank with them? Since they're nocturnal, I think the tank would be a bit more interesting if there was something going on in there during the day as well. I was thinking of possibly adding some cheap, easy, non aggressive corals (leather corals or maybe an RFA). If the octopus moves them around or kills them, no big deal. I would also like to put in a few fish. Ideally something large enough that the octopus doesn't try to eat it but not so large that it would be unhappy in a 13 gallon tank. I was thinking maybe a larger clownfish pair, although I don't want anything that might be aggressive to my octopus. Also nothing super expensive, in the off chance that the octopus tries to eat it (I won't put anything in if I think that is a likely outcome, but you never know).
4. Lastly, in terms of feeding live food, where did you buy your feeder shrimp (or whatever else you fed)? LiveAquaria suggests feeding live feeder shrimp or freshwater ghost shrimp. Can feeder shrimp carry parasites? If not, I can store them in the refugium of my larger tank, but if they may carry parasites, I don't want to do that. I also don't want to give the octopus parasites, so should I quarantine the feeder shrimp too? Is it more cost effective to breed my own feeder shrimp or is that a hassle?
I am sure I will think of more questions in the future, but these are the big ones for now. Thanks in advance for any help!
Do any of you have experience keeping a pygmy octopus or even a larger sized one? If so, let me know. I would like to read your tank journal.
I have a few questions off the bat. Please feel free to respond whether or not you have kept an octopus, but I will definitely pay a bit more attention to the people who have kept them before. Also if there are other important things you think I should know, please let me know.
1. Multiple sites have said minimum tank size is 10 gallons. For those of you who have kept this species before, did that feel large enough for you? I'm worried both in terms the octopus having enough room to move around and about the volume of water getting dirty too quickly. Octos seem to be very sensitive to water quality, if I need to do regular water changes after feedings (which I think I would need to do) will it be too disruptive to the animal changing over such a large percentage of the water.
2. My hope would be that I could modify my evo 13.5 into a suitable octopus habitat. In terms of escape, I can make a plastic cover to go over the top and attach sponges over the outtake. However, seeing as I keep reading that octopuses are "dirty," I doubt that the filtration that comes with the tank is sufficient. I am wondering if there is some sort of hang on filter of sorts that I can attach as a secondary cleaning source. Does anyone have suggestions on this?
3. For the people who have had pygmy octos before, did you keep any corals or fish in the tank with them? Since they're nocturnal, I think the tank would be a bit more interesting if there was something going on in there during the day as well. I was thinking of possibly adding some cheap, easy, non aggressive corals (leather corals or maybe an RFA). If the octopus moves them around or kills them, no big deal. I would also like to put in a few fish. Ideally something large enough that the octopus doesn't try to eat it but not so large that it would be unhappy in a 13 gallon tank. I was thinking maybe a larger clownfish pair, although I don't want anything that might be aggressive to my octopus. Also nothing super expensive, in the off chance that the octopus tries to eat it (I won't put anything in if I think that is a likely outcome, but you never know).
4. Lastly, in terms of feeding live food, where did you buy your feeder shrimp (or whatever else you fed)? LiveAquaria suggests feeding live feeder shrimp or freshwater ghost shrimp. Can feeder shrimp carry parasites? If not, I can store them in the refugium of my larger tank, but if they may carry parasites, I don't want to do that. I also don't want to give the octopus parasites, so should I quarantine the feeder shrimp too? Is it more cost effective to breed my own feeder shrimp or is that a hassle?
I am sure I will think of more questions in the future, but these are the big ones for now. Thanks in advance for any help!
