Octopus in the reef?

[bct15]

I see that all of the selling pages list any octopus as not reef safe, what is it that makes them not reef safe? Is it their appetite for clean up crews, or do they eat coral? Is it because of their knack for adjusting rockwork, or is it because they are rather dirty diminishing water quality, or is it because they can not tolerate the intense lighting required for most reefs? Or is it all of the above or something not listed in my questions?

I've always wanted one and might start a 55 gal Octo tank after I move, just wondering why it is not recommended to keep them in a reef.

Brandon

 

[Rockadile]

they dont eat coral but everything else you listed is spot on.

 

[Hyprviperx]

they are absolute hunters, they will eat everything in the tank( - corals) and there are actually videos of it leaving its tank crawling across a floor and getting into another tank eating all the inhabitants and then going back to its home tank all in one night. they are usually smarter than the owners haha:wink:

 

[KLR]

they are absolute hunters, they will eat everything in the tank and there are actually videos of it leaving its tank crawling across a floor and getting into another tank eating all the inhabitants and then going back to its home tank all in one night. they are usually smarter than the owners haha

Can you post this video,i really want to see it!!

 

[KLR]

Also ive read that any octopus will create a film of waste on the top of the water,that you have to clean like every 2 days..so the polluting thing would probably wipe out most corals...

 

[akabryanhall]

Oh and if they get startled, they will ink themselves and take out everything in their tank, including themselves unless immediate and drastic waterchanges take place.

 

[Hyprviperx]

ill see if i can find it, im @ work right now so i cant view videos here

 

[Captain Nemo]

Yeah they are hunters and will destroy your tank trust us, not coral though. If they ink it's not pretty......

 

[KLR]

Here is an interesting video on how octopus/i can be very agressive,obviously we wouldnt have one this big in our tanks but still!
[video=youtube;FFOEZh1Lbbg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFOEZh1Lbbg&feature=related[/video]

 

[KLR]

ill see if i can find it, im @ work right now so i cant view videos here

Ok,I really want to see this.

 

[clarky2120]

I think they only ink in immediate danger. Kind of like when puffers puff up. They would be on the top of the food chain in most tanks, so they shouldn't ink. They are also known to have high problem solving capabilities. As one person posted earlier an aquarium shop owner had tanks that were tied together through one long PVC tubing system. The owner couldn't figure out how he was losing fish and invertabrates night after night, until he checked the CCTV and it showed the octopus crawling through the PVC pipe to get to another tank and then crawling back home before the shop owner came in the next morning. They can fit through very tight places, which means there has to be a very secure top on the tank. It would be great to have one in your own aquarium, but I think they need a rather large tank to be happy.

 

[Paul_N]

Also be prepared for the short lifespan.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

I'm not an expert on octo's but I would think you could keep them happy if you take the proper precautions and run alot of carbon. Octo's are seen on the reefs and I have seen them in the shallows during the day in sunlight, so I really don't think lights will affect their health, but they do prefer less intense light.

 

[Hyprviperx]

couldnt find the video but heres an article, its in the 4th paragraph Through the Eye of an Octopus | Animal Intelligence | DISCOVER Magazine

 

[coyle]

I've heard of people doing it, but it just sounds like a bad idea to me. Not good for the octopus or the other livestock.

 

[btkrausen]

Yeah, I think an Octopus is just another animal that is best to leave in the ocean or a large public aquarium.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Yeah, I think an Octopus is just another animal that is best to leave in the ocean or a large public aquarium.

Agreed. I just found this post and pretty much confirms everything that has been mentioned. The guy owned 2 and lost them both and he seemed to know what he was doing. Seems extremely difficult and the laundry list of things you have to do it crazy.

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/johnston_lanett.html

 

[caudill187]

I wouldn't try keeping one without a species specific, custom and escape-proof tank. I've heard they will sneak into your pantry at night and eat all of your cookies and little debbies.

 

[Lmecher]

There are quite a few of us currently keeping octopuses. They are very rewarding creatures to keep. My tanks are set up as reefs. Low sting corals (softies) are fine in an octopus tank. There are inverts that can be kept with them, brittle and serpent stars they will not bother. I keep peppermint shrimp (as do others) for some reason, they let them be. Fish are not only in danger of becoming dinner but some will actually harass the octopus and can do damage. At this time there is no reliable source for captive bred so most we see in the hobby are wild caught. Mimic, wonderpus and blue rings
should never be kept but there are many species that do wonderfully in our tanks. Almost all of my purchases have been online. in my area, we seldom see them for sale. I have kept several species and have never had inking be a problem. Escaping... only one O. vulgaris made attempts, only when I was performing maintenance or feeding.

El Diablo, O. vulgaris and a blue crab. I lost him in November. He was a wonderful interactive octopus.
[video=youtube;xvftRAFbOfc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvftRAFbOfc[/video]

Aquamarine, O. briareus, first interaction with my 13 yr. old daughter. She is now brooding.
[video=youtube;3wjDYbr3ZMU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wjDYbr3ZMU[/video]

 

[Lmecher]

Found this one of my female O. hummelincki.
Video....click on it.