Wanting an Octopus for my 55 gal Lobster Tank Converted to reef tank

[olsinc]

I was wondering where can you get a Dwarf Octopus and what fish can you keep with them? My wife has been begging for one for the longest time. She says they are just the coolest animal to have in the tank.

 

[gillundr]

Before you go buying a cephalopod you REALLY need to research them. They are extremely smart and escape almost any container, and you would pretty much need to duct tape the lid onto your 55 gallon in an attempt to keep it in there. They learn fast and have problem solving skills. Read and get into a few forums with people that work with these marvelous creatures on a daily basis. I have seen a lot of college marine biology departments give babies away to people. There was one recently here in the NE that was looking for many homes not too very long ago. I could probably get the name of them pretty easily with a few emails but I really urge you to do a ton of research before you jump into something like that. If you don't know what type of fish you can keep with one, then you probably would not be equipped to care for it in all honesty. And getting an off-handed answer on a forum may not be the best research. Get into some real forums that specialize in them, and ask some questions for people who work with them. I can point you to a couple of forums that have a decent amount of info on them if you would like, but you should be able to find many with a few simple google or bing searches and get a start from there. Find a dedicated Q and A area, but I would reach out to other areas like perhaps university marine biology programs or something. Maybe somebody else here keeps them or knows another good place for information and can point you in a better direction than I.
If you are looking for a different type of marine pet and a species aquarium maybe you could start off with a Peacock Mantis Shrimp. I have heard from friends who kept them that they are extremely smart as well and are almost like a dog or cat once they get to know their owner and environment. Just a suggestion.
Good luck on your journey and if you do end up with one, keep us all posted and take lots of pics. I'm sure it would make interesting and amusing reading for many of us.