Octopus in a Reef Tank?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Mannydouhnut

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Sep 26, 2012
Messages
120
Could I keep a very small 9 week old Caribbean Reef Octopus in my reef tank for a short period of time until I get his tank setup or am I going to have to keep it in a submerged container with small holes drilled in it until I get his tank setup.
 
I should also mention his tank is already setup but I have yet to fill and cycle it and I am receiving him in two days.
 
Do you have any corals or other organisms? I'm not sure if he'd be ok in an uncycled aquarium.
 
Yes it's a mixed reef lots of fish corals anemones and inverts. This octopuses head is about the size of a dime don't know if that changes anything
 
Young octopus will still eat crabs and shrimp etc if you have any
 
They are not reef safe will eat everything in your tank than some
plus destroy the rest of the tank
 
Do you have a sump or anything that can hold him? Remembering they're very good at escaping?
 
I do have a sump but I was thinking that I could maybe put him in one of those plastic critter keepers putting a rubber band around it so he can't open the little door on top and and putting a couple pieces of live rock in it and setting it on the sand bed in my DT.
 
Personally I think you need to think about it too though as octopus are very very intelligent and is it really fair to keep it cooped up In a critter keeper until it has a reasonable sized tank which with cycling is going to be a month or more, Just my opinion on care of something as intelligent as octopus. Could you not delay when you get it?
 
Unfortunately no and I'm buying directly from the collector which means its gonna be cooped up in a small disposable Tupperware until it is shipped out.
 
I do have quite a large critter keeper it about 11"x8.5"x8" and the octopus is extremely small.
 
He has a very large vat of seawater and he has water from the ocean continually pumping in with Tupperware contain
 
In that case I guess it's going to have to go in there then, but may be worth thinking about it in time to get the new tank set up before you order things next time to save issues like this
 
Well I made a request for him to go catch one on friday when I got the tank setup and he had one within 24 hours where as I thought it would take him at least a week.
 
I don't think I would let him roam free in the reef tank. I'd get one of those small rectangular critter keepers that kids keep hermit crabs in from the shore (with the slotted plastic top) and keep him in there within the reef tank for the time being. That way, you could open the hatch and feed him directly to ensure he eats. Plus, it would be a devil to try and get him out once you were ready to move him if you just let him loose in the reef.
 
1. It will be impossible to capture him if you release him in the tank.

2. He will likely find a way out of the container.

3. They dont like bright reef lighting.

4. At 9 weeks his life is already at least 10% over, most dont live in captivity over a year and a half.

Just trying to help, so dont take this wrong, but you need more research and more patience.
 
I did research on this speciesfor 4+ months before I setup the tank. I know there life expectancy and this particular species (O. Briareus) has a life expectancy of up to 2 1/2 with an average of 1 1/2 years. I have kept octupus in the past I have kept mimic octopus and common octupus before. I kept my common octopus in a reef tank with a pair of clowns while he was small but then he went rogue and ate my clean up crew when he was 6 months old so I put him in his own tank this is a similar species but not the same that is why I came here too ask. Also how am I supposed to get an octopus that's under 9 weeks old I was luck to get that is that young?
 
Back
Top Bottom