Dwarf Octopus

[Tank2379]

So I have and Octopus coming out of one of my Rock for a few days now I notice 2 of my Hermits were missing... I thought it was just my Hermits Beating up on each other.... I notice before coming into work that little sly devil sliding into the rock when another hermit in his grasped..... I contacted my source where I got the rock from this morning and he said it's a Dwarf Octopus and they are harmless but could get aggressive if not feed..... I was like wow I can't believe he servive the ride home it's been three weeks since i've had the rock and it's the first time i've seen him..... Should I keep him or take him to the LFS and sell him... He look pretty cool actually....

 

[AndrewH]

Make sure you're tank lid is very secure. The Octopus is one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea. A friend of mine had a Mimic Octopus and it climbed out of the tank through a hole the size of a quarter... and this was a huge octopus. Not only that but it made it's way on to the sofa 10 feet away from the tank and left a trail of nasty smelling ink everywhere. Another thing is they don't live too long in an aquarium. Other then that they are an awesome acquisition.

 

[Tank2379]

Make sure you're tank lid is very secure. The Octopus is one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea. A friend of mine had a Mimic Octopus and it climbed out of the tank through a hole the size of a quarter... and this was a huge octopus. Not only that but it made it's way on to the sofa 10 feet away from the tank and left a trail of nasty smelling ink everywhere. Another thing is they don't live too long in an aquarium. Other then that they are an awesome acquisition.

Yeah he's about the size of a golf ball...

 

[Tank2379]

Supposively thats as big he'll get and he will stay living in and out of the rock and reef....

 

[Chisel]

Wow...thats not a cheap hitchiker either! I'm surprised the store didnt look for it first. Andrew is right. You cant have ANY holes for it to escape to. I would capture it and sell it to a LFS. Good luck with it.

 

[Tank2379]

Wow...thats not a cheap hitchiker either! I'm surprised the store didnt look for it first. Andrew is right. You cant have ANY holes for it to escape to. I would capture it and sell it to a LFS. Good luck with it.

Yeah no LFS this was pick-up by a local seller that was just giving the rock away..... but anyways i'll see what i can do i might just keep the little guy especially if he's not really bothering he's just hungry and I got to pick-up something for him to eat.... And ideas what I should feed the little guy....

 

[Fluff]

Dwarf octos are great. I've been researching them myself with hopes of ordering a couple next year. Sadly, they don't live but a few months. 6-8 months is typical. Good luck with it.

 

[Chisel]

You will never be able to keep any crabs, snails or shrimps as long as he is in the tank no matter how much you feed him. Unless that is what you are feeding him. If you are really bent on keeping it, set up a nano for it and have it be the only species in there.

 

[Tank2379]

You will never be able to keep any crabs, snails or shrimps as long as he is in the tank no matter how much you feed him. Unless that is what you are feeding him. If you are really bent on keeping it, set up a nano for it and have it be the only species in there.

Yeah I have a 2 extra 10 gallon tanks i'm going to set one up an put him in there.... I'm hoping he doesn't die as I am still new to this hobby but if not I'll just take him to a LFS and sell him of for credit....

 

[Chisel]

Here is the thing...

Do not use anything new besides the tank itself. Use water, substrate and rock that is already established in your existing tank or else the octo wont last even half of its expected lifespan. Plus, there are plenty of "locking" lids for 10g aquariums that you can modify.

Anybody disagree?

 

[Fluff]

I think giving it it's own tank is a good idea. Definately a locking top is necessary. I'd also cover pump intakes with plastic mesh or sponges. Mesh would probably work better since it can be secured so the octo doesnt' pull it off. Just as a precaution. And give it something to do, even if it's just a few large turbo shells to play with. Adding existing cured liverock to the new tank is a good idea so you won't see a cycle.
Oh also, If I'm remembering correctly, dwarfs are nocturnal so don't expect it to be out during daylight hours. You may be able to train it to come out during the day for food though.

 

[Chisel]

Mesh would probably work better since it can be secured so the octo doesnt' pull it off. Just as a precaution.

You would be surprised how strong these little guys are, Frank.

 

[Tank2379]

You would be surprised how strong these little guys are, Frank.

Since i've purchase my rock it's been filled with suprises this one is the biggest....

 

[Innovator]

Dwarf octopus leaves little to the imagination. Just about every octopus that comes in with liverock or that lfs' sell are called dwarfs because they cannot identify the species. The biggest concern with octopus' in general are pH and PO4 along with heavy circulation. Most studies and experts I've spoken to have suggested they are nearly immune to that of NH3, NO2, and NO3; although, keep these as low as possible. Weekly water changes would be best, but bi-weekly would also suffice. I've found the best coverings are acrylic frames with mesh webbing using fiberglass rods and nuts to secure. Where there's a will there's a way in this setup. If you wish to keep the octopus full term, make sure you interact with it at least a couple time/day (in a perfect world). Also, take a picture so we can help identify it or at least make an attempt. I'm not sure what type of lr you have, but you don't want to interact with a Blue-ring of all species that very well could make it through a liverock shipment. In addition, you might want to create a shroud or wavebox or your octopus will most likely end up injured from any pump intake (they can and will chew threw sponge and even mesh). As for powerheads, I would just remove it since a level of concern arises in chewing a cord...same with a heater along with burns from grasping them.

 

[Fluff]

Great post James. Be prepared when I get mine for me to pick your brain.

 

[Tank2379]

Dwarf octopus leaves little to the imagination. Just about every octopus that comes in with liverock or that lfs' sell are called dwarfs because they cannot identify the species. The biggest concern with octopus' in general are pH and PO4 along with heavy circulation. Most studies and experts I've spoken to have suggested they are nearly immune to that of NH3, NO2, and NO3; although, keep these as low as possible. Weekly water changes would be best, but bi-weekly would also suffice. I've found the best coverings are acrylic frames with mesh webbing using fiberglass rods and nuts to secure. Where there's a will there's a way in this setup. If you wish to keep the octopus full term, make sure you interact with it at least a couple time/day (in a perfect world). Also, take a picture so we can help identify it or at least make an attempt. I'm not sure what type of lr you have, but you don't want to interact with a Blue-ring of all species that very well could make it through a liverock shipment. In addition, you might want to create a shroud or wavebox or your octopus will most likely end up injured from any pump intake (they can and will chew threw sponge and even mesh). As for powerheads, I would just remove it since a level of concern arises in chewing a cord...same with a heater along with burns from grasping them.

Wow, So basically keep everything covered... Well good thing my brother works for a company that designs plastic modeling I'll see if he could design a thin plastic modeling to cover around the intake and of the tank and heater.... Hopefully he would be able to..... But i'm still wondering why he hasn't escaped yet I have no cover on my tank yet nor do I have cover on my Intake from my canister.....

 

[Fluff]

Might night have gotten that far in exploring the tank yet. Good luck with it. I hope it does well for you and I hope you can get some pics!

 

[Tank2379]

Might night have gotten that far in exploring the tank yet. Good luck with it. I hope it does well for you and I hope you can get some pics!

Yeah I was with my camera when I got home today trying to see if he would stick at least his little paws out but nothing he might be sleping during the day.....

 

[Innovator]

Don't worry, they can be woken up via electrical current XD Ok, well don't do it, but it has been done lol Anyways, use a feeding stick (rigid tubing) with solid food at the end to entice. You can also use a lego block to push shrimp into and see if it comes out (won't go all over your tank that way). Just remember not to poke, they hate that Oh, and if you don't have any corals in the tank you can try leaving only the actinics on in hopes of it coming out.