pet octopuses?

[desipooh.12]

does anybody own one?
if so tell me about your experience with them..
I think they're interesting,
one day id like to have a mimicking octopus!

[StudentoReptile]

I had one once, and known a few folks who have.

They are very dirty, secretive, and one of the best escape-artists, which makes housing them difficult.

1.) You must have internal filtration that they cannot get into and hide within [a challenge since they are essentially, amorphous blobs with no bones!].

2.) You must have a very secure lid to prevent escape. Most keepers leave a couple inches or more in the tank unfilled and have a tight-fitting glass top. I had one of those velcro-screen tops they used to sell for reptiles several years back. Worked pretty well, but I don't know if you can find them anymore.

3.) They like to hide a lot, so they are not much fun except feeding time. Another thing, most octopi have very short-lifespans in captivity, about 6 months to a yr...depending a lot on the species and size when caught, of course.

So they can be interesting captives if you set them up just right, but you REALLY have to like them and have a tank reserved JUST for the octopus, because you're not going to be able to keep anything else with them.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

I had one once, and known a few folks who have.

They are very dirty, secretive, and one of the best escape-artists, which makes housing them difficult.

1.) You must have internal filtration that they cannot get into and hide within [a challenge since they are essentially, amorphous blobs with no bones!].

2.) You must have a very secure lid to prevent escape. Most keepers leave a couple inches or more in the tank unfilled and have a tight-fitting glass top. I had one of those velcro-screen tops they used to sell for reptiles several years back. Worked pretty well, but I don't know if you can find them anymore.

3.) They like to hide a lot, so they are not much fun except feeding time. Another thing, most octopi have very short-lifespans in captivity, about 6 months to a yr...depending a lot on the species and size when caught, of course.

So they can be interesting captives if you set them up just right, but you REALLY have to like them and have a tank reserved JUST for the octopus, because you're not going to be able to keep anything else with them.

^^^^^
interesting stuff mate

thanks for the info,i don't think i fancy all the work involved or their very short life span,also that you wouldnt see them much,i'll stick to wildlife programes in HD,ive seen some great filming of octopi,totally amazing creatures

cheers shaun

[swolek]

I agree with everything that's been said so far. Another thing, they have really short lifespans! So you're paying a decent amount to keep an animal that you'll have for about a year if you're lucky.

[StudentoReptile]

I know people who buy one after another, after the last one dies. Not sure if I feel right about the practice, but again, octopus' breed like rabbits and the ones usually found in fish shops are Carribean reef octopus, very common. They grow to the size of a tennis ball.

Now another acquaintance used to have a blue-ring.

[mmarchl23]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

Now another acquaintance used to have a blue-ring.

Beautiful animals, no way id ever go near one though let alone keep one and there isn't much that scares me. That person must have nerves of steel.

[RandyRhoads]

Are they pretty strong in a tank, or sensitive to temps and water quality like most fish? If I were to snag a Giant pacific octopus next time I went to the ocean, would it most likely die in a tank not dialed in as a trmperate marine? Say the water was in the 60s rather than 50s because I had to chiller?

[TheFrogman]

Very very interesting topic and something I have not looked into or even read about, great stuff !

[revent]

I've never had an octopus as a pet but I've caught them while fishing in the Puget sound. Usually they just let go when you get them to the surface but every now and again you will get the line wrapped around one just right or maybe actually get then hook stuck in a tentical. I always let them go or just set them somewhere and watch them walk back into the water its pretty neat!

[BryanB]

Had one for a couple months and the fish in the tank acrostic the room started to disappear. I would not believe it if I didn't see it first hand but it would lift climb out cross the room and want then return to its tank at night. I didn't have sealed tanks and I had no idea they would do such things he just came into the pet shop I worked at and I took it home to take care of a tank of damsels. When the damsels where gone he started to travel.

[TheFrogman]

Originally Posted by BryanB

Had one for a couple months and the fish in the tank acrostic the room started to disappear. I would not believe it if I didn't see it first hand but it would lift climb out cross the room and want then return to its tank at night.

Ha Ha Ha, that's awesome !

[Sublimeballs]

Never owned one, but I've eaten them they are delicious with a soy sauce/wasabi mix. Seriously though it sucks they only live for such a short period of time, I've wanted one since I was a little kid and hoped to aquire one at some point in my life; maybe when I retire, so much up keep for saltwater tanks. The traveling to another tank across the room doesn't suprise me these are extremely intelligent creatures.

[StudentoReptile]

Originally Posted by RandyRhoads

Are they pretty strong in a tank, or sensitive to temps and water quality like most fish? If I were to snag a Giant pacific octopus next time I went to the ocean, would it most likely die in a tank not dialed in as a trmperate marine? Say the water was in the 60s rather than 50s because I had to chiller?

Temps, I dunno. Other than public aquariums, I don't know of anyone in the private sector trying to keep a giant pacific. Don't know how adaptive they are to temp variation.

Water quality, they are kinda sensitive to. If they ink, you need to do a water change pretty quickly.

[desipooh.12]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

I had one once, and known a few folks who have.

They are very dirty, secretive, and one of the best escape-artists, which makes housing them difficult.

1.) You must have internal filtration that they cannot get into and hide within [a challenge since they are essentially, amorphous blobs with no bones!].

2.) You must have a very secure lid to prevent escape. Most keepers leave a couple inches or more in the tank unfilled and have a tight-fitting glass top. I had one of those velcro-screen tops they used to sell for reptiles several years back. Worked pretty well, but I don't know if you can find them anymore.

3.) They like to hide a lot, so they are not much fun except feeding time. Another thing, most octopi have very short-lifespans in captivity, about 6 months to a yr...depending a lot on the species and size when caught, of course.

So they can be interesting captives if you set them up just right, but you REALLY have to like them and have a tank reserved JUST for the octopus, because you're not going to be able to keep anything else with them.

Yeah I know they're life span is very short,
I think id want to have one mainly for educational purposes, to learn from them ect..
I've seen the Mimicking octopuses on YouTube &
they're are clever little smart "blobs" lol
I'm not sure if this is true but I heard/saw
from somewhere that the mother watches over her young & even stresses out so much over then that they starve themselves & have even eaten they're own tentacles.. I THINK I saw this on Netflix from the discovery Chanel..

[desipooh.12]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

I know people who buy one after another, after the last one dies. Not sure if I feel right about the practice, but again, octopus' breed like rabbits and the ones usually found in fish shops are Carribean reef octopus, very common. They grow to the size of a tennis ball.

Now another acquaintance used to have a blue-ring.

See now I dont think thats cool..
I more then likely wouldn't keep one because of the fact they have a short life span, especially living in an aquarium, id rather them live in the ocean with a short life span where they're natural habitat is.. Ya know