[Leonard]

Please help, i want to put octopus in my tank. Its small, the head around 1.5cm. Is it danger, or what? What is the disadvantage?

[CSeaSee]

ANY octopus will not survive in your tank. Do not put one in- a dead octopus will wipe out the rest of your tank in short order.

[hopkins11]

Sorry, but based on this thread:
http://www.reefland.com/forum/marine-fish-care-health-disease-treatment/20553-help-my-livestock-any-danger-useless-anoying-not-suitable.html it appears that your tank is not covered either. See http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-aquariums/20041-my-new-octopus.html?highlight=octopus for a few more reasons not to host an Octopus.

[Leonard]

Is octopus that danger? What do you mean by "wipe"? It eat all my livestock? Or it contaminated the water? Can you tell me the detail or more specific? What does they eat?

[wozza]

there are saying if you add the octpus it would eather die and release toxins in to the water and they would kill everything that live in your tank.
or it would surrvive and kill/eat everything in your tank.

i have seen a video of a millionare who had an octopus in a one tank and a many thousand gallon shark tank with white tip reef sharks in.
he needed to take the octopus out to do something to the tank, but he was worried that if he put it in with the sharks they would kill it....well he put the octopus in the shark tank a shark came over to simply have a look at this new tank mate and the octopus smotherd the shark and stoped it from moveing and suffocated it.

so if i were you i would not put that octopus in your tank.

hope this helps, james

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Leonard

Is octopus that danger? What do you mean by "wipe"? It eat all my livestock? Or it contaminated the water? Can you tell me the detail or more specific? What does they eat?

Leonard,

First of all, you need to know the species. Just simply "octopus" is not much to go on. The blue-ringed octopus, for example, is EXTREMELY dangerous. It could easily KILL you!

Secondly, octopuses are predatory, especially on crustaceans, molluscs, clams, but even fish will eventually be captured and eaten. They are also escape artists. The tank would have to have a LOCKED lid and no escape holes whatsoever. An octopus can pass through any hole that is large enough to accomodate it's beak. So you would be faced with the problem of designing an aquarium that is virtually airtight but at the same time allowed for air exchange. Very tiny holes or a lit made of very small mesh would work. They require strong water flow but you can't use powerheads in the tank because the octopus would eventually get hurt by them.

Thirdly, most octopuses have a natural lifespan of two years or less. Most of the ones that are collected are very near the end of their natural lifespan.

If you want to keep an octopus, it should be in a dedicated tank that is tightly covered with a locked lid and you would have to be certain of the species. Actually, the blue-ringed octopus is extremely easy to identify so it should be obvious what it is as soon as you see it flash its blue rings. They're beautiful when they flash but I prefer to view them when they're securely enclosed in a locked exhibit at a public aquarium.

[Leonard]

Thx alot for your information. I decided not to buy theoctopus. I'm sad. I'm falling in love watching the small light pink octopus at our LFS. Ok guys, GBU...