Octopus at Safari Stan

[Imbarrie]

I was at Safari Stan on Old Country Rd in Carle Place for a kids bday party on Saturday and saw a cool octopus for sale. Hoping someone can give this a nice home since I'm sure the average customer is ill equipped to take care of this.

 

[jaa1456]

These are for sale everywhere in NJ right now. Every LFS has at least 2 for sale, no clue why so many are being brought in right now. How much was that guy? I'm seeing them from 30 -100. for the small brownish ones.

 

[Imbarrie]

39 but the guy said it was negotiable. I just don't want this sold to someone who doesn't know what they are doing.

 

[jaa1456]

Not only that, you need a tightly sealed tank and they only live roughly a year.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

How big is it? Years ago, I used to see blue-ringed octopus sold fairly frequently, at relatively low prices. That's not something I would like to bite me during a tank cleaning......

 

[Imbarrie]

They are fascinating to watch. I have a 40 breeder and I'm tempted. But I don't have the lid needed to keep it in the tank.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

It's not just a lid, you need to seal every possible opening including tubing, drains, overflow teeth, etc. They can get through any hole large enough to get their beak through and their beak is pretty small. As mentioned, they don't live very long maybe two years depending on species. However, if the female lays eggs that's pretty much it for her.

Blue rings are available and they are pretty inexpensive but you would really want to have something like that in your home because it isn't something you can relax around, especially if you have kids in the house.

 

[richardhmc]

Octopus are such intelligent and clever creatures

 

[Mattl22]

Sooo does anyone on here have an octo

 

[Imbarrie]

I have heard so much about what to do with an octopus.
I have never heard from someone who has actually kept one.

+ 1. Anyone in here have any experience with one? There are a lot of things we take a gamble on. This would be similar but there are octo friendly set ups I'm sure.

 

[tentacles]

There are several problems with keeping octopi. For one, most stores generally can't give you an exact species name on them. As other's have said, they only live 1-2years, and you usually don't know the age (or sex) of the one that you're getting. They are extremely agile and strong, so actually keeping them inside the tank is difficult. There's a myriad of other things I could say about keeping them, but in my opinion, most people don't have the means to successfully keep them.

 

[masterswimmer]

Sooo does anyone on here have an octo

Dom from DOTR used to have one.

swimmer

 

[jaa1456]

I had one years ago, but it wasn't small like these guys that are coming in. It was more like a foot in length when laid out flat. These guys are small about 5"s it looks like. I had mine in a 75 with a plexiglass top that had cynder blocks on the edges. I used bricks but it was able to lift the top. And I had a drilled intake and return on the back glass with screens siliconed and zip tied around both openings. When the power went out once it tried to go down the return, That's when I added the screen. At first I would throw in a dozen small green crab, figuring it would eat 1 or 2 a day, but it would it all of them and then look for more. So I had to regulate the feeding, the temp if I remember was around 72 degrees.

 

[tentacles]

I had one years ago, but it wasn't small like these guys that are coming in. It was more like a foot in length when laid out flat. These guys are small about 5"s it looks like.

From what I know, many of them are pulled up in nets on fishing vessels, and then given to the divers that are collecting fish an inverts for the aquarium trade, so their size could be attributed to migrational habits and things like that. I have a friend in Atlanta who kept one for a while last year, and she really had to go out of her way to find one that wasn't the size you're talking about. The one in the picture looks like some kind of pygmy. They can indeed be kept, but should be limited to only very experienced aquarists.

 

[jaa1456]

I'm assuming the one in the pic is just like the many I have seen over the past month. No one has called it a pygmy, but they are all small. Mine lived for roughly 14 months, at the time I wasn't aware of the short life span, This was back in 96.

 

[tentacles]

I'm assuming the one in the pic is just like the many I have seen over the past month. No one has called it a pygmy, but they are all small. Mine lived for roughly 14 months, at the time I wasn't aware of the short life span, This was back in 96.

That's actually a pretty long time. Did it escape or did it die of natural causes?

 

[JSSpallina]

I have one in my fish only with live rock, with other fish sea stars and snails. He hides most of the time. The tank has no lid. He comes out when I feed my fish, and sometimes i see him before work in the morning. I've had him for six months.

 

[Long-Island-Mike]

I have seen this blue ring octo at aqua hut a month or so ago. They were selling him for $65. Scary stuff, there is no antivenom available, so if you get stung you are in trouble.

 

[tentacles]

I have seen this blue ring octo at aqua hut a month or so ago. They were selling him for $65. Scary stuff, there is no antivenom available, so if you get stung you are in trouble.

That is terrifyingly irresponsible.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

That is terrifyingly irresponsible.

I agree.