Getting into Salt Water, with an octopus!

JD7.62

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 13, 2005
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at the 'Bama Breeze
Ok guys, Ive lived in Florida for a year now, been dieing to set up a SW native tank. Last weekend I caught a small octopus and so far Ive kept him alive by doing daily 100% water changes at the sound. So far so good.

Im not a fish keeping newb but SW is new to me. Been thinking about getting a 12 gallon biocube, if I can grab some used filter media from an existing SW tank and use sand and rocks from the bay, how fast would that start up?

Also does native sand and rocks already have some beneficial growth on it?

Here are some pics taken with my laptop just before he crawled out of the bowl and literally ran across the floor!

Photo 131.jpg

Photo 127.jpg
 

ravensfan73

Exodon
MFK Member
Jun 13, 2010
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That's pretty amazing!
 

shamboner

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 18, 2008
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Thats pretty cool! My professor for Invertebrate Zoology class had a small one in a 55gallon in our marine lab. It was an escape artist and took a few tries to escape proof. That would be a good start, I know they are a hard species to keep alive. Good Luck!
 

JD7.62

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 13, 2005
5,512
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at the 'Bama Breeze
What is amazing is how he changes colors completely as well as the "texture" of his skin.

I caught him in 70ft of water on a live shrimp bigger then he was! He was going to be used for cobia bait, I guess that will be postponed as long as I can keep him alive.
 

brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
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good luck, they are escape artists, my friend found his alive under his couch when he got home from work
 

JD7.62

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 13, 2005
5,512
44
105
at the 'Bama Breeze
He is living in a 5 gallon bucket with a top, no getting out of that! I figure if I can keep him alive for a couple of weeks I will buy a setup for him.
 

wantokeeptrout

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Apr 26, 2011
1,122
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I've read that they cannot tolerate any copper, nitrates, or ammonia, keep up with water quality, make the aquarium more secure then fort knox, and give him a good hiding spot and he should be a great, smart pet. Maybe you can train him like they do at aquariums to change colour for a crab or something lol
 
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