Anyone ever kept octopus?

[ecto1]

I saw one at my LFS, and read some articles on keeping them. I'm just wondering if anyone here has had one, and what their experiences were.

I've always thought that they would make intriguing pets.

 

[J-Money]

I've heard only the most dedicated can really keep these. You need pristine water conditions and they are very smart, they will get out of the tank any chance they can. I've even heard of them leaving one tank, gettin' in the tank next to it and eating all the fish in that tank, then going back to their tank

 

[Opcn]

They are smart, short lived, picky, predatorial, and escape prone.

That means alot of work

 

[DannyBoy17]

I think it'd be amazing! Aren't they as smart as dolphins, or something like that? Anyways, I bet they cost a fortune, and like Opcn said, would be quite a job to keep.

I thought most octopusses lived in high pressure conditions?

DB

 

[Navarre]

I thought most octopusses lived in high pressure conditions?

No not really, alot of octopuses live on reefs which is very shallow. What you have probably seen in the past is the tanks that they are kept in are sealed to prevent escape. Food ans water changes etc are usually done in such a way that the octopus cannot get out through it.

 

[Def]

I am very certain that someone on this forum posted the same question a year ago, then actually bought one and posted a followup about the experience. Try searching, you might find the thread.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Octupus are extremly STRONG, VERY smart and very AGILE creatures.

If you do plan to kep them i suggest you research heavily. They have been known to escape through holes and pipes 1/10th their own size and they will just lift the lid of your tank if you do not have it "attached" to your tank somehow.

They love crabs and will cost alot to feed. They never live long lives, in the ocean or in a tank.

And Navarre is right, they are not predomanately high pressure fish. They are found in shallow pools of rock at low tide all the time. In australia, we are always lookin out for the blue ringed octopus, which can kill.

But i agree, it would b awsome to keep one. lol

 

[J-Money]

In australia, we are always lookin out for the blue ringed octopus, which can kill.

those are the one's i thought about when high pressure wuz brought up, but back then when I saw the discovery channel ish i wuz never "sober" (not just booze) so i didn't wanna comment on something i might not have totally heard right....


on a quick side note... DOES EVERYTHING IN AUSTRALIA WANNA KILL YOU? lol

 

[Mr Miagi]

In australia, we are always lookin out for the blue ringed octopus, which can kill.

those are the one's i thought about when high pressure wuz brought up, but back then when I saw the discovery channel ish i wuz never "sober" (not just booze) so i didn't wanna comment on something i might not have totally heard right....


on a quick side note... DOES EVERYTHING IN AUSTRALIA WANNA KILL YOU? lol

LOL, its kinda like that a little! haahahaha.

Yeah, a really close friend, we call him pop, was stung by an octopus, it wasnt the blue ringed octopus, but he went to hospital. lol. He was in a bit of pain, but he laughed.

Octopus are always (mostly) found on reefs, there are some in deep water. But not all.

 

[Opcn]

Yes everything In AUS is trying to kill you, AUS is so hot that mostly Reptiles are found, they have slow metabolisms so poisons take longer to set in, that means poisons have to be stronger to work in a given amount of time. Once the poison arms race began it didn't slow down till everything in sight could kill.

Isn't it odd that something as inteligent as an octopus could live one to three years when something as utterly stupid as an anemony could live forever?

 

[J-Money]

AUS is so hot that mostly Reptiles are found, they have slow metabolisms so poisons take longer to set in

Arizona is pretty hot too. But we got no beaches lol. The only poisonous things we got is 1 lizard (gila monster), some snakes (various rattlesnakes) and a few spiders (wolf spiders, black widows...). I've never been to australia so I don't know what the differences in weather is like (everyone alwasy say AZ is a dry heat, but i call bull-ish...hot is hot. 120degrees is damn hot and I remember my step mom kickin' me out the house one day when it wuz hotter than that lol) I couldn't imagine walkin around bein' worried about something hidden tryin' to kill me lol. For the most part, the worst thing I gotta worry about is car-jackings. But most cars around here are stolen when people are asleep lol

 

[toggle]

how did asking about an octapus lead to a conversation about cars being stolen, lol

 

[J-Money]

how did asking about an octapus lead to a conversation about cars being stolen, lol

I dont' know, i wuz drunk last night

 

[noelberg]

.... when keeping it real goes wrong

 

[hyrookin]

yeah, although I think they are fascinating as well, it
just does'nt seem practical as they are very difficult to keep
and have such a short lifespan.

and talking about blue-rings, I saw one for sale about 10 years ago!!
if I remember right they wanted like $119.00, or 129.00 or
something like that.