Dumpling Squid?

[BigClownFace]

Hey all, I want to know all about keeping a dumpling squid. What's the minimum tank size, what can/can't they live with, what's a good diet consist of, etc. And if you've kept one before, I'd be enthralled to hear about your experience with one Thanks!

 

[seffieuk]

Hey all, I want to know all about keeping a dumpling squid. What's the minimum tank size, what can/can't they live with, what's a good diet consist of, etc. And if you've kept one before, I'd be enthralled to hear about your experience with one Thanks!

This got my imagination going, how on earth do you manage to actually keep an octupus or squid in a tank without it escaping - so had a little look around the net and came up with this site - might be worth a look around

Oh I just know what I am going to be dreaming about tonight............... a bloody big squid slurping around the house in the dead of night


[url="http: oh gawd, just remembered, i'm not allowed to link to another forum - email sent

Let us know how you get on, i'm fasinated

Seffie x

 

[saltynay]

You would be better with a an octupi then a squid as squid are swimmers so you would need a massive tank to keep one and squid normally live for 1-2 years. On the other hand octupi can live in smaller tanks. You must remember however that octupi can fit into the smallest of gaps and are very good at logic tests e.g. how to get food out of a sealed jar as shown by lots of experiments on them just search the net you will find loads of reports.

Octupi are also very dangerous animals that can easily attack prey much larger then themselves.
<a href="http/video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7004909622962894202" target="_blank">http/video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7004909622962894202</a>

A video to show how adept a full grown octopus is as a escape artist
<a href="http/video.google.com/videoplay?docid=40...01953&hl=en" target="_blank">http/video.google.com/videoplay?docid=40...01953&hl=en</a>

Check here to read up on them lots of very good article;
<a href="http/www.tonmo.com/index.php?pageid=articles" target="_blank">http/www.tonmo.com/index.php?pageid=articles</a>

I use to keep octopiis in captivity many years ago and I managed to prevent them from escaping by having a 3 inch layer of astro tuff (artificial grass) stuck to the top of the tank all round, above water level. they can't get a grip on that. hahahha, so solved the problem of them escaping but ended up with couple of them squeezing them selves into my filter hahahhaa.

 

[humpy_the_humphead_wrasse]

Just a major issue also our lfs found with octopi was that when they ink they tent to kill themselves and their tank mates. they had one ink in a tank of stock and killed itself and the stock. then they also had one ink in a bio orb! just remember this befor deciding as it may be near impossible to stop this maybe i duno?

 

[saltynay]

The ink may cover the gills of fish asphyxiating them. It can be removed through using a fine net or a powerful skimmer, carbon in the filter medium also helps to get rid of any residue that may be in the water. Octupuses should not be kept with other fish or coral, any fish that are less then 1.5 times the length of the octupus may be eaten and any larger are likely to eat the octupus, coral has a tendency to damage there soft skin in a tank environment.

 

[seffieuk]

Hi Saltynay

you might want to remove the link to the forum before it is removed by a Mod, we are not allowed to link to other forums - but don't worry Bigclownfish already has the info

Seffie x

 

[saltynay]

That isn't a link to a forum that is a link to a factual website with articles relating to the topic I will however edit my comment

 

[SkiFletch]

[/quote]It can be removed through using a fine net or a powerful skimmer,[/quote]

Agreed, skimmers are actually very good at removing ink type excretions. They can usually do so in a matter of minutes to an hour

 

[BigClownFace]

Wow, guys, thanks for all the info. Saltynay, those videos were insane! I didn't know octupi were so strong or clever. I had heard of a few people on this forum (I think) keeping dumpling squid and it got me interested. Suffieuk, I looked around the link you sent me and found some really interesting and helpful articles. I also didn't know octupi could be kept in as small a tank as 44 gallons. It looks like an octupus would be a better purchase than a dumpling squid.

 

[saltynay]

Although an octopus can be kept in smaller conditions it is advisable to keep them in as large a tank as you can make possible and personally I would go 50 gallon minimum. I would try and find a Bathypolypus arcticus as they live for upto 6 years which is old for an octopus and over that time you can train it similar to a dog they are really very intelligent animals.