which one to buy

saintsnsinners · 10/22/2014, 12:43 AM

Converting my 60g cube into an octopus tank. my requirements are - easy to obtain, diurnal, longevity. price not an issue and I have a chiller for temperature species. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks.

cmantis · 10/22/2014, 03:15 AM

How are you going to octo-proof it?

Gonodactylus · 10/25/2014, 04:48 PM

I think you have a few possibilities. My first choice would be Octopus cyanea. If you can get a small one, they will live for a couple of years.

Perhaps easier to come by and living just as long is O. rubescens.

The easiest to find is A. aculeatus, but rarely do they survive more than a few months.

By far the best choice would be a Larger Pacific Striped Octopus (not yet named). Dramatic coloration and behavior, diurnal, iteroparous, live for a couple of years and tolerant of a wide range of temperature. You can also keep a male and female together.

Roy

Forfekte · 10/26/2014, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonodactylus

I think you have a few possibilities. My first choice would be Octopus cyanea. If you can get a small one, they will live for a couple of years.

Perhaps easier to come by and living just as long is O. rubescens.

The easiest to find is A. aculeatus, but rarely do they survive more than a few months.

By far the best choice would be a Larger Pacific Striped Octopus (not yet named). Dramatic coloration and behavior, diurnal, iteroparous, live for a couple of years and tolerant of a wide range of temperature. You can also keep a male and female together.

Roy

Where would one go about getting a larger pacific striped octo online?

Gonodactylus · 10/26/2014, 04:00 PM

To my knowledge, LPSOs have only been available commercially once. However, progress has been made rearing them and with luck they may be cultured in a few years. The reason I mentioned them was to get across the idea that there are octopus that would be great as aquarium animals. We just have go and find them.

Forfekte · 10/26/2014, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonodactylus

To my knowledge, LPSOs have only been available commercially once. However, progress has been made rearing them and with luck they may be cultured in a few years. The reason I mentioned them was to get across the idea that there are octopus that would be great as aquarium animals. We just have go and find them.

Sorry to derail the thread a bit.

I remember reading an article about you and Rich Ross doing some research a few years ago on the Octopus chierchiae somewhere. Some quick googling led me to a few videos with the LPSO's from the California academy of sciences.

Did you and Ross publish any papers on the Larger Pacifics when you were conducting your (still ongoing?) research? If so I would very much like to read them. Also did you end up having any success raising the hatchlings?

I'm also curious about if you go and collect them or if you have a source from Nicaragua?
Man I have so many more questions, fascinating stuff!

Gonodactylus · 10/27/2014, 08:11 AM

The last of our LPSOs died a couple of months back. We were able to keep several for over a year and some of the females laid eggs for over half a year. We were not able to rear the paralarvae, but right at the end we found prey that they would eat and were able to keep them alive for several days. We think we are on the right track and should be get more, we might be able to get them in culture. Crissy Huffard, Rich Ross and I are finishing up a manuscript describing our work with LPSO's and it should appear soon.

Roy

10/22/2014, 12:43 AM	#1
saintsnsinners Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 451	which one to buy Converting my 60g cube into an octopus tank. my requirements are - easy to obtain, diurnal, longevity. price not an issue and I have a chiller for temperature species. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks.

10/22/2014, 03:15 AM	#2
cmantis Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: NYC / Philly Posts: 227	How are you going to octo-proof it?

10/25/2014, 04:48 PM	#3
Gonodactylus Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Berkeley, CA, USA Posts: 5,024	I think you have a few possibilities. My first choice would be Octopus cyanea. If you can get a small one, they will live for a couple of years. Perhaps easier to come by and living just as long is O. rubescens. The easiest to find is A. aculeatus, but rarely do they survive more than a few months. By far the best choice would be a Larger Pacific Striped Octopus (not yet named). Dramatic coloration and behavior, diurnal, iteroparous, live for a couple of years and tolerant of a wide range of temperature. You can also keep a male and female together. Roy

10/26/2014, 04:00 PM	#5
Gonodactylus Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Berkeley, CA, USA Posts: 5,024	To my knowledge, LPSOs have only been available commercially once. However, progress has been made rearing them and with luck they may be cultured in a few years. The reason I mentioned them was to get across the idea that there are octopus that would be great as aquarium animals. We just have go and find them.

10/27/2014, 08:11 AM	#7
Gonodactylus Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Berkeley, CA, USA Posts: 5,024	The last of our LPSOs died a couple of months back. We were able to keep several for over a year and some of the females laid eggs for over half a year. We were not able to rear the paralarvae, but right at the end we found prey that they would eat and were able to keep them alive for several days. We think we are on the right track and should be get more, we might be able to get them in culture. Crissy Huffard, Rich Ross and I are finishing up a manuscript describing our work with LPSO's and it should appear soon. Roy