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Unread 09/07/2017, 06:14 PM   #1
Schismgrl18
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Octopus Hitchhiker

Hey,
My store received a shipment of Turbo snails from California and this little guy showed up. Any tips for care would be greatly appreciated. I know impeccable water parameters and an escape-proof (hah) tank are key, but other than that, I am way out of my element.
Thanks so much!


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Unread 09/09/2017, 08:09 PM   #2
Rilelen
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What a cutie! Check out the forums on tonmo.com for care.

The biggest thing to know right off the bat - octopuses are a species-only creature. They're "eat or be eaten." Little guys will be eaten or harassed by almost anything else in the tank with fins. Big guys will...consume their tank-mates, given time.

So keep your little guy separate. A critter-keeper within the larger tank works fine for now. Fill that critter-keeper with rocks/PVC piping, plenty of stuff for him/her to make a den and hide; octopuses need a place to hide to feel safe.

Next, your little guy needs food. Octopuses primarily eat crustaceans - think crabs and shrimp. Hermit crabs count as food for a little octopus; they may eat snails and baby clams too, give it a try. It's easy to throw some of your CUC into its enclosure. Shore shrimp and grass shrimp are also a good option. Tiny tiny fiddlers with disabled claws are another option. Many octopuses will only take live food initially, but can learn to take frozen in time - try feeding by hand on a feeding stick to be sure you observe him/her eating. I've eventually managed to get mine onto frozen raw softshell crab and frozen raw shrimp, using a feeding stick.

That plus pristine water quality (they're messy eaters, like any predator), and absolutely no copper, are the big ones. And of course octo-proofing; that little thing can fit through just about any tiny hole in your system. That includes getting into circulation pumps if they aren't protected.


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Unread 09/11/2017, 07:39 PM   #3
devildog999
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My level of jealousy is un-measurable! I'd end up spending a lot of money


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Unread 09/14/2017, 10:00 PM   #4
devildog999
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Hows the octo doing?


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Unread 10/09/2017, 03:27 PM   #5
Marou
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Any news about the cute octopus?


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Unread 10/12/2017, 05:38 AM   #6
cincyjim
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I cannot have this kind of luck! What's the status?


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Unread 10/18/2017, 07:53 AM   #7
sdweller
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I had one in a 55 gallon tank and he was a character . After the second day
I thought I had lost him . He hid himself under the under gravel filter . He did
emerge when I dropped in a clam . They are amazing but a challenge .
Good Luck
Sea Dwellers


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Unread 12/07/2017, 12:27 AM   #8
jaking
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I assume he will get fairly big?


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Unread 12/07/2017, 09:19 AM   #9
fabulousfavia
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Lucky. I've always wanted to have an octopus tank. You need lots of hiding spots, and a good skimmer. Any holes in to the filter/sump have to be smaller than it's beak so less than a millimeter. Good luck.

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Unread 12/25/2017, 02:10 PM   #10
Jamesmost
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Great with fradiavlo sauce,,,,

No update ??


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Unread 12/29/2017, 12:50 PM   #11
crawlerman
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She hasn't been on the site since she posted this. Never even bothered to check comments.


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Unread 03/09/2018, 02:02 PM   #12
oceanfan913
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The best hitchicker I ever got was aptasia.


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Unread 04/05/2018, 12:42 PM   #13
Vmazz
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You got lucky.


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Unread 04/22/2018, 07:52 PM   #14
MrBiggs
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This would be such a cool experience!


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