Octopus Startup Help

AlanR917

Reefing newb
Hello everyone, I am starting up a saltwater tank to use with a Bimac octopus. I know that octopi are not for beginners, but I have had freshwater aquariums and have done a lot of research on saltwater, and would like to give saltwater a try. So I had a few questions:

1) How much cured live rock will I need, and where can I get quality/cheap cured live rock?
2) What is the best type of sand to use for an octo, or does it not matter?
3) What kind of filtration would you use for an octopus, and where can I get it?
4) What is the best live food for an octo, and what is the cheapest place to get this?
5) Where is the best place to buy a lot of deionized/distilled water, and which is a better choice for mix with Instant Ocean?
6) Will I need a sump, and what is the best brand and model?
7) Will I need a refugium and what is the best brand and model?
8) What sand depth should I aim for?

Thank you for your time.
 
If i were you i would set up 2 tanks, a big one for the main tank and then a smaller one. Just incase he inks the main tank you will always have a back up to move your otcto into.
 
Thank you for the reply. I have an extra 20 gallon tank laying around in my basement, but I'm not sure if it will be big enough, do you think it will work temporarily incase he inks or something, or does it need to be bigger?
 
One of the best octopuses to get is the O. bimaculoides, I cant find a place where it says how large of a tank you need but... Stay away from some of the larger octos and never ever by a blue ring octopus, they can kill you very quickly.
Also this is a great website for info on them. TONMO - The Octopus News Magazine Online?
 
I would think a 20g would work because he is only going to be in the 20g untill you do a WC and get the ink out of the main tank.(i could be wrong) But again it all depends on the type of octopus
 
You probably want to buy your own RO/DI system to make your water instead of buying it. You will need it for top off regularly, like almost every other day so that you can keep the specific gravity stable. I am sure you know that the water evaporates but the salt doesn't.

Making the tank and filtration escape proof is going to be your biggest priority. Be wary of cheap live rock, it can be more trouble than its worth.
 
Yep they do have very short lifespans so max your only going to have your octopus for 1-2 years.

Your going to have some problems with powerheads and filteration because they cant get there limbs chopped up by open-powerheads.
 
I get my live rock locally, but there are a lot of people who buy it online. They should have some recommendations for you.

A RO/DI is a system that creates pure water by reverse osmosis and deionization. It basically lets you make your own distilled water at home.
 
Awesome, I will check out the link you posted, it is cured, or will I have to cure the rock myself?

Its not cured.

Others might disagree but i didn't cure it for my tank. Because think about it, you want ammonia in a new tank so it can cycle, so whats the point of cureing it if your tank has to cycle anyways.

So if its a new tank you realy dont need to cure it.
 
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