Octopus keepers locally?

[peachyreef]

Hey all!
I have always wanted to keep an octopus. In fact it was the reason I got into the hobby! (research for school) But, one thing lead to another and finally I am here (2 reef tanks, seahorse tank, and an 8 gallon fish only). Anyways, after a field trip to the lfs and seeing one alive, it re-kindled my want for one.
I was just wondering if anyone locally had one and could share their experience with their octo? I would also like to know what species you kept. (I know about tonmo.com )

I am thinking about either keeping pygmy octos or a pygmy cuttle. I just want to do alot more reading and get some more opinions!! Thanks!

 

[smoothie]

PM dwhatley. Also search her posts. She has some really good stuff on here.

 

[peachyreef]

cool, thanks for the tips!

 

[gnashty]

check out tonmo.com (sp?) its an octo site which dwhatly is super active, go look her up. also remember (you eluded you have done research) of their short lifespan in captivity. I wanted to keep an octo tank but cant bear the thought of my pet dying every 6 months....devastating.

EDIT: you already knew about tonmo..lol

 

[smoothie]

+1 Gary! Also check out Richard Ross on there and on google for that matter.

 

[dwhatley]

LOL, Rich (TONMO: Thales) is big time into cuttlefish but may be starting to turn the corner after a recent (and on going as I write) experience with an O. vulgaris. Nothing against cuttle keepers mind you (some of my best on-line friends keep cuttles :roll but I am trying to encourage his new found interest.

@peachyreef - Please PM me (and let me know your TONMO name if you are registered), I would love to see some octo keepers locally. I currently have two tank raised O.briareus (these are the only two survivors from my older posts). They are now 9 months old and we attempted a mating last weekend. Details on TONMO as I have run out of picture permissions on ARC (hope to officially join later if this job continues to supply income over a longer time) We will put them together again this weekend if Cassy does not lay eggs tonight. I wanted to put this off as long as possible and now I am worried we may have waited a week or two beyond good timing. Very exciting though

I also have a wonderful DIURNAL dwarf. Unfortunately, it is an unknown species and I desparately want to find a pair of whatever it is. If Monty is a large egg species it would be ideal for the aquarium and a captive breeding program. I have the collector on constant look out but so far no others have been seen.

Beyond the current octos, I have raised two generations of O. mercatoris (the most likely dwarf you will find) starting with the WC female, a couple of delightful Macropus of unknown species and several O.hummelincki.

Also, would you mind PMing me the name of the LSF where you saw an octopus? I recently learned that there are a bunch of O.bockis from the philippines coming in from the wholesalers and I would like to try to raise one if I can find a young animal (this is also a dwarf species but has not been available for quite sometime).

Thanks,
"D"

 

[smoothie]

It's a beautiful thing to see ya on D