Any saltwater aquarium hobbyists here?

[e_poison]

Total shot in the dark, but is there anyone here on the DoubleM who is a saltwater aquarium hobbyist?

Been researching saltwater aquariums over the last few months and I’m really excited to get started but I obviously have a ton of questions. There is so much to learn before I (pun intended) dive in. I will probably join a specialized forum or subreddit in the near future, but figured I’d ask here first to see if there is anyone here who might have some experience with this hobby and can sort of guide me in the right direction.

I’m interested in owning an octopus and have found a reputable dealer. These animals are highly intelligent, have always absolutely fascinated me, do great in captivity as they prefer being alone anyway, and apparently make great pets who can bond with their owners, but only if they are properly cared for and have a well maintained habitat.

I want to be a responsible caretaker, but jumping into this hobby seems really daunting as there’s so much to learn about properly maintaining a saltwater aquarium.

[herbalhippie]

An octopus tried to eat me once. When one decides to tentacle your arm it's very hard to get off.

Not a fan.

[e_poison]

An octopus tried to eat me once. When one decides to tentacle your arm it's very hard to get off.

Not a fan.

The ones you can buy for home aquariums are pretty small. I don’t think I have to worry about it eating me. Although, I heard they will try to escape from their tanks (if not properly secured) and cause some trouble! They also can’t share a tank with anything else or they will try to eat it. They have always fascinated me with their intelligence.

[trigger]

Octopus don’t make good pets. They are super smart and get sick of their aquarium almost immediately no matter how cool you make it. They don’t breed them in captivity, so if you get one, it’s likely caught in the wild and no doubt will prefer it that way. Look into whether you can volunteer at your local aquarium. Most of them accept volunteers to help feed and care for animals and clean tanks. Would give you a chance to hang out with some octopuses. Honestly, I’ve only ever heard that they are bad pets.

Definitely get an aquarium though and share pics.

[e_poison]

From what I’ve learned so far, they only make bad pets if you go in unprepared and just buy one for the “cool factor”. Throwing them into a glass tank and hoping for the best isn’t going to work.

Improper tank size, tank with a poor chemical balance, poor feeding habits (they need live food), incorrect water temperature (varies by breed), not having enough rocks and places for them to hide (they love hiding), etc, etc can all lead to an unhappy animal. They are expensive and difficult to take care of, but that doesn’t make them bad pets by default. They are certainly not for everyone.

Like most pets, it’s best to research it first and make sure you have the time, money, and knowledge before jumping in. Which is exactly what I’m doing, what I’ve been doing, and what I will continue to do until I’m ready. To those that have decades of experience with them, they make great pets and are very happy in the proper environment when cared for correctly.

[enjoyalienation]

It sounds like a lot of maintenance and like it could get quite expensive, but I'm sure it's a really cool hobby. And octopuses are fascinating animals. Keep us updated with what you decide to do, and the process of setting everything up!

[herbalhippie]

All I know about saltwater aquariums is they're very expensive and a lot of work.

My limit was a 10 gallon aquarium with neon tetras in it.

[Oletimer]

Check out the guys who own that place in vegas,on Tanked, ,if you contact them about it,they might be able to answer some questions, ,they know about octopus tanks,,,Cool project, ,,big investment, but so are most pets