Anyone keep cephalopods?

[jamest0o0]

Cephs, especially cuttlefish seem to be the chameleons of the sea. Almost got some years ago, but cut my SW hobby short when I moved. Amazing creatures! Very expensive to feed though.

 

[Miss Lily]

I'd love an octopus or seahorses!

 

[jamest0o0]

Do you have any SW experience by chance? Seahorses are very cool too. Although what sea creature isn't, they're aliens like our old world lizards.

 

[withersshila]

Very interested in seahorses! Theres a girl on youtube named taylor dean who did a cool video about owning them.

 

[Andee]

From what I remember when I was heavy in the aquarium world, seahorses are very fragile in many ways, in my opinion they'd be easier to kill than cephs. Cephs I would just worry about them getting out and being bored too often.

 

[jamest0o0]

Ehhh cephs are extremely sensitive to water parameters and messy eaters. You need a powerful skimmer, large water volume, refugium/sump to keep things in line without constant water changes. Seahorses are delicate, but from my understanding are much less expensive to maintain. It's just like what people say with chams, if their needs are met they tend to do just fine.

All that said I never had the chance to keep either, but I spent a lot of time researching cephs and had plans to get 3 cuttlefish that fell through.

 

[jamest0o0]

Mantis shrimp are some badasses too btw!

 

[Andee]

I said if I ever had a salt water tank it would be likely a massive reef tank with very tiny fish if any at all, but lots of beneficial inverts... I love my inverts.

Or have a ceph... I love octopus they are so adorbs...

If I ever got into freshwater tanks again... my dream tank is a 55+ gallon fully planted full of dwarf ornamental shrimp who breed in fresh water and can't mix. I had chosen my start ups for the inhabitants and it cost around 300+ for like 20 individual freshwater shrimp... compared to saltwater set up that's nothing.. But freshwater just for shrimp XD people thought I was insane

 

[jamest0o0]

I'm with you though, aquatic inverts are amazing! But the bristle worms freak me out lol. Reefs are just sooooooooooo expensive. If I could have any tank I'd get cuttlefish or octos. A peacock mantis would be next... If I had space is gets rays(FW or sw). A SW paludarium tidepool style with crabs even.

 

[Andee]

Bristle worms are terrifying, most parasites are... But all amazing in their own right.

 

[absolutbill]

I'm a diver, and after I started diving I stopped eating octopuses, calling them "the smartest of Cephalopods". I was just in Bonaire last week and spotted 3, along with a bunch of Caribbean Reef squid, so I can understand the appeal of owning these beautiful creatures. My husband is an underwater photographer (search Reef Portraits on Facebook and follow his page to see our underwater adventures), so I serve as his "finder" of neat creatures. I'm just as happy watching the little crabs scuttle about, as any eel, shark, turtle, or ray.

 

[TCMontium]

Keeping seahorses is definitely easier than cephalopods (in general, of course it depends on the species). In a home aquarium your best bet would probably be a dwarf octopus species, but you need a REALLY tightly sealed aquarium. The smaller the animal is in comparison to the aquarium, the easier it is to keep the water clean.

If I ever got into freshwater tanks again... my dream tank is a 55+ gallon fully planted full of dwarf ornamental shrimp who breed in fresh water and can't mix. I had chosen my start ups for the inhabitants and it cost around 300+ for like 20 individual freshwater shrimp... compared to saltwater set up that's nothing.. But freshwater just for shrimp XD people thought I was insane

A shrimp aquarium is not crazy at all actually. It is one of the most common and profitable aquarium designs. Last few years were especially stormed by Taiwan Bee Shrimps and other selectively bred species.

 

[Andee]

I don't think I could ever comfortably keep a larger species of octopus because of their enclosure requirements and the fact I would like I was constantly failing.

 

[jamest0o0]

The larger ones are better usually if you can provide for them. I THINK they are a bit longer lived(cephs don't live long as it is...) and are diurnal so you see them more often. O Briareus are popular and if you have a HUGE tank there is the vulgaris.