keepin octopuses at home

[fletch]

There you go HL14
But just start slow and don't be tempted to add to much to fast. Take your time and research all of your purchases before you get them and just remember that you need to get all of your parameters just right and stable before even thinking about adding any of the harder to keep animals. Good luck and I hope all goes well for you this time around................... John

PS I would hold off on the Linckia Sea Star until things are stable in your tank

[Birdlady]

Those should all be ok, but what are the rest of your water parameters...

How is the Alk, Nitrates, nitrites and ammonia? That is a bit to put in all at once, IMHO. Xenia does not ship very well, which was why I mentioned finding a reef club. Folks give that stuff away cause it grows so quickly!

[inwall75]

Quite a few octocorals utilize Calcium to produce internal spicules that allow them to stay fairly rigid. Pipe organs use Calcium to lay down structures similar to stonies. However, for many of them, Calcium isn't a big deal. Regardless, if your Calcium isn't staying stable then your Alkalinity (and likely pH) probably isn't either. I wouldn't add anything until your tank chemistry issues get solved.

[hottielover14]

ya i do a lot of research on everything before i add it...i look at tons of websites and everthing as well as ask u guys/girls....ya im not gonna add them all at once cuz for one, i don't have the money all at once and second, it's not good for the tank chem..ya im gonna buy them at this LFS actually instead cuz that way i don't have to pay for shipping and i can get them right away...ya i will test my tank maybe tomarrow and i will post the results...well my Ph was stable but i don't think my alk was....but i have buffer now to resolve that...would the lancika star kill my blue tang, manderin, clownfish, or peppermint shrimp?...ya cuz i read that they are very sensetive to water conditoins....can they knock over LR and stuff?..cuz they get like 1" across and starfish are strong

[Birdlady]

The linkia would, likely, not bother anything. However, fluctuating alk, pH, and so forth will stress the star and the shrimp, and to a lesser degree the fish and corals.

See if you can get your chemistry rock solid for a month and then try adding one animal.

[hottielover14]

oh ok i was just wondering if it would bother anything...well thanx u guys for all ur help.....ya i will test my tank maybe today or tomarrow and post it...

[JohnO]

Originally Posted by hottielover14

ur right birdlady i didn't have the right lighting the first time i had them but when i got one the second time i already had MH's and it died cuz my fish picked on it...well i put a lot of money into all the corals and fish and stuff and to have it all die is pretty upsetting..im a very patient person but even that is to much...i also don't have the money now to keep trying the reef, i can't afford the loss...i have gotten reef safe corals but for some reason they have all died...i might try soft corals cuz they don't really need calcium do they?..like xenias or something..i never said that i was sure that i was gonna get a octopus but they did sound very neat and not to bad on the care from what i have read...but i dunno what im gonna do for sure..im still thinking about it

Hi HL14

Just imagine how many pieces of coral and species of fish would be LIVING in your tank if you had listened to the good advice that you had been given. Instead of wasting all that time on jellyfish etc ( never did get to see the pictures of those BTW)

So now you think you might, think you wont, get an Octopus? Sounds like a bit of Mary Poppins to me mate.

So, take this as a spoon full of sugar. Start anew, and tell us all exactly what fish you do have that are still alive and post some good pictures of what you tank looks like now. Then, maybe, if you are really lucky, the GOOD people here might give you a 12 month plan on how to recover.

Sorry if I sound angry but I am, and you apologising just doesn't make me feel better.

John