My BEST hitchhiker is an OCTOPUS!

[sdf_beanhead]

Read through the thread and it was devastating to ready about your loses, but your great come back is amazing. I like the way you leveled the base of your rocks. Where is a good place to get Thorite from?

[trae]

I am amazed; the feeling was probably like a kid on Christmas.
Simply beautiful.

[Buddy Pine]

Originally posted by sdf_beanhead
Read through the thread and it was devastating to ready about your loses, but your great come back is amazing. I like the way you leveled the base of your rocks. Where is a good place to get Thorite from?

Sorry I can't help you, i'm from Canada and got it from a local reefer. Do a search on RC and am sure you will find a link, good luck.

[Buddy Pine]

Originally posted by trae
I am amazed; the feeling was probably like a kid on Christmas.
Simply beautiful.

Thank you. I don't want to feel that way but I actually do.

[trae]

I was commenting on before the crash. Bad choice of words.
Glad to see you got it back up.You should post the comeback on your website.

[999sterling]

This is the thread that never ends.....it goes on and on my friends....

This is too good a story to end! Your new setup is AWESOME buddy! Looks like your going to have yourself an coral forest in a year or two. Good luck!

[StoutLager]

As a previous post said, you need to take some precations to keep him in the tank, or you will soon find it on the floor. They are absolutely the smartest creatures. I had a baby one and no matter what I put over the tank, it can find a way out. It can fit thru any hole that is the size of its eyeball or larger. I evenutally put it in a plastic cage within the aquarium. It was amazing to watch it try every single combination and permutation of exit stategies. It would try the latch and door with each tenacle in turn, then 2 at a time, then push on opposite wall with 4 and try with 4, push on side walls, reach out and around from the outside and try the latch....simply fascinating.

[StoutLager]

The local aquarium has given up trying to keep octipus in captivity. They put chicken wire with large stones-it pushes them off, they tried plexiglass - it pushed it off, they tried everything and they are very strong....When snorkeling nearby, when I see one I can take the handle of the net and touch it, immediately a tenacle will come out and wrap around the handle and it will not let go and I cannot pull it free, as it has lodged itself between other rocks with the other seven.

[Opcn]

hard contact points really help, hinges and latches that the octo cannot get to.

[FFrankie]

Dude, so sorry for your loss. I caught this thread from another and just finished reading through it.
The new tank rocks! Keep holding your chin up. I look forward to seeing your new system grow.

[Big Brother]

wow this is probably the most amazing story ever. not only did the tank crash but it was HUGE and BEAUTIFUL. and you just came right back with a bigger tank. awesome dude. sorry for your loss too.

[armagedon48]

the crash was simply a blessing in disguise.

good to see the progress

[aquarius77]

WOW! I remember my first post was in this thread, i was nearly in tears reading about what happend. Now i came back and re read it all and i have got a HUGE smile on my face. Welcome Back better than ever man, i commend you. The new tank is awesome!

[Ki4msb]

It was quite funny how you said

I decided to sell my 180 system.
I could hear sad music

then you said u got a 270, lol

[JJ21]

make sure you have a tight lid...it would be a shame to have him go carpet surfing...also i think a good convo piece would be to put an old glass coke bottle in there and see if he will make it a home. Its amazing how they can fit themselves into such tiny places

[JJ21]

woah...soo srry man..didn't read past the first page...sry bout your loss

[JJ21]

Originally posted by Buddy Pine
It's been a while since i've posted, in return I really really appreciate who've responded and update everyone on where i stand. For those who i've neglected of not having a tank sitter, I did not have anyone access to in the beginning (ATO was one of the reason but accidentally failed). So I've decided to sell my 180 gallon system.


Removal of the 180 gallon system:


New Miracles 270 gallon Strafire:



130 gallon sump:


Partial equipment:


Acquired frags, temporarily in sump:



Newly acquired livestock: "CATFISH"

aww teh kitties are soo cute

[toastii_reef]

thats real cute

hey sorry about the whole thing-
it was beautful while it lasted- i was reading it and i was like OMG that is SOOOO cool and amazing- and then the crash and its like flop-

but thats and amazing tank you got there
--
i was thinking about this story today when i was playing with the octopus at the zoo- she loves to be played with

[FFrankie]

Thats awesome! i am so happy for you. I look forward to seeing your tank grow. Karma for being a trooper!

[YoitsArson]

he is awesome.

[saltyFISHscales]

Buddy Pine, sorry to see that loss... but awesome new set up!

[Leilani57]

so sorry about your loss. i am glad to hear you are sticking with it!

i was a volunteer at the stephen birch aquarium at the scripps institute of oceanography while i was in college and i took care of a small octopus there. they are very very smart creatures! we had to keep heavy books on top of the lid of the tank. when i would go to feed him, the second i took the book off the top of the lid, he would slowly sneak one tentacle to the top of the tank, kick the lid off, and try to escape while i was looking the other way. i know that one day he actually escaped for good (though i wasn't there that day)

i was telling this story to a marine biologist at an aquarium a couple weeks ago-- turns out their octopus was sneaking out (like the one at monterey bay aquarium) for late night "snacks" in the other tanks and then returning to his tank by morning. they found the one thing that worked to keep him from escaping -- ASTROTURF! They lined the top of his tank with it, and he won't touch it! so next time you have a really cool hitchiker, you can try this method to keep him in the tank.

[Nanz]

WOW!!.. That is awesome

[Nanz]

Originally posted by Buddy Pine
Sadly to say, this past Sunday coming home from a 10 day family vacation to discover that my Reef Tank was out of power maybe for a week long. Everything was devastated (I don't know what worst I can say), everything was black and an unbearable strong gross smell. I went to the back room cautiously and one of the plastic tubing from my RO unit burst, spraying water all over until it short circuited some of the electricals and tripped two of the aquarium main breakers. Luckily nothing caught on fire, it just completely shut down the tank. All of my Fish, Clams and Octopus were completely decomposed and the Corals are wiped out. My 7 years of hard work with this 180 gallon Reef Tank just went down the drain in a matter of days. I did not have a tank sitter so I set up an Auto-Top-Off, the additonal plastic tubing that connected to the RO's main membrane had some weak spots on it and was the main cause. I was confident and so proud of myself with the set-up everything was running nicely, the auto-feeder and the the food for the Octo was all ready.

What a way to come home from a vacation, I would not wish this happen to anyone. What a bad feeling! I'm just a little messed up right now. Good bye everyone and good luck to all, thank you so much for all your compliments.

Manny.

I posted too quick without reading all the posts. Your octopus was so cool I had such an urgency to post.. I'm sorry for your loss

[Beaner3]

What a great thread!! I'm curious as to what kind of contingency plan you have for your next vacation, I get nervous about my 180 even if I just leave for the weekend. I can't imagine how crushed you were when you got home, terrible loss of life. Did you fill the new display with captive raised? I think it's great that you stuck with it as well, after such a devastating loss. I like your sump layout too.