Can you own a pet squid? The short answer: Squids make terrible pets. It would be best if you chose a different species. These magnificent creatures are not designed to dwell in a tiny aquarium tank. Hence, it is difficult to make them thrive, let alone survive.
In addition to sea dragons, squids are intriguing and lovely creatures.
They can leak ink into the water as a means of escape. Some fish may even alter their coloration to conceal or resemble other species.
Having such a fish in your aquarium might be attractive.
Nonetheless, there are other reasons why they should remain in the water.
What Is a Squid?
Squids are cephalopods, which are a type of mollusk.
They possess a lengthy body, two tentacles, and eight appendages. All squids are predators that utilize a beak to break food into small, digestible pieces.
Some individuals pursue larger fish than themselves.
Nonetheless, squids are consumed by sharks, sperm whales, and other huge predators. They are an essential link in the oceanic food chain.
While the majority of squids are capable of changing color for concealment, some are also bioluminescent. Therefore, it is unsurprising that people desire such bright fish as pets.
There are several species, including:
- Sharp squid
- Bobtail squid
- Pygmy squid
- Bigfin reef squid
- Humboldt squid
- Firefly squid
- Flying calamari
The cephalopod family includes creatures such as cuttlefish and octopus. The latter, in particular, creates substantially better pets.
Is It Legal To Have An Octopus As A Pet?
Yes, fire squid is legal in every state in the United States, including California.
Yet, it may be prohibited to capture fish in their natural habitats.
Even experts must seek for weeks or months to find a single specimen of certain species.
Imagine what the stock would be like if divers collected all the rare squids. This species would soon be on the verge of extinction.
Yet, cruelty is also a significant reason to avoid acquiring a pet squid.
Under no circumstances should a squid be captured and held captive on the beach.
I shall explain in the next parts why they do not fit in an aquarium.
Why Squids Make Terrible Pets
So why do squids make such awful pets?
I compiled five statistics demonstrating how unsuited aquarium tanks are for these fish, regardless of size.
Let’s start!
The majority of species are pelagic.
This indicates that squids inhabit the open ocean. What would this entail for the tank size required?
In their universe, the idea of corners and walls does not exist. Moreover, their jet propulsion allows them to move at a very high rate of speed.
In captivity, they would always swim into the glass of the tank. And that at a rapid rate.
They get small injuries with every clash, and after some time, this can get very serious.
It is not uncommon for squids in tanks. They kill themselves in combat.
The already short lifespan is even more shortened through this.
Professionals and institutions are keeping them in round tanks for this reason.
Very Sensitive To Water Quality
The quality of water is another aspect that should be considered.
Squids need a constant supply of fresh saltwater. Therefore, the optimum would be that you have your squid aquarium beneath the ocean so that you can solve this problem with some pumps.
If not, you must frequently change the water and install a high-quality filter with a good protein skimmer.
So even the few species that are not pelagic would be a real hustle to take care of.
Visual Mimicry Doesn’t Happen In Captivity
Suits need to be in their natural environment to use their camouflage tactics.
In captivity, they are too stressed to change colors. Instead, they immediately want to hide and use their jet propulsion to catapult themselves against the next tank pane.
This is very sad, especially when you managed to get a bobtail squid famous for its luminescent properties.
Need Loads Of Food
You won’t believe how much food these animals need.
Due to their fast growth, they can eat loads and loads of small fish and shrimp. This is even for the tiniest squid species you can find.
Of course, they need life food that you would have to buy frequently.
Short Lifespan
The life span of deep sea squid in nature and captivity is very short.
For small species, it can be six months, while larger ones, like the giant vampire squid, can get two or three years old.
With that comes another problem: sometimes, the species need help distinguishing from each other.
So if you buy a wild deep-sea squid, you would never know if it is a small species at the age of 5 months that can live another month in your tank or if it is a baby squid of a large species that would grow into an enormous size.
Where To Buy A Pet Squid?
If you still want a pet squid, see if your local aquarium store has one for sale.
Even if that is not the case, the stores can often order one for you. In most cases, this is much cheaper than ordering one yourself.
Overnight transport is expensive, and the whole process is very stressful for the fish. As squids are very stress-sensitive, your fish will likely die on the journey.
Especially species that have their natural habitat far away and are caught in the wild should be avoided.
Only very few of these poor fish survive the transport to the US.
Pet Squid Alternatives
So, big fin squid make terrible pets, and I bet you won’t have much fun with one of them.
But if you want a pet cephalopod, there are two other possibilities: cuttlefish and octopus.
Both are not a good choice for beginners, but octopuses make better pets than cuttlefish, as it is easier to take care of them.
Octopuses are very intelligent and have character. You can play with them, and they often bond with their owners.
That being that, it is important that you spend time with them regularly. Deepsea squid need playtime, games, and riddles to stay happy.
Wrapping Things Up
It is possible to own a pet squid, but you are better off leaving these creatures in the ocean where they belong.
Keeping them in an aquarium tank can be considered cruel, and they will soon hurt themselves, leading to injuries and even death.
Only experts and institutions with large resources can care for a squid.
That being said, there are other reasons, like the short lifespan, why you should better choose another bigfin squid.
by Fashion Facts 24
