OctoKnights
Event Location: Cocoa-FL
Competition: Critter Comfort Cottage
Division: 3-5
School: Lockmar Elementary
Team Name: OctoKnights
Project Name: Mimic Octopus Enclosure
Team Size: 5
OctoKnights
Lockmar Elementary
Engineers of the Mimic Octopus Tank
Jackson H., Killian M., Katelynn S., Marshall W., and Zachary F.
Mimic Octopus and Coral
All team members are in the 3rd Grade
Green Building and Design
Our aquarium is made from a repurposed tank. We purchased the tank from marketplace. Then we cleaned it and designed it to meet the needs of our animals. Reusing and repurposing an aquarium prevents it from ending up in the landfill. If we can reuse items instead of throwing them away and getting new ones it will make our future a better place.
The lid of our tank is made from wood and recycled screen.
Renewable Energy
Our tanks lights are powered by a solar panel. This panel takes solar energy and transfers it into usable energy. The energy travels through the wires and into the lights powering them.
Aquarium Water Filter
Our water filter is designed to clean the tanks water. In a saltwater aquarium filter, bio balls provide a large surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize and break down harmful waste products like ammonia and nitrite, a process vital for maintaining a healthy environment for aquatic life.
An octopus make three times the amount of waste as a normal fish does. So a strong water filter is important for an octopus aquarium.
Thank you!
A special thank you to our teacher Ms. Lucas for helping us with our project. She helped us get supplies, and made sure we were safe when cleaning and designing our tank.
We used the internet for research and information.
Critter Test!
When introducing an octopus to the salt water aquarium.
You just received your first octopus and want to put it in your OctoKnights tank. Remember these few things first. Patience and slow acclimation.
Put the octopus in a separate container with some of the water it was transported in. Slowly over the next hour drip the tank’s water into the octopus container. Continue this until the two water parameters are similar. Doing this slowly is important for the health of your octopus. Once the water is similar, place the container in the tank allowing the octopus to leave the container and enter the tank.
Be patient. The octopus was just put into a new home, it will hide and stay hidden for a while. Be patient and wait for it to come out. If you try to force it out, you will stress the octopus.
I love seeing my students’ creativity come to life! I enjoyed reading the tips on being patient when introducing the Octopus to a new environment as they can also experience stress. You all did an amazing job, and I look forward to seeing your work in Cocoa 🙂
You all did a great job and I loved that you explained how to introduce the octopus to its new environment.
Great job thinking about everything the octopus would need, especially the filter! Really great team work!