cucumber questions

[fishymissy]

Today I went out and bought 2 cucumbers to help maintain the sandbed in 2 different tanks. Now I am worried because the one in the 90g seems to be climbing upside down in a small cave in a piece of LR, and even though I know they excrete sand, I thought it was supposed to look like a little pile. This looks more like a large grain of sand instead. What does it look like when they spill their guts? Would a tang that took a small taste (no physical harm done, or none that I can see) be enough for it to do that?
The one in the 20g is eating, but seems to be moving extremely slowly.
To tell you the truth, I am a little freaked now because I am worried they will die and kill my tanks off.
They were both sold as generic cucumbers, the one in the 90 is gold/brown color and the one in the 20 is black. Both are spikey if that helps at all.
Is this normal behavior for cucumbers?

 

[adrian]

I have two of the same kind of cukes as you, they are mostly nocturnal so its normal for them to not move around much in the day, and also for them to seek refuge in the rock. At night they will do most of their cleaning, leaving behind little piles of turds of sand, I assume thats what your refering to when you say "large grains of sand", this is normal, and the little truds will break up eventually. They will take a little while to adjust to your system, as long as they were acclimated properly and have a mature DSB in which to sift they will be fine. If they die, they are not known to be as harmfull as other cukes such as the sea apple. HTH

 

[fishymissy]

Thank you Adrian!
At first I was a little worried, (I always do this when something new is added.....I guess I expect the worst) but now, they seem to be just fine. The yellow tang, aside from glancing at it once in awhile ignores it most of the time, and the lionfish doesn't seem to know it's there.