Sand Sifting Cucumber
- Thread starter ninjamini
- Start date
fedukeford
Active Member
i have one of the yellow ones, id say 1 per 20-25 gallons, mine does an EXTREAMLY good job cleaning the top of the and, but i never see it bury itself under the sand, i wouldnt add one until a tank is 4-6 months old
aquasafe
Member
Originally Posted by ninjamini
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=4
WOW! That was A really stupid question.
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=4
WOW! That was A really stupid question.
ninjamini
Active Member
Originally Posted by alyssia
I have a yellow one also, in my 75. It does keep the sand very clean, but like fedukeford said, I've never seen it bury itself in the sand. I would definitely wait until the tank is mature to add it.
Thanx!
Originally Posted by Aquasafe
WOW! That was A really stupid question.
No, its all good.
I have a yellow one also, in my 75. It does keep the sand very clean, but like fedukeford said, I've never seen it bury itself in the sand. I would definitely wait until the tank is mature to add it.
Thanx!
Originally Posted by Aquasafe
WOW! That was A really stupid question.
No, its all good.
ninjamini
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Ideally, I personally would wait 6 months. These are relatives of seastars and urchins, and water parameters (esp things like specific gravity) need to be really good.
In a tank under 55g I would probably only add one. Some of these animals are or get pretty large.
Humm. What about a tank thats a year old that gets transplanted to a new bigger tank. How long to let it mature. Ya still think 6 months.
ophiura, I am really starting to gain respect for your expertise.
Also, I saw a cuke at the LFS that was 15" long and 6" in diameter
Ideally, I personally would wait 6 months. These are relatives of seastars and urchins, and water parameters (esp things like specific gravity) need to be really good.
In a tank under 55g I would probably only add one. Some of these animals are or get pretty large.
Humm. What about a tank thats a year old that gets transplanted to a new bigger tank. How long to let it mature. Ya still think 6 months.
ophiura, I am really starting to gain respect for your expertise.
Also, I saw a cuke at the LFS that was 15" long and 6" in diameter
whitey_028
Member
I 3rd that with the spagetti worm situation i just had..
ophiura
Active Member
Thanks everyone
They are not necessarily any greater risk than any other animal (eg an anemone) that may die. Sea apples - their relatives - are quite toxic in and of themselves. But it is not a great risk, IMO, with sand sifter cukes. I suppose there may be some risk, but I wouldn't avoid them for this reason, personally. But then I also wouldn't keep them with fish like triggers or something that might be interested in them.
They are not necessarily any greater risk than any other animal (eg an anemone) that may die. Sea apples - their relatives - are quite toxic in and of themselves. But it is not a great risk, IMO, with sand sifter cukes. I suppose there may be some risk, but I wouldn't avoid them for this reason, personally. But then I also wouldn't keep them with fish like triggers or something that might be interested in them.
candycane
Active Member
If they die, they spill their internal organs poisoning most of the tank. It's pretty digusting actually. If you feel the risks are worth the rewards, then by all means get one. I would rather have 15 tongan fighting conchs and 2-3 sand sifting sea stars then worry about my cucumber being dead if I dont see him first thing when i wake up in the morning.
ophiura
Active Member
In general, most would die from starvation, and they may have digested much of their internal structure by this time. I really do not consider this a huge risk, personally...but everyone does have to weigh the pros and cons. The long term success with cucumbers is far greater (and they are far less destructive to a sand bed) than sand sifter stars. However, conchs and nassarius, IMO, are good additions for sure
alyssia
Active Member
Originally Posted by candycane
If they die, they spill their internal organs poisoning most of the tank. It's pretty digusting actually. If you feel the risks are worth the rewards, then by all means get one. I would rather have 15 tongan fighting conchs and 2-3 sand sifting sea stars then worry about my cucumber being dead if I dont see him first thing when i wake up in the morning.
Sand sifting stars almost always starve to death in all but the largest systems. While they won't poison your tank it's still an irresponsible thing to do IMO.
If they die, they spill their internal organs poisoning most of the tank. It's pretty digusting actually. If you feel the risks are worth the rewards, then by all means get one. I would rather have 15 tongan fighting conchs and 2-3 sand sifting sea stars then worry about my cucumber being dead if I dont see him first thing when i wake up in the morning.
Sand sifting stars almost always starve to death in all but the largest systems. While they won't poison your tank it's still an irresponsible thing to do IMO.