parmoffitt
Member
Does anyone have a sand sifting sea cucumber? Have you had any problems with it?
I had the LFS tell me I should buy one to clean the sand in the tank.
I had the LFS tell me I should buy one to clean the sand in the tank.
Sea Cucumber
- Thread starter parmoffitt
- Start date
parmoffitt
Member
Thank you for responding. My sea cucumber has been in my tank for two days now and I have not seen it come out at all. He went into the 100 lbs of LR I have. Should I be concerned? I acclimated him before putting him in the tank.
snipe
Active Member
Sea cucumbers can be leathel in a tank. If they die they release toxins that kill everything in the tank. If they get spooked they release there insides doing the same. Spooking them can be as mutch as someone walking infront or to the tank to fast. I would leave the cukes to the experts.
parmoffitt
Member
So how would I get it out of the tank? I finally found him curled up next to the base rock. I want to try to get something and wedge him out. Would it be safer to get him while he is moving on the sand?
mudplayerx
Active Member
Sorry Snipe, gotta disagree with ya. Not all Cukes are disasters waiting to happen. Tiger Tails, Warty Cucumbers and a few others will not poison the tank, even if they die. I actually pried mine out from underneathe a live rock last night (actually having to squeeze him) and he didnt do anything at all. He even went right back to eating sand as soon as I dropped him back in 
ophiura
Active Member
What type of substrate do you have? LR is irrelevant for a sand sifter unless there is too much (not enough surface area of the sand). But you can not have it on crushed coral - must be a fine sand.
One of the WORST things to do is try to pry it out of something or otherwise mess with it if it is still moving around. They would take this as an attack, and that is what causes trouble. I don't know where someone walking in front of the tank comes in!! I have never heard such a thing.
Not all cukes are this time bomb waiting to happen like a sea apple (though many would even argue with that). So this lethal bit is a bit much - it takes a lot for these guys to cause trouble...but prying them out for no reason, etc is the sort of thing that does it. I don't recommend doing that if possible. But mostly the eviscertaion/toxin issue is with filter feeding cucumbers and not so much with sand sifters. Plenty of people have had them die with no ill effects at all. Just leave it be. If you do not have appropriate substrate, then remove it when you next see it and return to the store.
One of the WORST things to do is try to pry it out of something or otherwise mess with it if it is still moving around. They would take this as an attack, and that is what causes trouble. I don't know where someone walking in front of the tank comes in!! I have never heard such a thing.
Not all cukes are this time bomb waiting to happen like a sea apple (though many would even argue with that). So this lethal bit is a bit much - it takes a lot for these guys to cause trouble...but prying them out for no reason, etc is the sort of thing that does it. I don't recommend doing that if possible. But mostly the eviscertaion/toxin issue is with filter feeding cucumbers and not so much with sand sifters. Plenty of people have had them die with no ill effects at all. Just leave it be. If you do not have appropriate substrate, then remove it when you next see it and return to the store.
snipe
Active Member
I don't know where someone walking in front of the tank comes in!! I have never heard such a thing.
Wouldnt it be like a fish when you first get it it hides and when you leave it comes out. Well when a cuke comes out and you walk up to the tank fast it is threatend and afraid. The same thing happens when you have an octopi walking to fast towards them when you first get them leads to ink going all over in the tank killing it and anything els unless you get it out and quick.
Wouldnt it be like a fish when you first get it it hides and when you leave it comes out. Well when a cuke comes out and you walk up to the tank fast it is threatend and afraid. The same thing happens when you have an octopi walking to fast towards them when you first get them leads to ink going all over in the tank killing it and anything els unless you get it out and quick.
ophiura
Active Member
But octopi have very good eye sight to begin with...
Sea cucumbers, though they might detect certain changes in shadows, are unable to form an image or feel threatened. The greater concern is with shrimp or fish that might pick at it. And really this is a greatest concern with the colorful filter feeding cukes and not the sand sifters.
Sea cucumbers, though they might detect certain changes in shadows, are unable to form an image or feel threatened. The greater concern is with shrimp or fish that might pick at it. And really this is a greatest concern with the colorful filter feeding cukes and not the sand sifters.
mudplayerx
Active Member
The cucumber was shedding skin and I had not ecountered this phenomenon before, so that is why I pried him off of the live rock. He is very friendly though. He didn't seem to mind at all, and was actually crawling around in my hand trying to suck up detritus (I was holding him underwater).
I realize that prying him loose was a mistake, but I was wigging out when I saw him shedding his skin. The really neato thing about him shedding his skin, is that his skin-pattern now resembles my sandbed about 75% more precisely.
I love this cucumber...and he only ran me $14. If anyone has never had an invert only tank, I highly recommend it.
I realize that prying him loose was a mistake, but I was wigging out when I saw him shedding his skin. The really neato thing about him shedding his skin, is that his skin-pattern now resembles my sandbed about 75% more precisely.
I love this cucumber...and he only ran me $14. If anyone has never had an invert only tank, I highly recommend it.
ophiura
Active Member
I've found that my cucumber is pretty easy to handle as well, and doesn't seem too perturbed. I just don't generally recommend having to pry them Certainly those that are filter feeders, that can really wedge into a rock or something (strongly)...you want to be carefull messing with them if at all possible.
Certainly those that are filter feeders, that can really wedge into a rock or something (strongly)...you want to be carefull messing with them if at all possible.