My Tiger tail is just laying around and is not active even at night. Help?

MarineGirl411

MarineGirl411

New member
Hi everyone,
I just purchased a Tiger Tail cucumber and it's just laying around. I acclimated it for 1 hour on a drip. He hasn't been sifting sand or anything. Just laying around. Last night I actually thought he was dead. I put him down in the front part of my tank and he started moving really slowly. I placed some food by him and observed him for 30 min before going to bed. This morning I woke up and he's in the same spot I left him last night. Should I be concerned? He wasn't active last night. Just a little worried. Please let me know. Thank you very much.
 
Did you observe it at all at the LFS, how was it doing there. Can you descibe the tank its in a bit, and give us some water parameters?
 
Hi,
Sure can. I didn't observe the animals much at the store. It had just been shipped in for me. It was ordered for me because I needed one. =*( I am not sure about cucumber activity even if I thought it looked strange. The owner said he's never had one and honestly doesn't know much about him. He's a good guy though. Well the tank is my 40 gallon breeder. Everything I have in the tank is listed in my signature. Nitritates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are all at 0ppm. Salinty 1.024. Temp 78. I noticed today that it looks like a part of his flesh is open. =( I do not believe it was like this before. I am not sure how this happened. Unless it is something I just don't recognize. I'd appreciate it. I'm really worried about him. Here are some pictures. You can see something whitish colored by either his head or tail. I do not know which is which. =/ It seems more like an open wound today.
MVC-023S.jpg


MVC-024S.jpg


He looks all shriveled up. Yes, he is still alive. Not doing any sifting though. Just kind of laying around. Please let me know. If it is an open wound, what should I do?
 
Okay, I spelled nitrates wrong, sorry. It's almost 4:00am and I can't sleep. I went and looked at him again and the white part is by either his head or tail. Not sure exactly. If it's like that tomorrow, I'll try to get a better picture. Please let me know what you think. Do they normally act like this? TY
 
As a stress response cucumbers can expell thier guts. Sounds nasty, but the cucmber can recover from this, just dont let the expelled stuff hang around your tank. Sounds like possibly shipping stress, either the temp got real low or water became stagnant. Just keep an eye on it. Set up and move it to a Quarantine tank if possible. If it dies and ends up in the rockwork somewhere it could be a problem.
 
I just bought one yesterday at the lfs. Mine crawled next to a rock and hasn't moved since. It did poop sand earlier though. Tagging along.
 
It's still just laying around today. =( Not sure if it's even eaten. I'm very worried about the poor little guy. My temp stays stable. I've placed food by him. So he is expelling his guts? It seems to not be as bad today as it was last night. Where is his head? I know that sounds like a stupid question, but I'd like to know where to place food. I placed it by the narrow end. My water flow is good. He's in the tank that's in my signature. I have a good turn over and a strong skimmer. Everything in my tank is stable. Should I place him in a shadier spot in the tank? He's kind of under the pc's and mh light at the moment. Not directly under the MH though of course. He's laying in the sand bed. What would you recommend I try to get him to feed on? I put some mysis, seaweed, squid, and enriched brine shrimp in the tank. I soaked some of it in garlic as it triggers sick animals to eat. He did not seem to touch it. He's all shriveled up. More today than yesterday. Looks very limp. =*( If your's is pooing sand, that is at least a good sign. Mine just looks ill. I will set up a QT. Doesn't it take a while to cycle though? ::::Sigh I love my poor little guy. Let me know. Thank you very much.
 
The cuke is very unlikely to eat anything you give it. They mop up the sand along with microalgae, detritus, and bacteria. Once it begins eating or pooping the head end will become apparent.

You wont be able to immediatly offer it food in the QT. The QT is just to seperate it from your display in case it dies or is carrying a pathogen.

Read the article I linked about QT before you set it up.
 
okay. will do. I am not sure if it's dead or not now. It just doesn't look good and isn't moving. This is just frustrating. Do you know how long I will be able to tell? It's expelling again tonight. It wasn't earlier. Now it is. Ugh!
 
Hi David. I read the article. I've read other articles about QT tanks as well. Yup I regret not using it to begin with. I told myself I was. I just placed a sponge in the sump over the weekend during my water change and cleaning. In order to start the QT up right, would you recommend me waiting, if so how long, and use a little part of that sponge? Or should I place a small piece of rubble rock in the QT then take it out? Please let me know. Thank you. I'm so mad at myself!!!!
 
Update:

I bought him on Saturday. I acclimated him for an hour and then put him in the tank on the sand bed. He immediately started eating but then moved to the base rock and hasn't moved from that location since. I've read that they can basically liquify their bodies to fit in crevices. Mine is still in the same place but is in the process of moving under my base rock. I also found a pile of sand poop next to him when I got home yesterday evening. He is still alive but he is not grazing the sand bed I have (approx. 10x36). Should I be concerned?
 
It looks like mine is actually digging a hole underneath my base rock and pooping the sand out. Is this normal?
 
MarineGirl, do you still have it? Dont worry about the sponge right off. You wont be feeding this tank anyway so no worries about ammonia or cycle. Use water from your display to fill the QT if possible, and move the cuke right in there. Try not to expose it to the air this could cause more stress. You could also place a few pieces of LR rubble in the QT if you want to as well.

What I did when I QT'd mine was take a plastic bowl, white is best. Take a little sand from the top of your sand bed no deeper than say a 1/4 inch, and put it in the bowl, put the cuke in the bowl. If you need a little weight in the bowl use a piece of LR rubble.
 
Hi,
This is him tonight. I don't know if he's dead =( If he was, wouldn't my bristleworms be all over him? If my QT isn't cycled, couldn't he die? Wouldn't this put further stress on him moving him from an established tank to a QT that isn't cycled? I put some rubble in the QT to get it started. I just thought I'd have to wait for a cycle to be over with, before putting him in there. Yes, I still have him.

MVC-045S.jpg


This week is just not going too well for me. Having problems with my mom's health. If you could let me know what you think about my little Tiger I'd appreciate it. Thank you very much.
 
No need to cycle the QT. Its designed to be a quick set up temporary tank. If the cuke is eating then I would say leave it in the display, if it hasnt begun to eat yet. Set the QT up like I described and move it there. As long as the rubble you put in there is from your display there should be no worries about a cycle.

The reason for the tank cycle is because of all of the stuff dying in the new live rock, and it takes time for the bacteria to become established. Then as you begin adding livestock the bacterial populations need to adjust to the new bioload.

In this case you are using water from the display which should contain a healthy supply of bacteria, plus the LR rubble has established bacterial population and should no longer have die off, and you are only adding one animal, which initially will not be fed directly. To the best of my kowledge they do no eat prepared foods. Take some sand from your display, just the top 1/4 inch, maybe a couple cupfuls and use this in the QT for food for the cuke.

The cuke doesnt look good, but this does not mean it is doomed. You do not want it to die in your display. Move it to the QT before it does die and possibly gets swept somwhere you cant see it and pollutes your tank.
 
Hi,
Thank you graveyard. My tiger unfortunately did pass. The reef store owner said he will replace it for me. Hopefully I will get a healthy one. I will QT it right away as soon as I get it this time. Any other advice? Should I keep the salinty as high as my main display? It is 1.025. In my other reef books it says to keep a QT at about 1.016. The First Marine Aquarium. Just wondering if that is still suggested or should I keep the same salinity as the display tank? Very sad about my cuke. I do appreciate all your help. Thank you.
 
Sorry to hear of the bad news. Keep the QT the same as your display for inverts, the only time you would lower the SG in QT would be if you were treating a fish with hyposalinity.

You should find some helpful info int htis article.

SEA CUCUMBERS - PART II
 
Cucumber

Cucumber

I was just reading your thread, bummer about your cucumber. they really are pretty cool to watch.

Don't be discouraged though, maybe you just got one that was already sick. i've had pretty good luck with mine and haven't lost one yet and I'm no expert reef keeper by far. they have even multiplied. I'm sure your next attempt will go better for you.

I included a pic of one of mine. By the way, In is on the right, out is on the left.

148357Cuke.jpg
 
TY. I feel bad about the poor little tiger tail. The reef store owner said his other one died as well. He got 2 in that same day. He is going to replace him for me. I like the TT. Yours is a cutie. I hate it when things pass on. It makes me feel so bad because I feel so selfish for wanting it, then just to have it pass. I love this hobby though. It's so addictive. Thank you for your kind words. I won't give up. Did you just start your reef in March?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Biota Group Captive Bred Mandarin Dragonet - 4 Month Update
Replies
5
Views
1K
OTTOMATIC
O
Paul B
IMO How to set up a tank to stay healthy and immune
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
zappa
Z
M
Is Something wrong with my Clown or is he just Dumb?
Replies
1
Views
1K
Anemone
Anemone
teddscau
Baby Pyjama Cardinalfish
Replies
3
Views
4K
kizanne
kizanne
SillyDox
My first death... Help?
Replies
5
Views
1K
Michael Hoaster
Michael Hoaster
Back
Top