safe pretty cuccumber anyone?

lildraken

New member
can anyone recommend any sea cucumbers that won't release toxins and are somewhat pretty? -- if not i'll settle for just a list of reef safe cucumbers that you've had good experiences with
 
Holoturia hilla :)
Looks cool too.
I have it and it works great to keep my few sand in my frag tank clean.
I've read that in case of death it doesn't release any toxin
 
The only one I can think of is Colochirus robustus, the yellow sea cucumber, maybe pentacta anceps but it melted most of my lps and leathers when it died.
 
I added this one months ago & haven't seen it since. No problems yet.

cuc1-1.jpg
 
Jackkerouac... read the bottom of the description for the animal you linked :) "Caution: This species secretes or releases toxins when stressed or injured that may kill fish in the aquarium. LiveAquaria.com cannot accept responsibility for any loss that may occur should this animal poison the aquarium."
 
well I just checked in Calfo's Reef invertebrates book he put it H.hilla in the list of the best sea cucumbers :)

Best choice:
H.floridiana
H.thomasi (that's also a relative of H.hilla)
H.hilla
Pseudothyone
Colochirus robustus
Stichopus shloronotus

He also say that exept few species that are very toxic such as sea apples and violet sea cucumber,most problems to aquarium by a death of a sea cucumber depends of the pollution generate by the death body
 
can anybody on this forum actually vouch for the fact that cucumbers will kill your tank when they die? i have had a couple of different ones and a few have died with no ill effect to my tank. i have heard the stories and read the warnings, but if you have a small tank i can agree it is not the best idea.

most of the problems i have even heard about are sea apples and not cucumbers.
 
I had pink and green filter feeding cucumber, Pentacta anceps and golden sand sifting cucumber (ID unknown, was bought being mistaken for Colochirus robustus, yellow filter feeder). They died after tank crash, in hospital tank, but there were no evisceration and softies and LPS are alive after this. White xenia, anthelia, candycane, mushrooms, cynarina, scolymia, blasto merletti and others.

PentactamovingOct5.jpg

goldenatworkAug25.jpg

One of them will require feeding, and another - fine sand to sift.

This is how they will look in store, contracted:
PentactaclosedOct4.jpg

yellowheater1.jpg


In both cases, heaters (if they are in tank) should be covered by plastic guard.
 
Do Cukes seriously, without a doubt, keep the sand clean? Wouldn't they just eat the poop in the sand only to poop it back out in the sand (scientifically speaking)? I'm tired of buying cleaners that don't do their job - my Lawnmower Blenny only eats pellets and my Coral Banded Shrimp won't touch a Bristle Worm.

I'm considering a Cuke to keep my sand clean, but I think they are really really ugly. I think I could tough it out if I was assured he'd stick to his biz and keep that sand clean.
 
Mine does an excellent job although he's slow and doesn't get round as much as i'd like :) In the morning, i can tell where he has been because there will be a white patch of sand in a semi-circle around the corner where he hangs out. That, and a pile of sand pellets that disintegrate after some current hits them. They take in sand and digest all the algae and bacteria present. What comes out is nice, clean white sand. There are different types, be sure you get the one that actually takes in sand. Some just filter the water.
 
cucumbers without a doubt are one of the best sand cleaners out there. the only problem like stated above is that they move pretty slow and cant get to everything so you need to have a good clean up crew to help the cucumber out. but you want to make sure nothing is bothering or picking at the cucumber either as this will kill it or lead to it not doing its job.
 
Re: cukes

Re: cukes

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12934635#post12934635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crmjacks
from what i understand, none are completely safe.

well if you see by this point of wiev it's not safe to keep Zooanthid (one of the most powerful natural toxin) or many other corals and fishes ;)
 
I have a similar looking cucumber to the Yellow one posted above. My is a tanish color.... he's ugly as sin but that's what makes him so cool.

FWIW a tiger tail cucumber is pretty cool looking I think they get pretty big though. My brother had one die in a 5 Gallon tank and nothing happened at all.

I think the problem lies if the cucumber expels its internal organs. Those are where the toxicity lies in the poisonous ones. From what I've read it's pretty rare for this to happen when the CUC dies. The body would have to decompose to a point where the organs would be exposed in this case.


And also, I have seen peppermint shrimp harass a cucumber. I had a bunch that messed with mine. The peppermints were all removed the next day.
 
Bumblebee snails will also harrass cucumbers. I also havea yellow like pictured above - generallly speaking the atlantic species are toxin free as opposed to pacific.

Not always the rule but you're mostly safe that way
 
Re: Re: cukes

Re: Re: cukes

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12949911#post12949911 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JackKerouac
well if you see by this point of wiev it's not safe to keep Zooanthid (one of the most powerful natural toxin) or many other corals and fishes ;)

i strongly agree with you.
 
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