sea cucumber without sandbed

For the most part unless you overfeed the living bejesus out of your tank or have a high bioload? Jason's belief is correct.
 
Two years ago I would have given the same responses as below, but...

I have 3 or 4 sea cucumbers in my bare bottom frag tank. I threw them in there as tiny, skinny guys (1"-2") about 18 months ago when I brought them back from the Florida Keys. They are now 5"-7" and as plump as can be. They eat algae also. They may reach a point where they stop growing but so far, that is not the case.:rollface:
 
Norm, I am glad you posted that because I have a very similar experience but figured I would get lit up as being crazy or wrong or both

I only have one in a bare bottom 240 but he cruzes along nicely and is in fine health
 
Dave, you should always post your experience. That's what it's all about. Besides it's much better than regurgitating info someone else said. In the process maybe we'll debunk some myths.
 
hollback said:
Dave, you should always post your experience. That's what it's all about. Besides it's much better than regurgitating info someone else said. In the process maybe we'll debunk some myths.
Click to expand...

Yes, personal experience hold much greater value. It's much harder to call you crazy if you have 1st hand info, after all seeing is believing :lmao:
 
How big is your tank? At 240 and very modest feeding, coupled with two very active serpent stars, my cuke is triving. I am sure there is a minimum size that could work out for the critter but sand does not seem to be an issue.

It may also be a species issue as both Norm and I have cucumbers from the west Atlantic region
 
This is a bit of a thread-jack, but while we're talking about sea cucumbers...

I've often considered getting a cuke for purposes of "whitening" my sand bed. I never have, though, because of my fear of: (1) having it die, (2) me not notice because it dies behind a rock somewhere, (3) release toxins, and (4) therefore nuking my tank. My system is about 200 gallons of total water volume. Irrational fear?
 
mrwilson said:
This is a bit of a thread-jack, but while we're talking about sea cucumbers...

I've often considered getting a cuke for purposes of "whitening" my sand bed. I never have, though, because of my fear of: (1) having it die, (2) me not notice because it dies behind a rock somewhere, (3) release toxins, and (4) therefore nuking my tank. My system is about 200 gallons of total water volume. Irrational fear?
Click to expand...

I would say irrational rear -- yes others would say no.

I've had a cuke sucked into the intake of my panworld 200 with no ill effects (to the system). It did not get chopped up, but the end result was his demise. I even kept him in the sump for several hours afterwards in hopes of it being able to recover -- no luck-- His innards did start to spill out over the period of an hour before I decided to pull it and put it out of it's misery.

Others have reportedly had issues with a cuke effecting their tank. Though.

I have also read that the longer they are in captivity the less potent the toxin becomes. I have not been able to verify that though.
 
have two in my frag tank bare bottom and they have been doing well for quite some time. The one in my display has on occassion stood straight up, crazy sight, and ventured up onto my rock work eating detritus from the crevices of my lace rock.
 
I lost a cuke to a pump during my move a few years back. I came in the new lab to quiet. The little giant was so jammed by him that it shut down

never had any troubles
Of course I put the screen on the pump after the cows were already out of the barn
 
I had one get sucked into a tunze 6200 after being in the tank for 3 or 4 years. Other than that, no issues - tank size 220.
 
I honestly don't know enough about them to know if its only certain species or what the deal is with cukes nuking tanks when they die. I had heard that story when I went to buy that first one that ended in the little giant pump a year or so later. not to get one because if they die in your tank they release a powerful toxin

In any event I had all of my live stock in a 100 gal stock tank on rollers to move down the hall then set up temporarily until the 240 was back in place. I am guessing that I had maybe 60-70 gal of water. The cuke was ground into chunks but nothing else went wrong. I did not do a water change until days later.

Hardly scientific proof that the cuke toxin story is a myth but I have not heard from people who have lost a cuke and had it kill the rest of the tank or inflict any sort of damage at all.

so my vote is get a small one, watch him close and if he seems like he is strugling (not nice and fat looking) give him to a bigger and dirtyer tank
 
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