seacucumbers?
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szwab
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http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seacukes.htm
from Dr. Ron (Reefkeping Magazine)
Holothuroids
The final group of echinoderms to be discussed is the sea cucumbers, or holothuroids, affectionately known as "cukes." This is another group with which aquarists have been largely unsuccessful at long-term maintenance. The types of cukes available to aquarists include a rather diverse taxonomic array; their husbandry, however, is rather straightforward. In general, regardless of their taxonomy, are two functional types of sea cucumbers are found in hobbyists' tanks. These are the filter-feeding types, such as the infamous sea apples, but also including a number of others, and the bottom moppers, such as the tiger tail cukes and several other species. There appears to be no real insurmountable problem with maintaining these animals other than giving them sufficient amounts of food.
Suspension-feeding sea cucumbers, or those with highly branched feeding tentacles at their oral end, require a lot of plankton per unit of body mass. Put another way, they need a lot of food. Small ones such as the brilliant yellow Colochirus robustus often appear to do reasonably well in tanks where sufficient phytoplankton is regularly added to the tank. The larger ones generally seem to persist for a while, and then die. Often they just seem to "fade away," which is a classic sign of malnutrition. In some cases, this can result in disastrous consequences as many holothuroids contain toxic chemicals in their body's walls, which are liberated during their death throes and subsequent decomposition. Given enough planktonic particulate material, however, they do seem to survive indefinitely. That particulate material should include at least several types of phytoplankton, and perhaps small zooplankton as well.
Bottom mopping sea cucumbers, such as the various species of Holothuria or Stichopus often kept in tanks, are harder to keep alive over the long term. These animals use short feeding tentacles to sweep or mop the substrate to collect various types of detritus. True detritus is defined as being of algal and plant origin and these animals often seem to be specialized feeders on such material. Animal-based foods, and occasionally small animals, will often pass through their guts undigested. The problem with detritus as a food is that it is of very low nutritional quality, both in nature and in aquaria. Consequently, these animals tend to need several square feet of substrate to forage over to get their daily square meals, and the bigger the cuke, the more square footage it needs. Large ones need a lot of sandy substrate! Generally, when added to reef tanks, these animals often slowly, but surely fade away. Given enough food, however, they may grow, and some of them may reproduce by fission.
from Dr. Ron (Reefkeping Magazine)
Holothuroids
The final group of echinoderms to be discussed is the sea cucumbers, or holothuroids, affectionately known as "cukes." This is another group with which aquarists have been largely unsuccessful at long-term maintenance. The types of cukes available to aquarists include a rather diverse taxonomic array; their husbandry, however, is rather straightforward. In general, regardless of their taxonomy, are two functional types of sea cucumbers are found in hobbyists' tanks. These are the filter-feeding types, such as the infamous sea apples, but also including a number of others, and the bottom moppers, such as the tiger tail cukes and several other species. There appears to be no real insurmountable problem with maintaining these animals other than giving them sufficient amounts of food.
Suspension-feeding sea cucumbers, or those with highly branched feeding tentacles at their oral end, require a lot of plankton per unit of body mass. Put another way, they need a lot of food. Small ones such as the brilliant yellow Colochirus robustus often appear to do reasonably well in tanks where sufficient phytoplankton is regularly added to the tank. The larger ones generally seem to persist for a while, and then die. Often they just seem to "fade away," which is a classic sign of malnutrition. In some cases, this can result in disastrous consequences as many holothuroids contain toxic chemicals in their body's walls, which are liberated during their death throes and subsequent decomposition. Given enough planktonic particulate material, however, they do seem to survive indefinitely. That particulate material should include at least several types of phytoplankton, and perhaps small zooplankton as well.
Bottom mopping sea cucumbers, such as the various species of Holothuria or Stichopus often kept in tanks, are harder to keep alive over the long term. These animals use short feeding tentacles to sweep or mop the substrate to collect various types of detritus. True detritus is defined as being of algal and plant origin and these animals often seem to be specialized feeders on such material. Animal-based foods, and occasionally small animals, will often pass through their guts undigested. The problem with detritus as a food is that it is of very low nutritional quality, both in nature and in aquaria. Consequently, these animals tend to need several square feet of substrate to forage over to get their daily square meals, and the bigger the cuke, the more square footage it needs. Large ones need a lot of sandy substrate! Generally, when added to reef tanks, these animals often slowly, but surely fade away. Given enough food, however, they may grow, and some of them may reproduce by fission.
Another good article I liked is linked below...I like it because it deals with the constant blogging of "cuke nukes":
Advanced Aquarist: Cukes By Dr. Rob Toonen.
"Personally, I do not think that there is anything wrong with keeping sea cucumbers in a reef tank as long as you take the necessary precautions to protect them from an untimely death. I keep at least one sea cucumber in every one of my own reef tanks. Ultimately, though, you are the one who has to decide if you are willing to keep the animals in your tank, whether your tank conditions are right for one, and whether the benefits of keeping one are worth the potential risks..."
Good luck!
Advanced Aquarist: Cukes By Dr. Rob Toonen.
"Personally, I do not think that there is anything wrong with keeping sea cucumbers in a reef tank as long as you take the necessary precautions to protect them from an untimely death. I keep at least one sea cucumber in every one of my own reef tanks. Ultimately, though, you are the one who has to decide if you are willing to keep the animals in your tank, whether your tank conditions are right for one, and whether the benefits of keeping one are worth the potential risks..."
Good luck!
