People's experience with sea cucumbers

[LxHowler]

I've been asked if I want a yellow dwarf sea cucumber, from what I've read people say that cucumbers can release toxins into a tank if insured or killed. Has anyone had this happen.

I've also been told that the yellow dwarf cannot release toxins which seems abit odd but might be possible. Looking at putting it into a soft coral reef if I take it.

What are peoples experience with cucumbers. I really like how interesting they look but don't want to risk my tank, stocking is a pair of bonded clowns and a shrimp goby

 

[LxHowler]

Should also say the tank is bare bottom of that makes a difference

 

[atoll]

I wouldn't put a cucumber in a bare bottomed tank. Most cucumbers suck up sand take the food they want from it and pass it out the other end. I doubt there would be enough food to sustain a cucumber in bare bottomed tank.

 

[AcroNem]

Normally a cucumber would need substrate, but a dwarf yellow is a filter feeding cucumber and while it doesn't need substrate it will be more challenging to keep as it needs food available in the water column consistently. Cucumbers can be harmful if they're killed or shredded in your system, and you will find some horror stories but you'll also find much more where nothing bad happened. I've kept many and never had an issue. Doesn't mean that risk doesn't exist it just isn't as big as people make it. With a small one like that I would make sure any pumps and intakes are well guarded

 

[LxHowler]

Normally a cucumber would need substrate, but a dwarf yellow is a filter feeding cucumber and while it doesn't need substrate it will be more challenging to keep as it needs food available in the water column consistently. Cucumbers can be harmful if they're killed or shredded in your system, and you will find some horror stories but you'll also find much more where nothing bad happened. I've kept many and never had an issue. Doesn't mean that risk doesn't exist it just isn't as big as people make it. With a small one like that I would make sure any pumps and intakes are well guarded

All of my pumps are setup to support anemones so that shouldn't be an issue. I regularly feed my coral with broadcast feeding and I run my tanks to be able to feed quite heavily without affecting my nutrients too bad. I would put one in my mixed reef but my sand bed is full of nassarius snails and I've heard they don't mix well.
I think I am probably going to pass on this one, maybe something I will get in the future. I'll just look for another interesting thing like this
Thanks for the advice

 

[sharpimage]

I had one with no issues. Visitors always asked about it.

 

[LxHowler]

I had one with no issues. Visitors always asked about it.

Did you have a sand bed that's the only thing I am now curious about as they filter feed

 

[LxHowler]

Just wondering, they are filter feeders, does that mean they will eat phytoplankton. I add quite a bit of plankton for my pods and I could add a little more if they eat it? To compensate for no sand bed, or should I just avoid getting one

 

[Sosuke]

I have a sea apple kinda like the little yellow cucumbers but bigger and more colorful although my tank is established I also feed phytofeast for it on a daily basis. My tank has a sandbed but I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not maybe particles in the sand bed for it to eat? If your filters are designed for anemones then I assume the little guy won't be an issue with your filtration but for them feeding more is always better so unless you want to add filter feeding foods frequently I would pass.

 

[LxHowler]

I have a sea apple kinda like the little yellow cucumbers but bigger and more colorful although my tank is established I also feed phytofeast for it on a daily basis. My tank has a sandbed but I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not maybe particles in the sand bed for it to eat? If your filters are designed for anemones then I assume the little guy won't be an issue with your filtration but for them feeding more is always better so unless you want to add filter feeding foods frequently I would pass.

Thanks, I've got a few days to decide, it's being held for me to decide so I'm going to keep researching before I decide. Thanks for your input

 

[DeniseAndy]

I had one that turned into 4 over time. They split. Anyway, I think I lost them all when moving all rock out twice for algae cleans. I should have been more careful. They were so small. Cool though.

 

[Smarkow]

Have kept sea apples for years, but I daily feed about 125 cc of phyto to the tank.

Regarding the sand bottom, I find it is more useful for nutrient cycling rather than needing it for food. If you get tigertail or other sand-dwelling cucumbers then the sand becomes necessary for a food source.

 

[LxHowler]

Have kept sea apples for years, but I daily feed about 125 cc of phyto to the tank.

Regarding the sand bottom, I find it is more useful for nutrient cycling rather than needing it for food. If you get tigertail or other sand-dwelling cucumbers then the sand becomes necessary for a food source.

Thanks for the answer. The tanks been established without a sand bed and has been running well for about 7 months now. I feed phytoplankton but I don't think my tank could handle quite that much

 

[robbyg]

I've been asked if I want a yellow dwarf sea cucumber, from what I've read people say that cucumbers can release toxins into a tank if insured or killed. Has anyone had this happen.

I've also been told that the yellow dwarf cannot release toxins which seems abit odd but might be possible. Looking at putting it into a soft coral reef if I take it.

What are peoples experience with cucumbers. I really like how interesting they look but don't want to risk my tank, stocking is a pair of bonded clowns and a shrimp goby

Thats pretty much the same story that I had heard for decades. I had never seen it happen in a tank but it did happen in a 5 gallon bucket when my brother and myself dived up some livestock. After that I thought it was to risky having a living grenade in my tank. Honestly though I have seen dozens of tanks with them over the years and nobody's had a problem.

 

[Smarkow]

Thanks for the answer. The tanks been established without a sand bed and has been running well for about 7 months now. I feed phytoplankton but I don't think my tank could handle quite that much

Keep with it. I removed a lot of my sand 2 years in. At one point I used a waterfall turf scrubber to control nutrients - that may be an option for you down the line if you want to increase your feeding

 

[Amado]

I had one and everything was great. Until I moved. I broke down my tank and put everything into a 100 gallon Rubbermaid tub. My cucumber wasn’t happy and it almost killed all my fish. Cucumbers are like Grenades they are great until something changes and then they are not. One cucumber can nuke a tank if it’s not happy.

 

[LxHowler]

Keep with it. I removed a lot of my sand 2 years in. At one point I used a waterfall turf scrubber to control nutrients - that may be an option for you down the line if you want to increase your feeding

My nutrients are pretty stable at the minute. I use a mix of nopox and an oversized skinmer, but I don't know if a massive increase in feeding will be too much. I like having bare bottom, I have gsp growing along the front covering the glass

 

[LxHowler]

Just thought i would update this post. After a bit more research today I decided that a sea cucumber wasn't for me and decided to pass on the offer even though it was going cheap

 

[Smarkow]

Just thought i would update this post. After a bit more research today I decided that a sea cucumber wasn't for me and decided to pass on the offer even though it was going cheap

If you don’t mind me asking, where/who was the offer with? I can’t get enough of these guys! Feel free to PM me.
Thanks for sharing,
Stephen

 

[LxHowler]

If you don’t mind me asking, where/who was the offer with? I can’t get enough of these guys! Feel free to PM me.
Thanks for sharing,
Stephen

I'm in the uk don't know if that matters, the offer was from a friend that had some split the only place I've seen in the uk that has some for sale at the minute is salty revolution. Hope this helps