Sea Cucumber Hitchhiker - How to feed!

[ChrissFishes01]

Hey guys,

So I set up a little 5.5 gallon pico tank last week. It's been going well, and was set up with mostly cycled rock, but dead (used) sand. Tonight, I came home and found this guy laying on the substrate:





I believe we've got it ID'd as a Florida Sea Cucumber, although that could be incorrect. Seems to fit, though.

Seeing as how this tank is teeny and brand-new, I'm aware that this tank isn't suitable for long. However, until I can find a better solution, can someone give me an idea of how to feed this guy? I read that they can eat Nori, so I rubberbanded some to a shell and tossed it in there, but someone suggested it may need to be powdered for it to eat it. Anyone got any ideas?

If you've ever had a Tiger Tail (or other sand-sifting cucumbers), I'm sure your experience will likely apply.

 

[blaxsun]

Looks like a Florida. They're sand sifters, so they'll go through the sand bed looking for goodies - so you just need to let them do their thing. They'll occasionally crawl up on the side of the tanks but prefer roaming over, under and in and around your rocks.

I've got four black sea cucumbers pulling duty in my tank (6-8" each and probably 1" thick), so they do grow to a fair size. There may not be enough in your pico tank to keep him fed long-term, so a tank upgrade or rehoming is probably in your future. They can also become toxic when injured so make sure you handle very gently.

Free worm with rock!

 

[ChrissFishes01]

Looks like a Florida. They're sand sifters, so they'll go through the sand bed looking for goodies - so you just need to let them do their thing. They'll occasionally crawl up on the side of the tanks but prefer roaming over, under and in and around your rocks.

I've got four black sea cucumbers pulling duty in my tank (6-8" each and probably 1" thick), so they do grow to a fair size. There may not be enough in your pico tank to keep him fed long-term, so a tank upgrade or rehoming is probably in your future. They can also become toxic when injured so make sure you handle very gently.

Free worm with rock!

Thanks for the info!

So, since they're sand-sifters, is there any way to supplementally feed it? This pico is small and brand-new, so I doubt there's much of anything for it to eat. It's cycled, so parameters check out, but still.

I have a 10 gallon tank I'm setting up for a pair of clowns that I can move it into, but it'd be the same situation - cycled, but not with an established sand bed.

I have a Koralia Nano 240 in here - should I make a guard for it? I've read they're kinda like nems, in that if they get sucked up, it can wreak havoc on the tank.

Also, I have some macros in the tank - are those at risk with this guy, or will he leave them alone?

He's very cool! Thank you for the help.

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks for the info!

So, since they're sand-sifters, is there any way to supplementally feed it? This pico is small and brand-new, so I doubt there's much of anything for it to eat. It's cycled, so parameters check out, but still.

I have a 10 gallon tank I'm setting up for a pair of clowns that I can move it into, but it'd be the same situation - cycled, but not with an established sand bed.

I have a Koralia Nano 240 in here - should I make a guard for it? I've read they're kinda like nems, in that if they get sucked up, it can wreak havoc on the tank.

Also, I have some macros in the tank - are those at risk with this guy, or will he leave them alone?

He's very cool! Thank you for the help.

You can try some seaweed on a rock, but it may just ignore it. They're not likely to get sucked into a powerhead, but if you can make a guard it certainly wouldn't hurt.

You may want to try and move it (gently) into the 10-gallon as soon as it's feasible, since it will give it more grazing area.

Macros? Sorry, it's been a bear of a day and I'm drawing a total blank here...

 

[ChrissFishes01]

You can try some seaweed on a rock, but it may just ignore it. They're not likely to get sucked into a powerhead, but if you can make a guard it certainly wouldn't hurt.

You may want to try and move it (gently) into the 10-gallon as soon as it's feasible, since it will give it more grazing area.

Macros? Sorry, it's been a bear of a day and I'm drawing a total blank here...

Yeah, he ignored some Nori I attached to a shell.

Macroalgae - display macros. Caulerpa Mexicana is the main one I'm worried about - it's not calcified, so it's at the highest risk of being eaten by things.