how do you feel about sea cukes?

ylmaya · 05-31-2003, 08:59 PM

Found a small sea cuke hitch-hiker today. About 1 1/2 inches long. Do I keep him or oust him?

Mrs Smith · 05-31-2003, 09:28 PM

Is it pretty, or is it ugly? Generally the "turd" cukes are safe. It's the fancy colored ones that are not. (Note that it's a generalization - if you can get a pic, that would help.)

Danielle

ylmaya · 05-31-2003, 09:38 PM

thanks Danielle - I think this is the "turd" variety - generally grey and brown. I posted a pic on an earlier post asking for an ID but nobody really responded. The pic is blurry but if you work hard you can see him on the glass. I have read a bunch about "cuke nuke" so I was nervous when I saw him....now he is starting to move down into the sand bed so if I am gonna pull him it is now or probably never....I plan to start adding fish and corals next week but if you say he is safe then I guess I'll let him be????

ylmaya · 05-31-2003, 09:39 PM

Sorry - here is the pic again....

tdwyatt · 06-01-2003, 02:51 AM

Wow, that is a really bad pic for a potential ID...

but it is definitely NOT a Holothurian spp. sea cucumber. It might be one of the filtering types of sea cukes, might even be a non-segmented worm or possibly one of the substrate dwelling echinoderms up on the glass, but that is quite out of character for this group of echinoderms.

A better pic is mandatory, seeing a moderately transparent body makes me think "worm" rather than "echinoderm". Try putting a ruler down next to the specimen in question so that the camera will have something to focus on. Looks like it is either focusing on the front side of the glass or the rock behind it.

Please, give us something to work with.

ylmaya · 06-01-2003, 08:24 AM

OK - I apologize for my REALLY bad picture taking - I am still figuring out how to get good pics of the tank....but - I sketched the little guy - this is his shape...does this help.

He is not transparent at all - pretty much brown and grey except for the stringy things around the 'mouth' which are white.

JennM · 06-01-2003, 09:54 AM

That would be a filter feeding cuke.

Other than sea apples, I like cukes. I like apples too but don't keep them or sell them because I've seen the results of cuke nuke. Back at the old shop we had a customer with a bad case of Sea Apple vs. powerhead. We were only able to save the powerhead - the rest of the tank was a loss.

Most often, there are only cases of cuke puke (I believe Horge posted a very concise treatise on puke vs. nuke within about the last 6 months if you do a search. The puke is gross, but otherwise harmless in most cases.

I use all kinds of cucumbers in my systems. I've never (knocking on wood) been nuked. I also sell foam prefilters for powerheads, as these seem to be the #1 cause of nuke or puke in cukes. Provide a safe environment and they are great cleaners. Sand sifters eat the substrate and poop out nifty clean pellets. I've had a couple of filter cukes parked in the same spot on the glass for 6 or 7 months in the shop - nobody fusses with them, they just do their thing and look good

Most species are not toxic, but the few that are, are REALLY toxic. In a nuke situation, huge water changes and lots of carbon can help, but if it happens when you are out (at work or whatever) the damage will already be done by the time you get home (see: Murphy's law...).

I'd leave that one, provided you have a safe environment for it.

Jenn

tdwyatt · 06-01-2003, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JennM
That would be a filter feeding cuke... ...I'd leave that one, provided you have a safe environment for it.[/

I concur based on your discription and the drawing. Hqarmless, ndf unless disturbed, wil not dump their viscera. I have peeled them off the glass to move them, but this most often results in their demise. Once they find a spot that they like and can feed well from, I'd leave them there, doesn't hurt fto use a little DT phytoplankton with them occasionally, although this is a guess on feeding them. I have had one for 2 years with dt feeding, although the one I had was orange and lime green.

Quote:

Originally posted by JennM
(Murphy's law...)

Don't mess with Mrs. Murphy???

Working on getting down today, I will call you as the day progresses... ...trying huge cups of coffee and Vioxx and Naprosyn...

ylmaya · 06-01-2003, 11:48 AM

GREAT - thank - I'll leave him (her?) alone then - it is pretty cool on the front glass for now especially since there is not a whole lot going on in the tank. I only have one powerhead and it has a prefilter screened intake on it so I think I'll be ok.

Billdemart · 06-13-2003, 12:42 AM

Is this the same thing? Just found him tonight on my live rock that I just got a couple of days ago for my new 10 gallon nano.

I apologize if the pic is too big. I had to blow it up. My browser automatically resizes it so hopefully yours will too.

http://webpages.charter.net/billdema...BIG%20cuke.jpg

ylmaya · 06-13-2003, 03:35 PM

yep, that's it! I can't tell from your picture yours looks a little greener - mine was more greyish brownish -b ut otherwise identical. I left 'im alone and now he has dissapeared into "reef world". I am sure he is happy cleaning my rocksa nd sand!

tdwyatt · 06-13-2003, 10:58 PM

If you want more info, do a search using Holothuria and echinoderms in addition to sea cucumber.

Heh, I just found some really nice ones at Jenn's shop in Canton GA, even tried to buy a few Atlantic species, but Earl (DigitalDragon) bought the rest of them in the store.

btw, Thanks for the help that day Jenn! Earl says he will buy dinner next trip!

(Earl---->

)

digital_dragon · 06-15-2003, 10:29 AM

Tom's the Money Man and now that I am safely home I am sending him a bill for the dock loading service.

Jenn I will buy you dinner any time.

It was good seeing you and will be down friday to get the fish from you. By the way I haven't seen the cukes since I let them loose in the tank. They love to hide under a rock.

Earl

JennM · 06-15-2003, 10:34 AM

Tom I found a few more H. mexicana hiding in my system

Just little ones.... Never know what you'll find turning rocks over in my tanks - I swear I saw Jimmy Hoffa there once

That was pretty sly of Tom to have his nose shoved in a book whilst Earl and Eric were loading up all that salt... AND he forgot to return my towel too - I'll have to keep my eye on Tom, he's awfully sneaky

How's the rabbitfish doing, Tom?

Jenn

tdwyatt · 06-15-2003, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JennM
... AND he forgot to return my towel too - ,,, How's the rabbitfish doing, Tom?

I was kind of hoping you'd send me a matching handtowel to go with the big one...

The Rabbitfish has REALLY colored up (Signatus virgatus), extensive marbling from the top of the area in front of the dorsal fin to the median line, VERY beautiful fish. Still sleeps in his pajamas though

I had no concerns about this one making the trip to the Upstate from there, especially after his travel from the distributor to your place in the bottom of the box (heh, only water in the corner of the box...)

Everything travelled well, and although I was concerned about the Heniochus spp. did very well as well, now the Signatus thinks it is a Heniochus, it has been schooling with the others...

btw, already 4 good frags from the Pocillipora meandrina just from trimming it up. Props and parent colony are all doing well, and the RED moni is absolutely georgeous, might have to wait to frag it...

Thanks again, got to go to work for a while, then tonight I start the plumbing for the 180.