Sea cucumber experiences?

[Chromis]

What is the longest you kept a sea cucumber and how did it eventually die?

I am starting to worry mine is a ticking time bomb... heard they can nuke a tank when they die with some toxins that can be released. I’ve had him 4-5 years (started as a 1” stowaway in some macro algae from Florida) and he’s now 8” stretched out... when the tank gets too clean he crawls up the side of the tank and eats crud off of the gyre power head (makes me so nervous to see it so close to a propeller...)

 

[ofzakaria]

What is the longest you kept a sea cucumber and how did it eventually die?

I am starting to worry mine is a ticking time bomb... heard they can nuke a tank when they die with some toxins that can be released. I’ve had him 4-5 years (started as a 1” stowaway in some macro algae from Florida) and he’s now 8” stretched out... when the tank gets too clean he crawls up the side of the tank and eats crud off of the gyre power head (makes me so nervous to see it so close to a propeller...)

My tiger tail sea cucumber is in my system for 4 years. It split 2 times. So now I have 3 cucumbers in the system all from the same one I added 4 years ago


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[MolaMola]

I got tiger tail cukes with my Florida live rock coming up on 5 years. About a year ago after not seeing one for months, I found it all tiny like 2-3” long in my sump. Put it back in DT and haven’t seen it since. Other one is 6” long or so and I see it every week or two as it vacuums the sand. Apparently I have detritus-filled sand! Never heard of a climbing cuke. No poisoning experience.

@ofzakaria Tiger tail cukes SPLIT? I had no idea.

 

[ofzakaria]

I got tiger tail cukes with my Florida live rock coming up on 5 years. About a year ago after not seeing one for months, I found it all tiny like 2-3” long in my sump. Put it back in DT and haven’t seen it since. Other one is 6” long or so and I see it every week or two as it vacuums the sand. Apparently I have detritus-filled sand! Never heard of a climbing cuke. No poisoning experience.

@ofzakaria Tiger tail cukes SPLIT? I had no idea.

Yup. Mine did...twice...
Well. Am assuming it split cause it was one, then one day it got 3 times the size (length and width wise) and next day I had 2 regular sizes. So I assumed it splitted..
Then it happened again..

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[Flagg37]

What is the longest you kept a sea cucumber and how did it eventually die?

I am starting to worry mine is a ticking time bomb... heard they can nuke a tank when they die with some toxins that can be released. I’ve had him 4-5 years (started as a 1” stowaway in some macro algae from Florida) and he’s now 8” stretched out... when the tank gets too clean he crawls up the side of the tank and eats crud off of the gyre power head (makes me so nervous to see it so close to a propeller...)

I’m not sure how long they live but the ones I’ve seen in the wild get huge. They were as long and thick as my arm. I’m not sure what species they were though.

I’ve had at least 3 but I can’t recall how any of them died. There was no poisoning though. Maybe they need to die violently for the poison to be released.

 

[JVU]

I’ve had 3 or so tiger tail cucumbers over the years. I’ve never seen any affect on anything else when they die, though it’s hard to tell when they die because they just disappear (but are usually hidden anyways).

 

[JVU]

I think the cuc-nuc only happens with certain cucumber species, especially the really cool colorful looking ones like the sea apple.

 

[ofzakaria]

I think the cuc-nuc only happens with certain cucumber species, especially the really cool colorful looking ones like the sea apple.

That's also what I heared in the past.the colorful tree looking ones are the one that are poisonous to predators if they ate it.
Tiger tail and couppe others are not, and sadly enough are actually used in eastern medicine alot. I see thousands of these poor animals in pharmacies and herbs stores in asia and here in the US...

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[Chromis]

That's also what I heared in the past.the colorful tree looking ones are the one that are poisonous to predators if they ate it.
Tiger tail and couppe others are not, and sadly enough are actually used in eastern medicine alot. I see thousands of these poor animals in pharmacies and herbs stores in asia and here in the US...

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That reasoning makes sense, could explain why the colorful ones hang out in the open (fish know they are poisonous) while the non-poisonous ones would need to disguise themselves as turds or otherwise look unappetizing.

It’s good to hear nobody’s tank crashes due to “cuc-nuc” haha.

@MolaMola yes mine climbs up the tank glass in search of more food, seems like it eats algae or something else on the glass and pumps when it’s desperate.

 

[ofzakaria]

That reasoning makes sense, could explain why the colorful ones hang out in the open (fish know they are poisonous) while the non-poisonous ones would need to disguise themselves as turds or otherwise look unappetizing.

It’s good to hear nobody’s tank crashes due to “cuc-nuc” haha.

@MolaMola yes mine climbs up the tank glass in search of more food, seems like it eats algae or something else on the glass and pumps when it’s desperate.

Mine never ever climbed. Theybaleays in and inaode sand making their cute pellet shaped sand poop lol

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[Apon]

I had a tigger one for years, but it disappeared. No tank deaths but no body was ever found either. did nice job cleaning sand