sea cucumber not feeding?? anyone know y

[jOsHiE]

i just got a cucumber frm Ml... but my sea cucumber keep on sticking on the glass and not eating the algea on the rocks and sand.... heard frm some its because of temp...others tell me that my tank not mature enough so not enough algea.... wat could be the reason... btw am not running a chiller now... would be getting one tmr so the temp now is 32 degress celsius.... learnt that cucumber when die or threaten will realise some toxic to the tank which would kill all ls... need help urgently as i wouldnt want this to happen

[diabolus]

hi,

32 dc is too high a temperature even for a FOWLR tank.

i suggest you do something like directing a fan on the surface of the water before you get your chiller.

The cuke will expel all its intestine(which is toxic) when its very stressed.

[jOsHiE]

OOh no....but it have been living like that for a few dayss..... hmm ya i will just cant wait for my chiller come in tmr..... hee!!!!!

[chrislwp]

Water temperature isn't the cause of sea cucumber.

I am using chiller. I bought the same cucumber from ML too, has been sticking to the side all these while.

So it depends on your luck when u purchase one, some really work, some just refuse to work. Same happen to another of my black cucumber.

So next time when u choose, try to choose those on the sandbed rather than those sticking to the side.

[jOsHiE]

Water temperature isn't the cause of sea cucumber.

I am using chiller. I bought the same cucumber from ML too, has been sticking to the side all these while.

So it depends on your luck when u purchase one, some really work, some just refuse to work. Same happen to another of my black cucumber.

So next time when u choose, try to choose those on the sandbed rather than those sticking to the side.

hmm really actually it doesnt matter to me whether it works or not.... okie actually it does... but the most important i will it die on me??? will it die if it just keep on sticking next to the glass

[kareen]

Hi!

32 is quite high temperature for marine...... R the rest of the livestock behaving ok? ie not swimming on the top of the surface or constantly swim up for air..... Read somewhere that salt water is not so good oxygen dissolver in high temperature...... and this is very serious problem and must rectify ASAP if so.

[chinmo]

duh...... mine sweeping here and there... even try to clean the mantle of my clams!

[jOsHiE]

duh...... mine sweeping here and there... even try to clean the mantle of my clams!

lucky u....mine is like dead boy don wana move lOl!!!!

[chrislwp]

hmm really actually it doesnt matter to me whether it works or not.... okie actually it does... but the most important i will it die on me??? will it die if it just keep on sticking next to the glass

I have a black one, keep sticking to glass since day 1, this fellow should be around a year in my tank already.. still surviving ah..

[ocellaris_clownfish]

funny, I wonder how they survive by sticking on the glasses, they are not filter feeders leh...

[jOsHiE]

can survive really.... i was thinking of removing mine already cook it and eat LOl....jokESss

[evanscence]

hi guys from my experience, this might mean that your sand bed is not mature enough yet....no to worry, there r pods from from the lR for it to consume....my 0.02

[FuEl]

Depends on the species of cucumber and the maturity of your sandbed. In general sea cucumbers are not really recommended for tanks that have been running for less than 6 months. The sandbed is not established enough to support the feeding habits of sea cucumbers. If they feel they can't derive enough nutrition from the sand they will start looking at other places like your liverocks and your glass. Sea cucumbers mainly feed on detritus but in my observations if this is lacking they will compensate by feeding on the diatoms that grows most abuntantly on glass, which explains the glass sticking phenomenon. This is when many reefers get the cuke-powerhead problem.

It's also good to have ample "grazing pastures" for the sea cucumbers. For the common 1ft or less donkey dung cuke it is good to provide at least 3-4 ft of browsing area for a single cuke. If your tank has been running for quite long it is possible to introduce more cukes. I've had 2 1ft cukes and 1 tigertail cuke in a 4X1.5X1.5 for many months and they actually continued growing. But I only introduced the cukes after my tank hit the 1 year plus mark.

A recommended species that stays on the bottom would be the tigertail sea cucumber. Not commonly found but I've seen them before at Coralfarm. Does'nt grow as massive as the other sea cukes and the one I kept never ventured more than 5cm from the sandbed.

[kareen]

thanks fuel. Learn something......

[Achilles Tang]

Fuel has given good info...

FME, the tigertail cuke grows fast... very long... not thick but can extend to incredible lengths.... amazing creatures!

My black sea cuke has never climbed my glass before... it has always stayed on the sandbed and only rarely climbs LR.

[RAV-65]

I know of many reefers who have clean sandbeds through the use of a sea-cucumber... but do they really eat a lot of detritus??

[samchenz]

My black sea cucumber take about 3 weeks before it start to explore the sand...so give it sometime.....it will need to eat. U will know that when it starts to make small "sand balls"

[LIM CHYE HUAT]

before changing to mh, my sea cu is very efficient in keeping my sand bed clean, but after the change, patches of green/black algae appear everywhere.

the sea cu just cant keep up. i try introducing a sand sifting star to help still the same.

should i add a sand sifting goby as well ?

or get another sea cu to share the burden