Advice about Pink Cucumber

[jjz_13]

OK - got a pink cucumber with a package deal from ipsf.com. Thought it would be great for my sandbed - and kind of still do, but after more research, I'm afraid.

I put it in my QT tank for now and am deciding if I want to add this guy to my display.

Does anyone have any experience with pink cucumbers? I can hardly find any information on the web. It sounds like they will clean my DSB very nicely, but seems too many people have experienced the cuke nuke.

To the seasoned vets out there, what's your take?

[jacob30]

I've had Mr. Hanky (brown Cuke) for about 2 years now with no problems Mmmkay.

[Sullyman]

I have had a Tiger cuke for 6-7 years in my tank, great for the sandbed, and last count there are 5 now.

[Drew Reed]

Could you please post a picture???

[Fredfish]

Does this pink cuke happen to have a black stipe running down the length of its body? If so it is H. edulis and is a good sand sifter.

I have had two of these. I had the first for two years before breaking down my tank, and have had one in my current tank for about 4 months.

http://www.marinelifephotography.com/marine/echinoderms/cucumbers/holothuria-edulis.jpg

Fred

[jjz_13]

Here are some pictures. ipsf.com called this a pink cucumber and said it was a good sand sifter, so not sure which species it is. I'm just worried about it "nuking" my tank. Going to do some more research, but if you have anything else to add, would be great.

http://209.26.88.119/misc/cuke1.jpg

http://209.26.88.119/misc/cuke2.jpg

[Sullyman]

Joe, that's a tiger cuke and safe. May even reproduce in your tank, mine did.

[jjz_13]

Thanks, Sullyman. After I took and posted the picture, did some more research - I was also thinking it looked like a tigertail. I've read good things about those, so I just got done acclimating him to my display tank.

[Drew Reed]

Thats pretty sweet, how big is it???

[jjz_13]

I'd say when he's fully extended, he's about 3.5 - 4". It's interesting though, because he can make himself short and fat or long and skinny.

I'll post back in a week or so and let you know if he's a good cleaner.

[SuperNerd]

jjz_13's cucumber is a tiger tail cuke. Safe. Mine also reproduced by fission.

[Project Reef]

The pink & black cuke along with the tiger tail cuke have been the most efficient sand shifters IME. Acquiring a healthy specimen and acclimating them properly is the key though. You will find that after a month or so, when they are fully adjusted, they're 'sand shifting powers' will seemingly increase.

[SuperNerd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8822270#post8822270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Project Reef
The pink & black cuke along with the tiger tail cuke have been the most efficient sand shifters IME. Acquiring a healthy specimen and acclimating them properly is the key though. You will find that after a month or so, when they are fully adjusted, they're 'sand shifting powers' will seemingly increase.

Which one gets thicker and longer and which causes the most movement of sand leading to toppling of rock placed over the sand?

[jjz_13]

Hey - those of you that had tigertails reproduce in your tank, how exactly did it happen? I first put this guy in my refugium (sump-style, below the display) for a day or so (since the lights were all on in the display tank). At night, I put him in the display. I haven't seen him since, but that is not unusual since it's a 150 gallon with a lot of hiding spaces. This morning, I look in my refugium below and it looks like there is a very small tigertail laying on the sand. Is this possible? It has only been a little less than a week. If it is possible, could he have done this that first day when he was in the fuge or could a larvae or something floated down to it after he was already in the display?

This stuff is Weird. :-)

[jjz_13]

Nevermind. Upon closer inspection by my wife, it's a small snail shell with similar colors. LOL

[wds21921]

LOL jjz.

A friend of mine (Ken) in our local reef club also has one or two of these in his grow out tank and he's had them for many years and they do an excellent job of sand sifting and getting out detrius and other unwanted things.
I'm not sold on DSB after some bad results but for those that have good results, to me it's a very necessary critter for your tanks success.

[Fredfish]

On size: In the wild, H. edulis can get to be football size. I have never seen one that big in an aquarium and mine never got any larger than about 6-8" and thumb thickness. They are just too nutrient limited in our tanks.

I do not know about others like the tigertail.

On reproduction: some species (possibly all??) are known to reproduce by splitting into two in aquariums. I suspect they are mostly broadcast spawners in the wild.

Cukes are an important part of a functioning sandbed, but by no means the only crittical critter to the success of a functioning sand bed. A functioning sand bed needs a wide variety of small benthic (living in/on the sand) critter to fully process the food and deliver nutrients deeper into the sandbed where they can be completely broken down by bacteria.

Fred

[dragonforce]

I have a tiger cucumber as well and I never see him. He likes to put his whole body into a rock and stick about an inch of his head out to eat sand. I see him about every 6 months.