My black cucumber spitted out guts

[jacmyoung]

At least that is what I think one of my cucumbers did. He never seemed to eat sand just crawling all over the tank walls, but this morning I saw a twisted fleshy intestines next to him. He still moves as usual but should I take him out? The guts did not smell bad when I picked them out.

BTW he is in the sump, no apparent predator I can tell of.

[RobbyG]

Uhh from what I have heard the guts are highly toxic, do you have any fish in the water? Are they still alive? If I was you I would get it all out NOW and run a fat load of carbon. Do a big water change.

[tdman3627]

When a cuccumber turns its insides out its because something scared it. That is the last defense mechanism that they have. Dont throw it away its still alive. It can regrow its intestines. Someone back me up they can.

[finneganswake]

I've seen an 8" cucumber invert its intestines in a 90g tank and not a single fish died even though the guy did no water changes. I'm not saying you shouldn't do a water change, just that you shouldn't panic. The really deadly ones aren't usually placed in reef tanks to begin with--sea apples, for example, are pretty much a species tank candidate.

[Cutiewitbooty]

ewwww, i have heard they can survive after doing that too.

[Ti]

I always thuoght they were goners after they do that

[Paintbug]

mine did the same thing. he didnt make it. i left him in the tank for about 3 weeks. i couldnt take him staving any more. and froze him. i had a yellow tiger cuke. never bothered anything else in the tank

[jacmyoung]

No fish died yet but I will keep a very close eye on them.

[RobbyG]

My mistake then, I thought they let off a toxic liquid into the water as part of the defence mechanism.

[Amphiprion]

Some do actually release noxious compounds after evisceration. Usually, the viscera are very, very sticky and are meant to entangle and eventually kill would-be predators. Assuming the animal is healthy and water quality, etc. is fine, then it should retract and regrow much of it and be fine. Many times it is difficult to evaluate health, though.

[Paintbug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6574913#post6574913 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobbyG
My mistake then, I thought they let off a toxic liquid into the water as part of the defence mechanism.

you didnt make a mistake. some cukes will let off toxins into the water for defense, most do it when they die. but theres a handful that dont let off any. thats one reason i got a tiger tail cuke. they dont give off toxins.