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View Full Version : Sea Cucumber SPEW!!

scubayou
03/24/2006, 07:56 PM
I have a brownish grey sand sifting sea cucumber that has kind of spiny lumps all over it that I have had for about 7 or 8 years. Today I witnesed for the first time it take a stance like a cobra in the tank and start spewing this narrow steam of a cloudy substance. Is this a toxin or some sort of mating ritual?Anyone have any idea?Tanx!
capncapo
03/24/2006, 10:58 PM
Most likely the later. Spawning.

Food for your filter feeders!
scubayou
03/25/2006, 06:27 PM
ya think ? well ok just trying to get some opinions. I know cukes can spew toxins under stress but I have never seen anything like this before. Hey I am an HVAC DUDE TOO!
KEstep
03/25/2006, 07:09 PM
I had one that spit its toxins out of a cup and into one of my female clients hair when I was moving their tank. Never laughed so hard in my life...
scubayou
03/26/2006, 12:13 AM
GROSS!!!!!LOL!!!
The steven liu
03/26/2006, 07:22 AM
If it is spilling its intestines out it will look like very very thin angel hair pasta, and you will be able to tell as your tank will begin to crash and inverts dies off followed by fishes.... what happened to mine.
KEstep
03/26/2006, 09:44 AM
If it is toxins it will look like semen (sorry but its true) only it will be very sticky but it looks just like it. Either way do some water changes and run some carbon to be safe.
scubayou
03/26/2006, 10:16 AM
Ok this is getting scary. What it lookeked like was a thin, thinner than angel hair pasta line coming out by the head where it takes in sand to sift.It was milky white and disappated quite quickly.I do run chemipure in my Sump so if it is toxins hopefully that will do it. I do a 4 to g water change weekly in my 75. I have noticed no ill effects to corals or fish as of yet.
The steven liu
03/26/2006, 01:16 PM
If you don't see any coral bleaching and invert flipping over yet then you probably safe.
scubayou
03/26/2006, 01:27 PM
LOL!Thanks!
KEstep
03/26/2006, 05:09 PM
The stuff I am talking about does not disolve fast so I think you are ok as well.
finding nemo
03/27/2006, 06:07 AM
Please keep us updated on this as I have a tiger tail in both my tanks right now.
One has split off a baby who has grown nicely.
Wish you could have taken some pictures of it when it was doing this, would have been good to see it.
scubayou
03/27/2006, 04:06 PM
I wish I would have thought of it as well turns out my digital camera was setting right next to the tank. Anyway I have seen no i'll effects thus far so it may have been a spawning thing. Like I said it actually was coming from the sand sifting end that was poised like a cobra around 7" above the bottom.WEIRD. Anyway is a tiger tail a cucumber? Havent heard of that .