cucumber help!!
- Thread starter greeleyram3
- Start date
I had added some zoo plankton I have but was told it was a filter feeder and didn't need to add many additives to live. I took him out of my tank and have him in a cup now. I did a 2 gallon water change (19 gallon jbs shallow reef tank) everything seems to be alright and open so hopefully I caught it before it was too late
It won't nuke your tank. I have had cukes disappear and everything is fine. If it is dead, however, get it out.
Actual evidence of a cuke taking down a tank is pretty hard to find. When WWM was big, Fenner and Co. posted once that they actually never knew of any.
What kind is it? Does it filter feed or munch on the sand? If it is a sand-based one, then something like 2'x4' of sand area is a good starting place for one... and an established tank with lots of gunk in the sand. They are wonderful sand cleaners. If it is a filter feeding one, then they are VERY difficult and keeping them fed could really pollute your tank.
Actual evidence of a cuke taking down a tank is pretty hard to find. When WWM was big, Fenner and Co. posted once that they actually never knew of any.
What kind is it? Does it filter feed or munch on the sand? If it is a sand-based one, then something like 2'x4' of sand area is a good starting place for one... and an established tank with lots of gunk in the sand. They are wonderful sand cleaners. If it is a filter feeding one, then they are VERY difficult and keeping them fed could really pollute your tank.
I have actually read numerous threads of filter feeding cukes nuking tanks in excess of 100 gallons. Most of the sand sifting ones cause no more harm than a fish dying, but the colorful filter feeding ones are almost as dangerous as sea apple. Even if the OP got lucky and got one without large holothurin glands, it still wont survive in a 19 gallon.
I think a lot of this is just based on anecdotal evidence. I think this particular topic like so many is one that's been blown out of proportion and then regurgitated a couple hundred thousand times on the interwebs. People like to find something to blame when things go south. People have something go very wrong with their tank and suspect that their cucumber is sick or dying so it's the animals fault. When in reality it's probably something else causing the issue and the cucumber is just suffering along with everything else.
now I'm no expert on cucumbers and I'm sure that they can be toxic to some degree. Most animals that die in our tanks are in one way or another. I just think it's not that bid a deal and people using terms like nuke and hand grenade have caused confusion about the true nature of these animals. I have several friends in the hobby that have been doing it for the better part of 20 years or more and they all seem to agree that cucumbers and sea animals don't deserve the bad wrap they have gotten over the years.
now I'm no expert on cucumbers and I'm sure that they can be toxic to some degree. Most animals that die in our tanks are in one way or another. I just think it's not that bid a deal and people using terms like nuke and hand grenade have caused confusion about the true nature of these animals. I have several friends in the hobby that have been doing it for the better part of 20 years or more and they all seem to agree that cucumbers and sea animals don't deserve the bad wrap they have gotten over the years.
Most of the time, what killed the cuke also killed the rest of the tank. They are, of course, sensitive inverts. ...of course, it cannot be the reefer that was at fault, so it had to be the cuke. Right?
...just like people who have issues blame hand lotion, something leeching from plastic, Windex or some other airborne spray. Well set up Calcium Reactors don't crash tanks either. Neither does somebody spraying for bugs outside and a window being cracked nearby.
...just like people who have issues blame hand lotion, something leeching from plastic, Windex or some other airborne spray. Well set up Calcium Reactors don't crash tanks either. Neither does somebody spraying for bugs outside and a window being cracked nearby.
Very well could be true, but either way, a 19 gallon tank cant support a filter feeding cuke without adding so much phyto and zooplankton that ammonia poisioning would kill everything in the tank. Filter feeding cukes need very large quantities of suspended food sources to survive and a 19 gallon cant support that amount of food without toxic levels of ammonia forming. Whatever vendor sold it to the OP should have known better, but that kind of cuke needs bare minimum 75 gallon heavily stocked tank to not starve.
