Usefullness of sand sifting cucumbers?

saltyrockbox · #1 03-29-2009, 09:56 PM

Sand sifting cucumbers like these

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...t_ID=i-ccbknob

my sand is always dirty and I have been sucking it out moving towards bare bottom tank but I actually like it and was thinking that I should have just got some animals to clean it. I was going to get a golby but I was told that they will drop sand over all the corals>

what about these cucumbers are they a good addition for a sand aquarium??

Has anyone seen them foe sale in Calgary?

Oxymoron · #2 03-30-2009, 02:02 AM

A small army of sand sifting creatures might be a good option.
Nassarius snails and a sand sifting starfish could also be good additions to your team.

Oxymoron · #3 03-30-2009, 02:04 AM

If a sea cucumber were to die in your tank is there a possibility that it could release toxins the same way that some Nudibranchs do?

fencer · #4 03-30-2009, 02:13 AM

I have some tiger tails in the tank...see them every so often....they do churn the sand well....Sand Dollars do a better job

saltyrockbox · #5 03-30-2009, 05:51 AM

ya so I guess a bunch of sand cleaners are necessary, ok

untamed · #6 03-30-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oxymoron

If a sea cucumber were to die in your tank is there a possibility that it could release toxins the same way that some Nudibranchs do?

Depends on the species involved.

In answer to the original question...I find cucumbers like this a very valuable part of my clean up crew and they process a large amount of the sand every day. Somehow, they've even managed to reproduce in my system as "babies" have appeared in the grunge on the bottom of my sump.

Interstingly, I transferred one of the babies into my refugium/frag tank and that particular one in now 4x larger than the other babies. The main difference between living in the 'fuge/frag tank and living in the sump would be that the fuge/frag is lit causing more algae. While they do not like light and hide during the day, it would seem that an increase in algae is benefitial to their diet.

chandigz · #7 03-30-2009, 06:12 PM

I have a tigertail cucumber. It does a great job cleaning sand. I've never had any problems in 3 years. They have splt into two several times.

saltyrockbox · #8 03-31-2009, 02:08 PM

wow interesting, I will definitely get some.

When I was diving on the great barrier reef I found some cucumbers that were about 3 feet long!!

I'll find a picture of me holding one.

trouble · #9 04-02-2009, 11:51 PM

i just picked up a sea hare, and although so far has not lived up to my expectations, has definitely made sum progress on the algae. i picked him up at river front in calgary, 50$.a very interesting creature. but i have heard some rumblings of polluting the tank if they die. but after doing sum research have found out that it is related to slugs but(if it is not one)one of the few that are good to be kept in captivity, most of the other species are very picky eaters and is hard to determine exactly what they eat and there for hard to keep food stocked so they do not die from starvation. regardless of all that i have run into quite a few people that swear by these sea hares as sand sifting algae eaters.