Can tigertail cucumbers nuke a reef tank?

[Wi1son]

I was thinking about getting a cucumber for a reef tank I will be setting up. But after some research I am hesitant after reading horror stories of them destroying tanks after they die. However I also saw some people saying that tigertails do not release toxins upon death. Is this true? Thanks

 

[Ranjib]

Welcome to reef2reef,
yes they can crash a tank by poisoning it. Is your tank stable and established?

 

[Wi1son]

Welcome to reef2reef,
yes they can crash a tank by poisoning it. Is your tank stable and established?

No i have not set up the tank yet. This will be my first saltwater tank. I was just looking for some more unique inverts to help keep the tank clean. But if they have the chance to crash the whole tank I think I will just pass on one of them. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Montiman]

If someone were to ask me can cucumbers nuke a reef tank I would say yes, but tiger tails aren’t that bad. From working at an LFS with tiger tails in one of systems regularly, sometimes a few would die but never did it crash the whole system. If you have a nano the results may be worse but in my experience the cucumbers to be concerned with are the filter feeders not the sand sifters.

I have personally had a tiger tail die in my 120 gallon reef after getting caught in a power head. I did a water change and that was that no dead fish or coral.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I have experience with tiger tails, and it really depends on what kills them. If a fish start picking on it then it can release some nasty toxins that can harm your tank. If they just die due old age or no food then all they do is decay like a fish would with no ill effects to the tank. I have mine with a clown trigger and a harlequin tusk, these fish have eaten all my snails and crabs, but will not touch this guy.

 

[Ranjib]

I would not recommend it for new comers. Go with some safer choices.

 

[rlh1904]

I had one and always was concerned about something like that happening. First chance I got I took him out and gave him away. Nothing is worth peace of mind.