Cucumber for reef tank?

tweeter · Aug 8, 2015

How many of you keep a cucumber in your reef tank? What kind? And has anyone had any trouble with one nuking your tank? I have a deep sand bed in my 125 tank, and feel that I need something to keep my sand bed aerated. Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Downbeach · Aug 8, 2015

I would prefer using this and this, for the overall health of the DSB. Then add some Cerith, Nasarius Vibrex snails, and a fighting Conch to keep the surface loose.

mfinn · Aug 8, 2015

I've been using sea cucumber's for about 16 years in my reef tank. The very first one was a black bumpy one ( I really think that's the common name) that came in as a hitchhiker on some live rock.
As the tank got older, the sea cucumber grew. It grew to almost 18" long at one point.
I current have 2 in my 233

tweeter · Aug 9, 2015

mfinn said:
I've been using sea cucumber's for about 16 years in my reef tank. The very first one was a black bumpy one ( I really think that's the common name) that came in as a hitchhiker on some live rock.
As the tank got older, the sea cucumber grew. It grew to almost 18" long at one point.
I current have 2 in my 233[/QUOTE
What are the 2 you have now? Do they disturb the rockwork?

MRRBW · Aug 9, 2015

I have a brown sea cucumber now for 12 years. Constantly works the sand and moves around. Survived multiple periods of neglect to the tank and keeps on grinding out the sand cleaning duties. It's about 10" now, looks super healthy. If you keep corals on the sand, it may bury them with sand poop after crawling by and may shove light weight rocks around as it pushes its way around. Not really a big deal though, just keep an eye out and blow off any sand that goes on your corals.