I might be loosing the whole tank tonight

[Goby-won]

Dude, sorry to hear about your battle and losses. Its never fun to have things die in our tanks.

 

[Kengar]

I still feel cucumbers are a nice addition to a tank. Please still consider one if that is something on your wish list. The demise of mine was most likely from things I did. First off, I've had two cucumbers....a tiger's tail, that I eventually gave to my son, and this red and black, that I had for about seven years, without incident.

The reason I could have been part of the problem is that I purchased a diamond goby about two months ago. Both the goby and the red and black are sand sifters. Up until the goby, my sand was always blotchy with detritus and algae.....nice food for the cucumber, which he was constantly working on, leaving those little clean pellets of sand. Within two days of getting the goby, my sand was as white as the day it was put into the tank. With the sand now very clean, I think the cucumber was starving, and in search of food when it found it's way up into the powerhead.

I believe that if I hadn't picked up the goby, my cucumber would still be alive and happy eating and living in my dirty sand.

Maybe, but why take chances? Buying a fish you know might be a jumper for an open-topped tank is one thing; buying something that could wipe out the whole system in some unforeseen way is another, in my view.

 

[Salty1962]

Glad you're on the mend Paul. It's always something

 

[lewis.maryann08]

I would do water change,,

 

[reefguyty]

That is scary! Good thing that most of the tank pulled through. I'll keep this info in mind when getting cucumbers in the future.

 

[VJV]

I have a cucumber in mu display tank and have found him more than once "cleaning" my Maxspect Gyre pump. However, due to the format of that Powerhead the cucumber does not fit through the protective cages so if you have a cucumber get a gyre and you are good to go. (Unless it is a tiny cucumber)

 

[redfishbluefish]

Now hold on @VJV........don't think that you are in the clear just because you have a Gyre....... the cuc remains (basically the skin) was in the side fins of the MP40, so I'm surmising he was stuck on the outside on the powerhead and decided he was in danger so he literally puked his guts, nuking the tank. I'm sure the powerhead flow helped distribute his poisonous guts throughout the tank. I also have to believe that the MP40 powerhead, being flush with the inside glass assisted in the cucumber finding it's way onto the outer screen portion. I would think a "conventional" powerhead would be a bit more difficult for the cuc to find it's way out onto the sucking portion of the powerhead.....although I believe the GYRE is mounted off the glass as well.

Bottom line, I think my sand was too clean for the cucumber and that's why he was climbing....searching for food. If you're finding yours off the sandbed, I'd consider supplemental feeding to keep him down there.

 

[VJV]

Ok, i thought you mentioned that he got sucked ibto the powerhead and that was the event that triggered the nuke. However, following your last post I do not believe that the suction of the powerhead was what triggered it. I have had mine cleaning the gyre more than once and nothing happened. In your case the stress event probably happened first (whatever that was) and the mp40 just dispersed the remains throughout the tank. So yes, in that case I believe no powerhead could prevent it from happening. Anyway, kudos for sharing the experience and above all for your efforts in salvaging what you could.

 

[VJV]

Also, the point on the sand being too clean prompting it too climb seems in line with my experience. I have recently upgraded to a new tank with new sand and the cucumber spends a lot ofntime climbing on rocks and glass. Thus far thankfully I have had no nuke bit will keep an eye out.