Sea Cucumber dead/missing

[pdwire]

I purchased a crabless detrivore kit from Liveaquaria a couple of weeks ago that included a Sea Cucumber. All went well for the first couple of days and it was cruising in and out of the LR. I then noticed that it rear end looked like it was torn open but was not sure if this was normal. Next morning there was only a about a 1/4 of it left lying on the sand bed. I scooped up the remains and tossed it. I have not seen the rest of it since (about a week).

Should I be concerned that the rest of Cucumber could be somewhere in the tank decaying? Anything I should be doing?

FYI.. corals are doing OK except for Sarcophyton who waxed over and polyps have not been seen since the incident. Not sure if this was related or not.

 

[reefobsessed]

Cucumbers split and depending on what type can wipe out a tank. Do you know what kind yours is or was??

 

[Gauge]

I wasn't aware that there was a type of cuke that wasn't able to wipe out a tank. Which ones can and cannot?

 

[Tripoli]

I've had the same thing happen to a Tigertail Cucumber. One day I found it torn open and being picked at by my peppermint shrimp. I have no idea what killed it, but it was still moving when the shrimp was picking its guts out. :| This never seemed to hurt my tank...and it's only a 10-gallon tank.

Also, I used to have a pair of Yellow Sea Cucumbers...bought 1, then they split into two. I believe they ended up starving to death, even though I was dosing my tank with Phytoplankton every day. They probably just ended up sitting in a bad position to filter feed in. The odd thing was the way they died... They slowly shrank over the course of about 3 days...from 1 inch long down to a pinhead and then simply vanished.

 

[pdwire]

It was a Tigertail cucumber. I have a coral banded that picks at most things in the tank this is probably the culprit. When I picked up the piece I found in a net and pulled it out of the water it just disentegrated. Everything still appear healthy sans the Sarcophyton so I guess I will take no further action. Don't think I will be getting anymore of those!!