Tigertail Cuke Owner Q

[EmilyB]

My tigertail is about a foot long now. My surface sand is scrupulously clean. Do I have to be concerned that my "sheepdog worm" needs more food ? Should I be pellet feeding him at night or anything ?

 

[Mouse]

I have often wondered the same thing as when the DSB seemes extra clean, my edible cuke just stops dead. Then as the sand bed enriches again, the cuke starts up. Ive actually been feeding the sand, or more like over feeding the fish, in an effort to keep some nutrients fee for it. But recently ive added a few more fish, and the small cyano outbreak is keeping it more than buisy for the minuite.

 

[AF Founder]

My tigertail is about a foot long now. My surface sand is scrupulously clean. Do I have to be concerned that my "sheepdog worm" needs more food ? Should I be pellet feeding him at night or anything ?

I would only become concerned if your cuke begins to grow smaller.

 

[SPC]

Posted by Mouse:
Ive actually been feeding the sand, or more like over feeding the fish, in an effort to keep some nutrients fee for it.

-This statement is a perfect example of how a true hobbiest thinks, way to go Mouse!
Em, I agree with Terry. From what I have read the cuke will loose a lot of body mass over a period of time if it is not getting enough nutrition.
Steve

 

[Mouse]

Awwww, thanks Steve

 

[scooterr]

How big of a tank is this? I've got an 18'' tiger tail in my 150 and he can only keep up with the assistance of 2 fighting conchs.

 

[EmilyB]

How big of a tank is this? I've got an 18'' tiger tail in my 150 and he can only keep up with the assistance of 2 fighting conchs.

It's a 155g. Perhaps he does not have enough open sand area ? Anyway, he looks very plump so I will keep an eye on him. Thanks all.

 

[reefland]

Tigertails eat the bio-film off the sand grains. I don't think they'll eat sinking pellets directly. Bacteria in our tanks tends to grow at amazing rates from what I've read so it shouldn't take long for the sand grains to get covered again.

Have you had your tigertail long enough for it to split? Seems each August my tigertail splits on me. My splits have since split and I have a hand full of them now in my 180.

 

[scooterr]

Have you had your tigertail long enough for it to split? Seems each August my tigertail splits on me. My splits have since split and I have a hand full of them now in my 180.

What? Do they split willingly (on purpose) or is it defense? I've never heard of cukes doing it.

 

[reefland]

What? Do they split willingly (on purpose) or is it defense? I've never heard of cukes doing it.

It seems so, I know a few others with tigertails and theirs split as well about the same time of year as mine.

 

[EmilyB]

Have you had your tigertail long enough for it to split? Seems each August my tigertail splits on me. My splits have since split and I have a hand full of them now in my 180.

Seems to me I got them (one disappeared - or maybe the two melded together...lol) in December, so perhaps that will happen this summer. That would be cool

 

[leftovers]

Having had the same tiger tail for 3.5 years with no splits it does just fine. It will shrink grow as its food source does..my regularly goes from giant which it is now (between 18-24" long) to medium 8-10". It has never split. I add once every 3-4 months 5-6 spirulina tablets to the sand bed (burried) thats it it recieves no additional foods other than what it gets from the sand bed,

 

[EmilyB]

Have you had your tigertail long enough for it to split? Seems each August my tigertail splits on me. My splits have since split and I have a hand full of them now in my 180.

8) OH OH OH.....Either this is a split or cucumbers can have babies by themselves ! The new cuke is about 4" when I found it. It is much thinner than the old man....is that how they look ?

It is so cool.. 8)

 

[Ben1]

I also had my tiger tail split, when it was around 18" last year. The original was still the longest by far but the new one was about 3-4". Now its about 12" and 6-7". I think now the food source is more limited so I will move one to my other tank. This is in a 75 gallon tank. They were both a little sluggish after the split they returned to normal in a few weeks.
HTH

 

[EmilyB]

Oh, so my big guy may be shorter now ? I haven't seen all of him. I was actually noting some brown dust on the sand bed and wondering where he was over the last couple days.

I see he is poking out and hungry, I'll be anxious to see him.

 

[Deep Sixx]

Mine split too... last year sometime. I can't quite remember when. It was about 18" when it suddenly became 2! It was pretty cool. One of them is now over 12" long and I'm wondering if it'll split again.

D6