I did a bad, bad thing... I feel horrible!

[UAE reefer girl]

Hello all,

I feel just terrible. I intentionally killed something.

Yesterday I placed 30 kilos (66lbs.) of LR that just arrived from Singapore for my new 75g tank. The box included really nice pieces of rock and eight to ten pieces of coral. Also, unfortunately, the box included a healthy looking cuke, about 6" long.

I was really concerned with what to do as it seemed like a bad idea to place an animal, especially a cuke into an uncycled tank even though the rock was really fresh and I hope for a mini cycle with no too much die off!!

I called friends, and the LFS and no one would take him. I placed him into a bag and floated and acclimated him while I thought what to do. He really was fat and healthy, his little sucker feet clinging on. By late night I was sick that he would die and against my better judgement but witha cleaner conscious, I put him into the tank figuring at least he may find food to eat and might be ok.

I put him into the tank and he settled quickly, went right to eating on the sand and I felt better.

In the morning I looked to see what was going on in the tank. I didn't see him. I figured that he had buried into the sand and all was well. A bit later I saw him at the water line, hanging onto the glass but not necessarily looking quite right for some reason. Something didn't seem right. I got worried.

After much thought and with regret, I removed him from the tank and disposed of him. Ahhhhhhhhh. How horrible do I feel by intentionally sacrificing this guy! Maybe he was fine but I panicked.

I absolutely hate the loss in this hobby. Aftet the loss of a beautiful Powder Blue Tang in a previous tank I swore that I would never buy livestock that was known to be hard to keep or that was questionable. I got rid of the tank within 24 hrs becuase I was so affected. Now I am even leaning towards doing my very best to buy aquacultured stuff instead of live caught but that might not be possible even if I choose to focus on polyps, mushrms, and little reef fish rather than tangs due to my location.

Anyway... I killed something today and I feel really bad.

C.

 

[mr_X]

that's pretty screwed up if you ask me.
i sure hope you don't drown your kids to save them from the cruel world they will have to grow up in. :?

 

[trido]

Actually, I probably would have done the same thing.You tried to get rid of it to fellow reefers and your LFS and every body declined. Without knowing what species it was you might have doen yourself a favor. AFAIK most cukes can nuke a whole tank when they die. Better to be safe than to have a dead reeef a year from now. :wink:
Seriously Mr X... you think that comparing a child to a sea cucumber is a good analogy. I would gladly put a slegde hammer through the side of my tank and watch all of my stuff die on the living room floor before I would hurt my son.

 

[mr_X]

no, i don't think that, and i don't know how you would get that from what i said.
my point is, this tank is brand new. adding brand new rock. would you be afraid of nuke the uncured rock?
i certainly don't think it was a good decision to kill it, because you didn't know about it. i think it would have been much smarter to read about it, and do what you can to keep it alive.
isn't that what we are doing here?
you know..i have just picked up a piece of red polyp acro from a LFS the other day. i am not too sure about the specific care for that coral, and there is a chance it might not like my tank and die, so i think i'm going to flush it down the toilet.

 

[trido]

i sure hope you don't drown your kids to save them from the cruel world they will have to grow up in.

you think that comparing a child to a sea cucumber is a good analogy.

no, i don't think that,and i don't know how you would get that from what i said.

Honestly, how could I, or any other parent take it any other way?

i certainly don't think it was a good decision to kill it,

Your probably right. Dont you think that giving a little advice about what to do the next time would be more helpful that making the poster feel worse than she already does? Or for that matter, Advice for any new reefer reading this thread.

i think it would have been much smarter to read about it, and do what you can to keep it alive.

So If the live rock were to have one or several pistol shrimps the new reefer should keep them alive even at a potential loss of any new additions to the tank?

Most Sea cucumbers can and will nuke a tank when they die or expell thier guts when frightend. Im sure there's a reason the LFS or fellow reefers didnt want a ticking time bomb in their tanks. IMO the poster likely saved herself a much greater grief in the years to come.

isn't that what we are doing here?

Are you suggesting that we are all doing this to save a reef?

..i have just picked up a piece of red polyp acro from a LFS the other day. i am not too sure about the specific care for that coral, and there is a chance it might not like my tank and die, so i think i'm going to flush it down the toilet.

Again, I think your analogy sucks. There's a huge difference between an unwanted hitchiker in a batch of LR. Than something you just bought from the LFS.

Either way you look at it, we are raping the worlds oceans for our hobby. Weather it be for LR, fish or corals. Everything in our glass boxes would stand a better chance where it was born. This is a selfish hobby and we are not saving a reef by having fish tanks. Anyone who thinks so should really take a closer look behind the scenes.


My best advice I can give to UAE reefer girl is. " The next time you do something real stupid, morally grey or just plain iffy. Dont put your self on the public chopping block because people will be real quick to take a few blows at you." Your better off talking to your mom about it.

 

[mr_X]

people go out of their way to purchase cucumbers for their tanks. i had one, now it's split into 2. i believe they are a good addition. perhaps not in a brand new tank with no food, but you can easily fortify the sand bed so it doesn't starve. furthermore, i don't think it's a secret that live rock has been known to have HITCHIKERS on it. don't we have a section devoted to that on this forum?

as for the above post- what did the author plan to gain by this? some kind of reassurance that it was the right decision? a pat on the back? i sure won't give it.

and as for your quoting me about what we are doing here- we are trying to keep marine life alive, for our own amusement. if it makes you feel good to advocate for the reefs, while you keep a reeftank, go for it.
i don't kid myself.

the live rock didn't have pistol shrimps- it has a cucumber in it. :?

what does being a parent have anything to do with killing an animal because you think it might die?
i'm showing the absurdity of the action with an extremely exaggerated analogy. it doesn't have anything to do with kids.
giving advice about what to do next time? this is the time i am upset about. i am willing to bet things will be different next time.

there is a huge difference between an unwanted hitchiker and a coral i just bought. but are we talking about an unwanted hitchiker? we're talking about a popular sale item in local stores and cleanup crew packages across the internet. if she had said this same story, but replaced cucumber, with ...say...superman montipora, would you feel different about the end result?

 

[shavo]

a good ol fashioned Trido and X match ehhh? I'm making odds!

hey UAU reef girl, yeah it sucks that you killed it. I am a vegetarian myself and I never kill things even bugs and spiders, people think i am nuts for that but i never kill anything. I can tell how guilty you feel so we'll let you slide this time but don't do it again! Hey do you have a quaranteen tank? maybe something you can throw together in 10 minutes just incase of these types of situations?? just a thought.

 

[Len]

It sucks to destroy life, but I really can't fault you, UAU. While I respect all life forms, I will be the first to admit I've disposed of a good number of hitchhikers I've received. I would rather make this sacrifice then jeopardize the rest of my tank.

 

[ChrisRD]

there is a huge difference between an unwanted hitchiker and a coral i just bought. but are we talking about an unwanted hitchiker? we're talking about a popular sale item in local stores and cleanup crew packages across the internet. if she had said this same story, but replaced cucumber, with ...say...superman montipora, would you feel different about the end result?

How about if it was a Kenya Tree coral?

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... 98#1393198

every time i see a kenya tree in my display i cut it down to a nub with scissors, and toss the piece in the sump(i feel bad killing it)...

:wink:

 

[UAE reefer girl]

I think that most of you understand that I was fearful for the health of the entire tank and I thought that the Cuke was failing as he was on the waterline of the tank rather than in the sand and it seemed he had deteriorated since the night before. I did put it into the tank in the hopes that he would be ok but ultimately I really thought he was not going to make it so I removed him. Because he was still alive, removing him hurt me deeply. I was not that I just didn't want him. Actaully I would have liked to have had him. This hobby causes me very mixed emotions sometimes, actually, anytime that I have suffered a loss which luckily has been very, very few times. I checked every tiny life form before throwing out the box the rock arrived in as not to sacrifice even the smallest life. All life has signifigance to me. I even chased a pod around to spare his little life. Thanks for your support. I try to be as conscientious as possible in this hobby and respectful to fellow reefers on this board.

Regards,
Carolyn

 

[camaroracer214]

i've heard horror stories with sea slugs, sea hares, and cucumbers dying. if they do die and are left in the tank (die out of sight) they can kill everything in the tank. i've even heard of people having problems with animals dying even after the tank has been broken down and reestablished with new sand and rocks.

i don't like killing animals, but i'd rather you kill one sea cucumber than allow it to die and potentially kill many others.

 

[mr_X]

How about if it was a Kenya Tree coral?

every time i see a kenya tree in my display i cut it down to a nub with scissors, and toss the piece in the sump(i feel bad killing it)...

:wink:

?
i don't kill them. i keep them alive even though i dislike them.
i even turn my filter sock inside out and shake it to make sure nothing is in it before i wash it.

 

[mr_X]

is there living creatures in the tank besides the 66 pounds of uncured live rock? i am under the impression this tank is empty.

 

[Chubosco]

I don't feel bad or worry about stepping on ants. I mean I don't look out for them nor would I feel bad.

Throwing it down the garbage disposal would have been quick and convenient. Maybe even more humane.

I don't let the fleas live on my pets either. Unless of course they are on the kids.

 

[mr_X]

fleas? they are parasites. we're talking about a creature that does good things for a tank :?

 

[pcardone]

I agree with Len

 

[Anonymous]

fleas? they are parasites. we're talking about a creature that does good things for a tank :?

Silly argument. You're playing god. Everything in the sea is a parasite. It really depends on your perspective.