So.... Did I make a mistake?

I bought a "Sea Apple" yesterday, Beautiful little creature. The misses fell in love with the second we walked into the store... I've seen in there a few times but never paid much attention to it. After getting it home, he seems to be doing very well. Opened sometime last night and seems to be feeding. Not knowing all there is to know about anything, I decided to do some research after the fact, ya, I know... Bad idea to research "later"... Anyway, what do you guys think, is the risk worth the reward? Or is a $35 critter that could potentially kill a $2500 investment not such a grand idea?

 

As beautiful as they are, not worth the risk imo.

 

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Best left at the store and window watch it

 

Best left at the store and window watch it

 

Here is an exerp & full article



The dangerous reputation of this attractive sea cucumber is certainly based in reality, however, as I explained in my previous articles (Toonen 1998b, 2002, 2003), sea cucumbers have a variety of defenses that are generally tried before they resort to a general release of their toxic chemicals for defense. In general, it is only when a sea apple is extremely stressed that they will actually release the toxic chemicals that are capable of wiping out an aquarium, and many people have had one of these animals die in their tanks without any evidence of toxic release. Furthermore, there are many animals that we commonly keep in our tanks (in particular some sponges and zooanthids) that have much more potent chemical defenses than do sea apples. So, basically the main reason that sea apples are potentially dangerous to a reef aquarium has less to do with their chemical defenses than with the fact that they move around and are more likely to meet an unpleasant end in our reef tanks than an equally toxic sponge or soft coral.



http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/3/inverts



http://www.3reef.com/forums/inverts/sea-apple-natures-tank-killers-beautifiers-85890.html



that being said, we will happily refund you if you decide after reading this you want to bring it back.


Thanks

Craig

 

Hey Craig, we are gonna hang on to the apple. Im going to set him up in a tank thats a little less costly, inhabitant wise anyway. It's such a nice eye catcher Id really hate to let it go, just from what it "might" be capable of.... Its kinda like saying a tank could spring a leak and flood my house i guess.

 

No problem, offer is good any time you change your mind.

Remember, they are filter feeders, so as long as you are feeding the marine snow on a regular basis, they will remain nice & healthy.

Most cases of them dying are usually in the summer when tank temps get really high.

We have had it in the store for almost 3 months.

Thx again

 

Make sure all your power heads in the tank have a sponge cover otherwise you run a high risk of it getting sucked in and shredded

 

Our power heads are all "wave makers" so no real open areas for him to get into without trying real hard.

The tanks are in the basement, so temps actually stay pretty steady year round. The highest its ever got was 79 from the control being set at 78.

 

I think it looks neat good luck