Sea Apple IOTM: Jan '09

IOTM: The Sea Apple (January '09)



The Basics​

Size: Varies per species (the species pictured about 7 or 8 inches)
Level of Care: Advanced
Temperment: Peaceful**
Diet: filter feeder (plankton)
Origin: Varies per species
Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallons (IMHO)++
Reef Safe: Yes**
Invert Safe: No Sea Uchins or Sea Stars. Large Hermet crabs may be problematic as well.
Fish Safe: Yes**

++(Larger tanks inhibit large water quality fluctuations compartively)
**(Unless Pushed--See Death to your tank and General Precautions below)

Classification: Pseudocolochirus Tricolor. For the above specimen, the genus is correct, but the species is questionable (my best guess). It is in the Class Holothuroidea. The common name is Sea Apple, part of the Sea Cucumber family

General Morphology: The body of the sea apple is generally an inflated, roundish structure with both mouth and anus pointing upwards on opposite ends. The mouth is at the anterior end, closed unless in the presence of food. Then it opens up, displaying tenticles that resemble brightly colored branches of a Kenya Tree. On the other end is the anus, which opens and shuts like clockwork. Why does the butt open and close? It is breathing. The respiratory apparatus is located at the posterior end.

Feeding: The sea apple is a filter feeder. It survives by waiving it's tenticles in the presence of food in the water column and bring in each tenticle to be wiped clean in it's 'mouth'



I recommend feeding it twice weekly to weekly; some phytoplankton will suffice. Just do proximity feedings with a small baster and it will remain happy. I would also recommend turning off flow for about 30 minutes while you accomplish the task. If it is not fed properly, it will lose some of it's mass and eventually die. This can take up to a year to happen.

Pooping: Generally, I would not have a section devoted to fecal excretion, but with the Sea Apple, it is important. One of the things we worry about with all of our livestock is how much they are getting fed. Most livestock get the food they need with no problems, but this guy needs a food so small that in order to see if it is getting fed properly, you really need to see it poop. I saw mine let go a cloud of excrement on Thanksgiving day. I was jumping for joy. My wife's family was not as impressed as I. But that was my sign that things were going good for, as I call it, my killer queen. Here is a shot of her posterior. The anus is where the yellow tube feet meet. It is open in this shot.



Movement: The sea apple will move about using on extended tube feet. The movement is not quick. Mine has kept to an eight inch square area since I introduced it about three months ago. It will find a home and stay there. The typical cuc will move around quite a bit, sometimes getting into trouble with powerheads and the like. Not the apple. It likes to stay put. If it is moving around, either it is being bothered where it is physically, or, most likely, not feeding well. A motionless Sea Apple is a happy Sea Apple.

Breeding: There are both male and female Sea Apples. How do you tell? You don't. Direct examination of the interior would be required. Both sperm and eggs are released into the water where fertilization occurs. Larvae form from there.

Death to your tank: The Sea Apple, like most of us in our 40s, like peace and quiet. I say this half jokingly, but do not get me wrong. I am dead serious. If stressed enough, they have the capacity to eviscerate their internal organs...all of them, through their mouth and anus. When this happens, the tank can be poisoned to the point of no return. No joke. Worse than an anemone death. So what to avoid? Here is the short list:

**Fish that nip at it
**Poor water conditions
**Sudden changes in water quality
**Physical trauma
**Inexperienced aquarists moving it around in a rough manner.

General Precautions and Summary: So. How do you know if the Sea Apple is for you? IMO, your tank must be stable, larger and trouble free. You have to love these creatures. If you don't, or are not overly impressed by them, don't bother. They are not for you. I got one because I have always wanted one of these. The benefits of seeing, on a daily basis, one of the most striking of sea-creatures in the world outweighs the potential risk of disaster. And I happen to be very anal retentive about my tank conditions.

I did however, a few weeks ago, blow it with adding Mg. I added too much. Nothing happened. I lucked out. But the resultant flucuation in pH could have set it off. You never know. Your husbandry must be near flawless.

The LFS that sold me the apple told me the following. If you make it mad, it can kill your tank. Has he ever had a customer come back with a horror story? No. He even pointed out that he kept one in his Shop Reef Tank, so customers would not be so afraid of them. I have since looked in other Shop Reef Tanks and have noticed that in most of them, a Sea Apple resides. What if they die? I was told that this would not harm the tank. As long as they don't kill themselves, there is no problem. I don't completely believe this myself, because I have not been able to find anything to support the statement. So I feed mine.

Here are some more pics for your consideration....





In this pic, it was on the move......It moved to the front of the tank and pressed itself against the glass



Peace.......John.​

 

GREAT job buddy!!!! really well put!

 

Great article John. I was wondering just yesterday how your sea apple was doing. Just one question, what type of plankton do you feed it?

 

Thanks all. I am appreciative.

 

Phytoplankton is what I use.

 

That thing is just crazy.. Thanks for sharing.

 

Awesome article John, thanks for sharing.

 

nothing like impending doom to get your blood rushing...

Kudos to you my friend, it takes heart to care for something like that!! Good luck and may the peace of your tank rest in the tentacles of your sea apple

 

Ya got that right. Last night I had issue with my condy anemone. It detached for some odd reason and ended up with the pagoda cup. So, not knowing what was up, I reasoned that the temp was too high (83), it just got a little weak and lost it's hold. I moved it back to it's original spot (making my clown very, very happy). Ever see a clown dance. I have now.

But I did check on it a few times last night. Because if the anemone would have died, it would have affected water quality enough to set off the apple, which would have finished off the tank (whatever would have been left alive). Tag team destruction.