Do Sea Hares good pets?

[jg013c]

Hey Dr. Ron,

What are your thoughts on sea hares? Do they do well in captivity? I have a 12 gal. nano cube and have long admired the sea hares, but again, I dont want to take any chances.

Thanks again,
Joe

[greenbean36191]

Not all sea hares are equal. There are about 50 species. Many of them get too big for your average aquarium. Most also aren't well suited for a high flow reef. If given the right tank, IMO yes they are good pets, but don't expect them to be too exciting. They won't do anything more exciting than most other snails. Also, most are probably short lived, though some are known to live as long as 5 years.

Things to think about before you get one:
Can you take precautions to cover overflows, powerheads, pumps, etc to keep it from getting caught?
Do you have any animals that might pick at or try to eat them? This could be most crustaceans or fish like wrasses and a few others.
Can you provide it with enough of the right food? Again, not all sea hares are equal and their diets vary quite a bit from species to species. You can find out more about their diets at www.seaslugforum.net.
Is your tank big enough for the species you have available? The smallest are about 3 inches long and the largest available in the hobby get nearly a foot. Most don't like to climb on rocks so you need appropriately sized open sand areas. Again, see the sea slug forum for sizes.

[jg013c]

Thanks for the info. It can be hard to correctly identify the species available at the LFS, but as I have a 12 gallon nano cube with out much exposed sand it sounds like its not a good idea. I also have an agressive cleaner shrimp, and who knows what is is capable of!

[rshimek]

Hi,

Mike ([thanks])

In general, these are not animals for reef tanks. They need a tank dedicated to their interests. I think a 12 gallon nano cube would be acceptable for the smallest species, but only if it was modified specifically for them; it would take some research and effort to determine what you needed to do, but basically... lots of sand, lots of the appropriate algae, slow or gentle currents, good clean water, and no other animals to hassle them.

Cleaner shrimp are not animals that I would suggest for one of their tanks. :thumbdown

[jg013c]

Thanks Mike, thanks Dr. Ron...

I guess its no sea hares for now...