How do I know if my Sea Hare is dead

jlfnjlf · #1 09/15/2006, 12:17 PM

Hello my fellow Martians

I picked up a Sea Hare at the local LFS yesterday to address a hair algae problem I am having. I acclimated it and let it go, and it went to town on the Algae, but today it is well looking dead. Having it for less that 24 hours I am not sure what normal behavior is. I pulled it out just in case it is gone so it will not start decomposing in my tank.

Thanks in advance,

John

GreshamH · #2 09/15/2006, 10:34 PM

So not knowing it's basic care, you yanked it out? Did you toss it, or is it in another tank? They can sit for a while, then all of a sudden, jump into action. A good way to tell if it's dead, is it'll loose it's grip and roll around the tank. If it had any suction left when you pulled it, it was alive.

dots · #3 09/15/2006, 11:00 PM

Well lets see....they are usually more of a night time/evening sort of character, will burrow in the sand a little or hide when sleeping. will elongate and be a goldenish tinge to the brown....dead ones, because I have had that type also are short, hard and more white. Rolling around is a tell tale, and picking it up and giving it a GENTLE squeeze will result in a reaction but don't really like that one, saw the white guy that used to work at "O" st(can't rememer his name right now) do that one a couple of times to illustrate where the Sea Hare name comes from. When you pick it up the underside is a yellowish color and generally doesn't feel like the big turd it looks like.

These guys are algae eating suckers and will usually starve to death shortly there after the tank is cleaned.....one of those things you buy to clean up after a new tank cycle and then trade of or return for credit within a month or so.

jlfnjlf · #4 09/16/2006, 12:30 AM

OK so back up the condescending bus just a bit here.

I did research the care, but animal care and animal behavior are completely different subjects last time I checked.

It was swollen up and rubbery by the time I pulled it out. it was not sticking to anything, and did not respond to any poking or gentle squeezing. I did put it in an isolation tank, and now it is more swollen and ridged. I am going to assume id is dead and that my isolation tank is contaminated, but not my main tank.

Thank you very much.

John

Altpers0na-old · #5 09/16/2006, 12:40 AM

mine melted.

jlfnjlf · #6 09/16/2006, 12:47 AM

now that I'm sure it is deceased, I'm going to let it decompose so I can see what the mantle (shell like formation) looks like on in person.

Altpers0na-old · #7 09/16/2006, 12:55 AM

what i saw of mine, looked like diving plug lure. but i only saw it long enough to get to the bathroom....