sea hares?

reefheath · #1 02/07/2007, 11:53 AM

Hi everyone,
I haven't been here in forever, but i have a question for you all. I am looking at getting a sea hare, as some of my cleanup crew has "expired" over the last 6 months and I've let light algae become moderate aglae growth. I am wanting to buy a sea hare and have tried to find info on the but am not having alot of luck. I'm not sure of the species that my LFS has, but it is camoflage and looks like it has alot of small spikes on it.

I did read that anemones are a predator, and I have 3 BTA's around the tank (multiple splits...lucky me!) I just want to make sure this guy isn't gonna ink my tank to death. It's a 95 gallon btw. How potent is the ink if something were to go wrong? I also read that they can't see, but only light and dark...that kind scares me with so many BTA's in there to possibly sting it and upset it. Any help and advice would be great...maybe a scientific name if anyone knows which sea hare I'm referring to. Thanks ahead of time!

Heath

turbo2oh · #2 02/07/2007, 11:57 AM

is it this one?

Reeses · #3 02/07/2007, 12:00 PM

This is the species you may be looking for, a Dolabella auricularia.

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=dolaauri

reefheath · #4 02/07/2007, 01:40 PM

yep, that looks like the one...anything about the likelihood of an "ink-outburst" ? After a search, I still can't find much documentation on this guy. Thanks!

subcrx · #5 02/07/2007, 01:43 PM

thats the same one i had, didnt do any harm, but it died in a couple days.

TWallace · #6 02/07/2007, 02:01 PM

I had one that looks like the one in turbo's picture, about 4 inches long. Several times it moved toward my GBTA and got stung. It just moved in a different direction and didn't seem harmed by it. However, it died about 3 days after I got it, no where near the anemone. I took it out of the tank immediately, didn't see any ink and nothing was harmed.

I also have 3 or 4 of the Aplysia sea hares which also have not been harmed by the GBTA. I got them hoping they'd eat bryopsis, but like everything else I've tried, they do not. I'm not sure what they eat, but they aren't starving. I've had them for months.

I wish one of my LFS had some Dolabella sea hares. I've heard those are more likely to eat bryopsis. I can't find anywhere online that sells them. I asked LiveAquaria if they could get them, but they said no.

EnderG60 · #7 02/07/2007, 02:06 PM

they are awsome algea eaters, but you do have to aclimate them pretty well(1 hour drip usually works) they usually die due to lack of food, but they will eat pretty much any kind of micro algea as well as cyano yep thats right its the only thing ive ever actually seen eat the stuff.

they do eat some macro algeas as well but not many, and can be supplimented with sheet algea once they eat everything else.

reefheath · #8 02/07/2007, 02:54 PM

thanks for the advice...any more sea hare keepers?

rick s · #9 02/07/2007, 02:55 PM

I know quite a few people in my local club have used them to get rid of their algae. You might want to ask your question in my local club thread.

Here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...s=&forumid=335

cristhiam · #10 02/07/2007, 03:14 PM

I added one about two weeks ago and did good at eating HA, but I have not seen it for about 4 days, at least is not stuck in any PHs. They do camouflage very good. I'm afraid is gone. About 2 years ago I had one that cleaned all the HA and then got stuck in a PH and died. nothing happend to the tank.

DrDNA · #11 02/07/2007, 03:36 PM

I have used sea hares before with no ill effects. I have a 300gal tank and it had a hair algae bloom when it was new. I added 3 sea hares and it was picked clean in about a week and a half. Now, I have taken two of them out and just have one that usually hides in the rocks or buries itself in the sand during the day. I also have some Turbo and Trochus snails as well. It hasn't had any run-ins my RBTA anemones. If your tank is a 90 gal, you would have to make sure it doesn't starve to death after all the hair algae is gone.
They are definitely algae eating machines though and will eat Caulerpa as well, but apparently not Bryopsis.
-Jeff

reefheath · #12 02/07/2007, 04:12 PM

well, more or less I am "renting" this guy. My LFS store owner, whom is also a friend of mine said he'd do a buy-back for 75%...which is extremely fair in my opinion...I mean, he is gonna sell him again...everyone does well on this one!

DrDNA · #13 02/07/2007, 05:43 PM

yes, I basically "rented" them too. pretty good deal for all involved.

jlynn427 · #14 02/07/2007, 06:05 PM

ive had two of them. did a great job at eating algae, but always got sucked into a powerhead.

DrDNA · #15 02/07/2007, 06:16 PM

I haven't had any problems with them and my powerheads. I use the Tunze stream pumps with the "fish guards" and haven't had any issues. Sea hares are pretty dumb though and I have seen them eating algae off the stream pumps while they are on!

subcrx · #16 02/22/2007, 01:24 PM

I finally got me a Dolabella hare about 4 days ago. The thing cleaned up one rock and hasnt eaten since. and when the lights turn on it climbs all the way up the glass and hangs out on the top till the lights turn off. There still is plenty of hair algae there, i dont know what his problem is.

cristhiam · #17 02/22/2007, 01:27 PM

Mine started doing the same thing I just move it and put it where the HA is and starts working, then it will go and wedge between the rock and sand and sleep until next day. Lazy thing works only like for 2 or 3 hours sleeps the rest of the day, can't complain it's cleaning the rocks out.