Sea Hare Loves Dragon's Tongue/Breath Macro

Rutmucker · 01/11/2016, 11:53 AM

I have a Sea Hare (cannot find ID. Assuming FL or Caribbean. Light Grey with small black spots), a lettuce nudibranch, 2 FL Purple Urchins. I am in the process of stocking more macroalgae in the tank. They all have been fine with Green Hair Algae, but I know the Sea Hare loves Halymenia (he ate a baseball sized colony in about a week). I want to provide a well rounded environment for these guys, but I cannot break the bank. I was offered the Sea Hare as an answer to a Hair Algae outbreak from an old rock leaching nutrients, and a sizable upgrade on lighting. I see many who utilize the Sea Hare for a couple of weeks to clean up and return it to the LFS or someone else who needs a clean. I'm not looking to do that... Tank has been running for about 2 years, and I have taken it very slow. I am away some and have an "autopilot" system. There are 8 blue leg hermits, about 30 various snails, 2 urchins, 1 Sea Hare and 1 Lettuce nudibranchs, and until recently, a large red Dragon's Breath. I have a patch of gsp also (growing and spreading). I have always wanted to provide the necessary environment for these guys without needing to supplement feed a multitude of different things. I dose 2 part Calcium/Alkalinity additive and Magnesium, and feed weekly with a phytoplankton for the gsp and pods. My water parameters are spot on with enough Nitrate and Phosphate to sustain macroalgae. Long story short... I'm following the macroalgae plan that I have always wanted, but I need to feed the beast (the Sea Hare). It loved the Dragon's Breathe, but he can't have steak and lobster every night. Are there other macro species that would sustain it. I have C. prolifera and Red Spicifera arriving this week. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I know that the ID of the Sea Hare is very important to form an opinion. I just thought the Halymenia may be a clue...

BlueCat1949 · 01/11/2016, 07:09 PM

What is your goal for this tank? The sea hare will be hard to feed without hair algae but it may chose to eat some macros if it is really hungry. macros are pretty expensive to feed to a sea hare. Eventually he will starve and I hear they are very toxic when they die in your aquarium.

I had a similar experience with a sea hare and I moved it from tank to tank until I had no more hair algae. It died a short time after that and made a mess of things.

Rutmucker · 01/13/2016, 12:07 PM

Macro algae tank. Just wanted to see if anyone had any success with the different macro. There's hair algae for him to eat, but he seemed more aggressively feeding on the macro. I'm watching closely with a call into my lfs. They are prepared to get him to greener pastures if needed.

Ralphie1954 · 01/15/2016, 01:15 AM

Sea Hares love roasted/toasted Nori from your local Asian market. It is the exact same product you buy at your LFS but you get 50 times more product for the same money. I've put it next to a well known brand and it was identical right down to the perforations. Just ask for the one they use to make sushi. Anyway my sea hare devours what is left of whole sheet 8 by 11 per day if he/she gets the chance. I have two tangs, three clowns, melanarus wrasse and a green chromis that love it as much as the sea hare. I have been in this hobby for 35 years and I've never seen tangs with bellies so full and so healthy looking.

01/11/2016, 11:53 AM	#1
Rutmucker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: SC Posts: 2	Sea Hare Loves Dragon's Tongue/Breath Macro I have a Sea Hare (cannot find ID. Assuming FL or Caribbean. Light Grey with small black spots), a lettuce nudibranch, 2 FL Purple Urchins. I am in the process of stocking more macroalgae in the tank. They all have been fine with Green Hair Algae, but I know the Sea Hare loves Halymenia (he ate a baseball sized colony in about a week). I want to provide a well rounded environment for these guys, but I cannot break the bank. I was offered the Sea Hare as an answer to a Hair Algae outbreak from an old rock leaching nutrients, and a sizable upgrade on lighting. I see many who utilize the Sea Hare for a couple of weeks to clean up and return it to the LFS or someone else who needs a clean. I'm not looking to do that... Tank has been running for about 2 years, and I have taken it very slow. I am away some and have an "autopilot" system. There are 8 blue leg hermits, about 30 various snails, 2 urchins, 1 Sea Hare and 1 Lettuce nudibranchs, and until recently, a large red Dragon's Breath. I have a patch of gsp also (growing and spreading). I have always wanted to provide the necessary environment for these guys without needing to supplement feed a multitude of different things. I dose 2 part Calcium/Alkalinity additive and Magnesium, and feed weekly with a phytoplankton for the gsp and pods. My water parameters are spot on with enough Nitrate and Phosphate to sustain macroalgae. Long story short... I'm following the macroalgae plan that I have always wanted, but I need to feed the beast (the Sea Hare). It loved the Dragon's Breathe, but he can't have steak and lobster every night. Are there other macro species that would sustain it. I have C. prolifera and Red Spicifera arriving this week. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I know that the ID of the Sea Hare is very important to form an opinion. I just thought the Halymenia may be a clue...

01/15/2016, 01:15 AM	#4
Ralphie1954 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 2	Sea Hare Sea Hares love roasted/toasted Nori from your local Asian market. It is the exact same product you buy at your LFS but you get 50 times more product for the same money. I've put it next to a well known brand and it was identical right down to the perforations. Just ask for the one they use to make sushi. Anyway my sea hare devours what is left of whole sheet 8 by 11 per day if he/she gets the chance. I have two tangs, three clowns, melanarus wrasse and a green chromis that love it as much as the sea hare. I have been in this hobby for 35 years and I've never seen tangs with bellies so full and so healthy looking.

01/11/2016, 07:09 PM	#2
BlueCat1949 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 197	What is your goal for this tank? The sea hare will be hard to feed without hair algae but it may chose to eat some macros if it is really hungry. macros are pretty expensive to feed to a sea hare. Eventually he will starve and I hear they are very toxic when they die in your aquarium. I had a similar experience with a sea hare and I moved it from tank to tank until I had no more hair algae. It died a short time after that and made a mess of things.

01/13/2016, 12:07 PM	#3
Rutmucker Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: SC Posts: 2	Macro algae tank. Just wanted to see if anyone had any success with the different macro. There's hair algae for him to eat, but he seemed more aggressively feeding on the macro. I'm watching closely with a call into my lfs. They are prepared to get him to greener pastures if needed.