Sea Hare

BryanFox79 · 01/10/2008, 09:28 PM

I have recently added a sea hare to my 75 gallon tank to try to resolve an extremely bad HA problem. The hare has been in less than 2 days and we have not been able to locate it. My wife and I read that they can burrow in soft substrate. Has anyone heard of this? My skimmer seems to be producing normal amounts of waste. It was acclimated for 30 minutes before adding him, I think he was doing well because he almost immediately started to graze. Should we give him time to adjust to the tank, could he be burrowed, or is he nocturnal? Thanks for the help as always.

Bryan and Amanda Fox

lhoy · 01/10/2008, 11:27 PM

They can hide very well, don't panic yet. They eat a lot and then sit for a while.

Give it a few days to wait and see.

Lee

yrema · 01/11/2008, 12:30 AM

hi bryan and amanda!

adding to lee's post, some sea hares are more active at night, and many of them like to hide in crevices and other dark places.

BryanFox79 · 01/11/2008, 08:13 AM

Thanks

Malenurse · 01/11/2008, 02:54 PM

Mine disappears for days then suddenly shows up again.

SKIPJACK1963 · 01/11/2008, 05:33 PM

I purchased a sea hare awhile back to control my hair algae problem in my 55 gal reef tank, at that time the seahare was worth its weight in gold, he cleaned my tank of all hair algae within a month, and I have yet to have anthing match his efforts. This is where to story goes south... I woke up one morning to find that my "star" sea hare had gotten caught between one of my circ pumps and some live rock... he stressed..released toxins... died and wiped out 90% of my fish, only my Green Wrasse survived.

Be Careful

el Deutche · 01/12/2008, 07:56 PM

Yes they burrow. I saw mine doing it. After I bought him he went to town eating the HA. Then he just disappeared. Cannot find him. I think he died, but my tank didn't crash. All the HA came back. On the losing end of that battle. Good Luck

giantxtc · 01/12/2008, 08:08 PM

If he is really still there and eating the algae,you should see little strings of poo.Also,not to mention,algae disappearing.I had a 4" one and he cleaned all the rock in less than a week.He would always return to the same hiding place each day.He was mostly nocturnal too.They can also change color to camoflague themselves.When I removed him he was wedged in the rockwork.I pulled too hard and he inked in the tank.It was a bright purple color and with a good skimmer,removed it and harmed nothing.I hope he turns up for you!

LisaD · 01/13/2008, 10:18 AM

mine is nocturnal as well, and hides in the sand during the day. mine poops out little "pellets" - actually they are big. the nuisance algae, mostly red slime is gone. I am trying to feed algae sheets to keep the sea hare going, I really like it now.

ZAZA71 · 01/15/2008, 11:57 PM

maybe if you didn't feed your tank so much your hair wouldn't grow... Tank is looking better now

thor32766 · 01/17/2008, 10:21 AM

yes please watch out for them getting caught. Quite a few people have lost tanks to them.

BryanFox79 · 01/19/2008, 12:42 PM

Thanks for all the good info! I have recently seen him much more now...day and night. I think I am too impatient though, I want the HA gone.

Dante_JoseCuerv · 01/20/2008, 11:55 PM

Cool yeah I had the same problem with my little dolabella, it used to hide in one of my rocks and never came out, now my friend is borrowing it to clean up his coral farm.

Candi · 01/22/2008, 10:14 AM

I'm a bit confused, I thought the sea hair secretions weren't toxic to the tank? I was going to add a dolabrifera dolabrifera/bali monster to my 70g but won't risk it if it could wipe out my tank.

coralnut99 · 01/22/2008, 10:48 AM

Well, I don't have enough long-term experience with them to say what can happen down the line. I've read the same success and horror stories others have. I decided to add one to one of my 125's as I just couldn't get a gha outbreak under control, and my schedule is only getting tighter. At first he was nowhere to be seen. After about a month now, he has definitely had a significant impact on the gha, and will agree with them being largely nocturnal. I had the same worries about him for the first week or so.

I also have one in my prop system that came in as a hitchhiker. Cool wine colored, but exactly same shape characteristics of the green dolabella regularly seen. I had a problem with a red tuft macro, that while very colorful, and a great pod haven, just wasn't welcome in a prop system. It actually smothered a few frags. About two weeks after the mystery slug appeared, the red macro vanished. I mean completely! And there was a lot of it, all through the eggcrate too. He didn't even knock over a single frag in the process. Gotta love neat critters!

Dante_JoseCuerv · 01/22/2008, 11:37 AM

Yeah, I'm waiting to get my 90 gallon cycling and at least somewhat stable before I put my baby dolabella in because that little bugger EATS. I've got the tank in a greenroom to hopefully provide enough algae for this little guy, but I don't think that it'll be enough.

Also, about the toxicity of the sea hare's ink, it really isn't toxic but if you're in a small system and it stays in there too long I'm guessing it could irritate the animals especially like corals and whatnot.

NICK A. · 01/29/2008, 12:53 PM

i think a lawnmower blennie would help speed up the process of getting rid of your HA.
mine takes care of the HA in my tank..
plus they are cool looking fish.
lol

hyrumbradshaw · 01/30/2008, 04:43 PM

Has anyone had luck in feeding the sea hare algae sheets?

Dante_JoseCuerv · 01/30/2008, 05:37 PM

Eh, not so much. It'll go after spirulina or like ulva but I've never seen it go after algae sheets.

yrema · 01/30/2008, 06:41 PM

had no luck with that, hyrum. But my sea hare did eat macroalgae before. Chaetomorpha and caulerpa specifically.

Dante_JoseCuerv · 01/30/2008, 07:05 PM

Really? It ate chaeto? I've never seen mine eat chaeto. I know it likes caulerpa and ha and others, but chaeto? That's a new one.

yrema · 01/30/2008, 07:08 PM

yes really.

no pics though.

darthwall · 01/31/2008, 03:14 AM

get a lawnmower blenny i have one in my 125 G and he has done 95% of the clean up and the crabs/snails very little best cleaner I have ever had

Candi · 01/31/2008, 07:40 AM

can one (lawnmower blenny) be kept in a tank with a midas blenny? Tank is a 70g Oceanic RR

Spracklcat · 01/31/2008, 06:31 PM

1. I've had several sea hares that ate nori sheets well.
2. When I first started I had a sea hare ink in a 29g tank and nothing happened--corals and fish were fine.

So...I guess it's different for everyone.

01/10/2008, 09:28 PM	#1
BryanFox79 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chesapeake, Va Posts: 24	Sea Hare I have recently added a sea hare to my 75 gallon tank to try to resolve an extremely bad HA problem. The hare has been in less than 2 days and we have not been able to locate it. My wife and I read that they can burrow in soft substrate. Has anyone heard of this? My skimmer seems to be producing normal amounts of waste. It was acclimated for 30 minutes before adding him, I think he was doing well because he almost immediately started to graze. Should we give him time to adjust to the tank, could he be burrowed, or is he nocturnal? Thanks for the help as always. Bryan and Amanda Fox

01/10/2008, 11:27 PM	#2
lhoy Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Georgetown, TX Posts: 431	They can hide very well, don't panic yet. They eat a lot and then sit for a while. Give it a few days to wait and see. Lee __________________ I'm not A.D.D., I'm just . . . Hey look, a Squirrel! Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon Current Solana, (2) Tunze Nanostreams 6025, (1) Koralia Nano, Current Outer Orbit 150 Watt X 2 65 Watt PC, Current Prime 1/10th Chiller, Soon to be upgraded Skimmer

01/11/2008, 12:30 AM	#3
yrema Lounger Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 331	hi bryan and amanda! adding to lee's post, some sea hares are more active at night, and many of them like to hide in crevices and other dark places. __________________ Warmest Regards, Marty, Amery and Seth :) Current Tank Info: 100gal Low-tech, Low-cost Mixed Reef

01/11/2008, 02:54 PM	#5
Malenurse Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 446	Mine disappears for days then suddenly shows up again. __________________ Chris Current Tank Info: 5 gallon Fluval Spec zoanthid tank, 65 gallon African Cichlid tank, 29 gallon planted tank

01/12/2008, 07:56 PM	#7
el Deutche Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 134	Yes they burrow. I saw mine doing it. After I bought him he went to town eating the HA. Then he just disappeared. Cannot find him. I think he died, but my tank didn't crash. All the HA came back. On the losing end of that battle. Good Luck __________________ Those who would sacrifice Liberty for Security deserve neither. - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180gal

01/11/2008, 08:13 AM	#4
BryanFox79 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chesapeake, Va Posts: 24	Thanks

01/11/2008, 05:33 PM	#6
SKIPJACK1963 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 16	I purchased a sea hare awhile back to control my hair algae problem in my 55 gal reef tank, at that time the seahare was worth its weight in gold, he cleaned my tank of all hair algae within a month, and I have yet to have anthing match his efforts. This is where to story goes south... I woke up one morning to find that my "star" sea hare had gotten caught between one of my circ pumps and some live rock... he stressed..released toxins... died and wiped out 90% of my fish, only my Green Wrasse survived. Be Careful

01/12/2008, 08:08 PM	#8
giantxtc Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Williamsburg,Va Posts: 864	If he is really still there and eating the algae,you should see little strings of poo.Also,not to mention,algae disappearing.I had a 4" one and he cleaned all the rock in less than a week.He would always return to the same hiding place each day.He was mostly nocturnal too.They can also change color to camoflague themselves.When I removed him he was wedged in the rockwork.I pulled too hard and he inked in the tank.It was a bright purple color and with a good skimmer,removed it and harmed nothing.I hope he turns up for you!

01/13/2008, 10:18 AM	#9
LisaD That's not a salmon Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: central North Carolina Posts: 6,986	mine is nocturnal as well, and hides in the sand during the day. mine poops out little "pellets" - actually they are big. the nuisance algae, mostly red slime is gone. I am trying to feed algae sheets to keep the sea hare going, I really like it now. __________________ Keeping saltwater tanks since the late '70s Current Tank Info: tankless at the moment

01/15/2008, 11:57 PM	#10
ZAZA71 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Va. Beach Posts: 129	maybe if you didn't feed your tank so much your hair wouldn't grow... Tank is looking better now

01/17/2008, 10:21 AM	#11
thor32766 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chuluota, FL Posts: 6,072	yes please watch out for them getting caught. Quite a few people have lost tanks to them. __________________ "Live your life so no one has to lie about who you were at your funeral" click on my red house to see my tang compound! Current Tank Info: 29 gallon in Wall!

01/19/2008, 12:42 PM	#12
BryanFox79 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chesapeake, Va Posts: 24	Thanks for all the good info! I have recently seen him much more now...day and night. I think I am too impatient though, I want the HA gone.

01/20/2008, 11:55 PM	#13
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	Cool yeah I had the same problem with my little dolabella, it used to hide in one of my rocks and never came out, now my friend is borrowing it to clean up his coral farm.

01/22/2008, 10:14 AM	#14
Candi Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oakland County, MI Posts: 452	I'm a bit confused, I thought the sea hair secretions weren't toxic to the tank? I was going to add a dolabrifera dolabrifera/bali monster to my 70g but won't risk it if it could wipe out my tank.

01/22/2008, 10:48 AM	#15
coralnut99 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Bushkill, PA Posts: 3,632	Well, I don't have enough long-term experience with them to say what can happen down the line. I've read the same success and horror stories others have. I decided to add one to one of my 125's as I just couldn't get a gha outbreak under control, and my schedule is only getting tighter. At first he was nowhere to be seen. After about a month now, he has definitely had a significant impact on the gha, and will agree with them being largely nocturnal. I had the same worries about him for the first week or so. I also have one in my prop system that came in as a hitchhiker. Cool wine colored, but exactly same shape characteristics of the green dolabella regularly seen. I had a problem with a red tuft macro, that while very colorful, and a great pod haven, just wasn't welcome in a prop system. It actually smothered a few frags. About two weeks after the mystery slug appeared, the red macro vanished. I mean completely! And there was a lot of it, all through the eggcrate too. He didn't even knock over a single frag in the process. Gotta love neat critters! __________________ Why can't my wife see this stuff as an investment? Current Tank Info: way too much to list, and still adding more!

01/22/2008, 11:37 AM	#16
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	Yeah, I'm waiting to get my 90 gallon cycling and at least somewhat stable before I put my baby dolabella in because that little bugger EATS. I've got the tank in a greenroom to hopefully provide enough algae for this little guy, but I don't think that it'll be enough. Also, about the toxicity of the sea hare's ink, it really isn't toxic but if you're in a small system and it stays in there too long I'm guessing it could irritate the animals especially like corals and whatnot.

01/29/2008, 12:53 PM	#17
NICK A. Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: california Posts: 124	i think a lawnmower blennie would help speed up the process of getting rid of your HA. mine takes care of the HA in my tank.. plus they are cool looking fish. lol

01/30/2008, 04:43 PM	#18
hyrumbradshaw Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 340	Has anyone had luck in feeding the sea hare algae sheets?

01/30/2008, 05:37 PM	#19
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	Eh, not so much. It'll go after spirulina or like ulva but I've never seen it go after algae sheets.

01/30/2008, 06:41 PM	#20
yrema Lounger Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 331	had no luck with that, hyrum. But my sea hare did eat macroalgae before. Chaetomorpha and caulerpa specifically. __________________ Warmest Regards, Marty, Amery and Seth :) Current Tank Info: 100gal Low-tech, Low-cost Mixed Reef

01/30/2008, 07:05 PM	#21
Dante_JoseCuerv Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sugar Grove, IL Posts: 1,214	Really? It ate chaeto? I've never seen mine eat chaeto. I know it likes caulerpa and ha and others, but chaeto? That's a new one.

01/30/2008, 07:08 PM	#22
yrema Lounger Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 331	yes really. no pics though. __________________ Warmest Regards, Marty, Amery and Seth :) Current Tank Info: 100gal Low-tech, Low-cost Mixed Reef

01/31/2008, 03:14 AM	#23
darthwall Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Yakima, Wa Posts: 74	get a lawnmower blenny i have one in my 125 G and he has done 95% of the clean up and the crabs/snails very little best cleaner I have ever had

01/31/2008, 07:40 AM	#24
Candi Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oakland County, MI Posts: 452	can one (lawnmower blenny) be kept in a tank with a midas blenny? Tank is a 70g Oceanic RR

01/31/2008, 06:31 PM	#25
Spracklcat Disaster Expert Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: LI, NY Posts: 1,714	1. I've had several sea hares that ate nori sheets well. 2. When I first started I had a sea hare ink in a 29g tank and nothing happened--corals and fish were fine. So...I guess it's different for everyone.