HELP!!! Sea Slug & Serpent Star

[ErinT93]

I've had my tank now for about 2 years (its 55g) and for the first time I've decided to get a slug, a Lettuce Sea Slug to be exact. I've looked all around the internet looking for care tips but I'm not finding any good information and the store didn't seem to have any information either. How do I care for him because he's so darn cute. I also have a banded serpent star. I've had him for a few months now but last night and this morning I noticed he's not hiding in the rocks as much and he's not eating but he's still moving around. I don't have anything in the tank that could possibly be attacking him. Thoughts? Much appreciated

 

[shifty51008]

With plenty of lr the sea slug will be fine scaveging for algae.

The starfish would be a good idea to spot feed a few times a week with meaty foods like mysis and such, otherwise they can starve to death. Him being out in the open is fine, most likely just scaveging for food

 

[ErinT93]

I hope so. I tried feeding him last night and this morning and both times he just walks away from it. I've had serpent stars before and they all met there soon because of scavenger crabs but now I only have hermits (small). I got my serpent back in May as a baby and want to make sure he doesn't die. Thanks for your help! ��

 

[hotelbravo]

The lettuce sea slug prefers hair algae, bryopsis, and turf algae they do not eat the algae instead they suck the juices out of the algae and convert the chloropaste within the algae juice to use it within the slugs own body as a form of light capturing material called kleptopasty so what that means is it eats a little algae juice then uses it to make food out of light much like a plant.

 

[ErinT93]

So does this mean he'll eat some algae but as long as I have good lighting he should be okay? He's my very first slug and I'm so in love with him

 

[hotelbravo]

they have been recorded living up to a year deprived of all solid food and relying on the kleptopasty within their skin for the only food. if they get a full stomach they should be fine for a while. guard your jets, filters, and overflow they get sucked up into there easy

 

[ErinT93]

Thanks! I don't have a protein skimmer (I only have the sock) do you think a skimmer would do better for the water?

 

[hotelbravo]

I have recently added a lettuce sea slug to my tank and ive fished him out of the filter sock in my sump twice. he keeps getting sucked down there.

and definitely yes on the skimmer. they are very beneficial.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

In my last tank I used to breed Lettuce slugs. I got a pair and they turned into a colony. They are definitely an amazing creature. Their preferred food is bryopsis. Sea Slug Forum has the best info on them. Check it out.

 

[Pigpen17]

That's weird that the serpent star won't eat when offered. Mine will never turn down a meal. What do you feed it? I freeze fresh clam and then chop off a bit. When I put it in the sand next to it, it goes right for the bit, if my cleaner shrimp doesn't get it first! Maybe it's running from your hand?

 

[Pigpen17]

Come to think of it, my star started hanging out outside of it's hole when the tank temp was getting kind of high from the weather. What's you tank temp?

 

[ErinT93]

The serpent seems to be doing wonderful this morning sleeping behind the fan but the slug seems to have disappeared ��

 

[hotelbravo]

The serpent seems to be doing wonderful this morning sleeping behind the fan but the slug seems to have disappeared ��

they always do