How do I know if my new Sea Hare is dead?

India

Premium Member
I brought him home last night...the fish and corals I acclimated with him are doing great. Water is testing fine...temp 78, salinity 1.025. He was sluggish in the bag and still during acclimation. I placed him on a rock ledge in low light and flow. He is still there...shrunken but colored...no movement, but not attracting detrivores.

Anything to be done??
 
Does it seem solid or squishy? Squishy is usually a bad sign.

The other common method is the smell test. Pick it up and smell it. If you feel like throwing up, dead.


Otherwise it could just be stressed and closed up.
 
If it helps, I had one on a "rental program" from my LFS that died about a week after being in the tank. When it died, the whole tank REEKED of a mix of the dead fish smell and strong ammonia.
 
these release some sort of toxin when they are stressed. sea hare are good if you have green hair for them to munch on, if you see his/her skin pealing off then take it out of the tank asap. it will stink up the whole tank and sponges of your reactors
 
Is it a toxin though? Everything I had in the tank lived through the hare dying overnight. I guess I got lucky...

They ink.

Not sure if it happens in all sea hares or just specific ones. I never once saw my Dolabella auricularia ink, even when handling it. But I know the black ones (Aplysia morio, I believe) that sometimes wash into the beaches down here are inkers.
 
Mine's look like this.

What's happening here? Is in my tank for 5 months. Eating daily nori and algae from the rocks (also bryopsis)

Put him in quarantine.
 

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