sea hare care questions

[Sooner]

Does anyone out there have any experience caring for a sea hare? I'm looking at buying one off Live Aquaria, but their information says that it is for experts only. I understand that they 'can' secrete toxins when stressed or dying. But is that easily done?

I have posted on here before about a plant that grows on my rock that is very pretty, but it is growing everywhere now and is starting to not be pretty. I've tried lots of different 'plant eating' fish and invertebrates and none seem to eat it. On a previous forum someone told me that the sea hare would probably take care of it.

But I'm concerned how good of an idea it is to buy it if it is for 'experts only.' Or is that a way of keeping the 'iffy' person away from buying it so they aren't griped at if there ends up being a problem?

Any suggestions?

 

[newreefman31]

sea hares can wipe out ur whole tank if ur not careful i have seen it done.... its best to leave these guys to a species tank.

 

[R33f3r]

What species of sea hare? Some are pretty safe actually and others will nuke your tank

 

[Sooner]

Beats me... I ended up placing my order at a different place (and they don't carry Sea Hares. So, I'm not getting one, but it's good to hear that.

You can see what kind of sea hare it is at LiveAquaria.com

I decided to get two pencil urchins. I'm told they are good at foraging.
The stuff I want to get rid of is a 'desirable' algae. I've yet to find anyone that can tell me what it is - I've posted pics on here a few different times and no one has been able to tell me. Everyone always says the same thing: "Why would you want to get rid of it? It's beautiful!"

BUT.....when there's too much of anything it becomes undesirable. It's pretty, but over time it takes over the rocks. I'd say that half of my rock (the part that is visable in light) is covered with this stuff. If I can find something that will keep it under control that's what I need. but I haven't found a tang that will eat it...no lawnmower eats it....crabs don't....snails don't.

So, I guess I'm left with the urchin....

Pray!!

 

[T-6 Driver]

Even with perfect care the sea hares are fairly short lived. Not all species emit toxins, but some do, so know exactly what you're getting.

 

[fishamajiggle]

I have had my sea hare for a few months now. so far so good

 

[Pandora]

OK, do a search for "sea hare" here, there are tons of threads here, I wish I did before I got one. First off, it's a myth that there are species that secrete toxins that can kill off your tank, the liveaquaria info is wrong (aside from the usual ammonia from a dead body)... these are not like sea apples (which are a type of sea cucumber). Also, they eat a lot of types of algae, including some types of hair algae, but they aren't a good sole plan, since a lot of times they overgraze, and then starve subsequently, and then the algae comes back if the original cause of the problem isn't remedied. Do you have a pic of the green stuff you're having problems with?

 

[technoshaman]

Sea hares are one of the only things I ever found that would eat bryopsis. Unfortunately mine dissapeared after about 5 months - not terribly long lived.

Also there are a number of temperate - sub tropical species that are offered for sale that don't do well at reef temeperatures.

 

[MyMonkey]

I had a sea hare. Actually I had two of them. The first one died and all my fish died along with it. (all but one) I thought for sure it was the Hare. Well, the LFS assured me otherwise. Gave me another one later down the road. That one was attacekd by my Cleaner Shrimp. Here is a pic of that taking place. Mid Ink.

I had just scared the shrmip away from the obviously puffed up and Inking hare.

The Ink stuff circulated around the tank. The shrimp was riding the hare around pulling at the hole in it's back. BTW, the shrimp is HUGE. 3 inches plus.I removed the Hare. He continued to ink for 30 minutes. He later died.

No problems after the Inking. I thought for sure everything was done again. However, nothing happened. Amonia spiked a bit. That was it. Problematic little creature but very cool if the shrimp had left it alone.

 

[Sooner]

OK...here's a pic from a year ago of the stuff. Like I said...it's pretty, but it's everywhere (and I'd rather get rid of it at this point)

The former thread I started a year ago says that a sea hare would eat it. I've since gotten a recommendation from a LFS owner that said an urchin would be a good option.

Well, I've got some urchins on the way - and we'll see what happens but I really would like to know WHAT it is!

 

[Pandora]

MyMonkey... those shrimp are scavengers, and probably attacked him after he was already doing badly... they often end up starving in reef tanks, they need more food than other clean up crew animals. My shrimp don't bother the sea hare (they do irritate the cucumber I have at times because it gets stuff in the integument), but I suspect they would if it got sick.

Sooner, it's really hard to tell without a more detailed pic. From far away, looks a bit like bryopsis. A lot of urchins won't touch it.

 

[lawmary]

I have bryopsis in my tank and that looks like bryopsis to me. I have a rabbitfish, yellow tang, red sail algae blenny, hippo tang, and I just got a royal sea urchin, but so far none of them have touched it. I run a skimmer, phosban reactor, my lights are 11 months old, I have a refugium with chaeto, my tank is bb, and so far every time I pull it out, it comes back with a vengence. I have to pull it every 3 weeks. It grows in heavier every time. I have cut back my lighting cycle and decreased my feedings to every three days. Let me know if you find something that works! My rocks are too big to take out of the tank to scrub, and even when I do, using a toothbrush, it doesn't seem to make a difference. My husband loves the stuff, which cracks me up.

 

[Sooner]

I looked up bryopsis on google and the pics I found of bryopsis are similar to the stuff I have, but not the same. The bryopsis pics I found seem to show it growing talller than mine. Typically the "needles" of the stuff I have is 1/2" to 1" long. It is prettyt stiff and grows almost like a 'turf' When taken out of water it looks exactly the same (that's how firm it is). The pics of bropsis I found show it collapsing, if you will, when out of water (like other algaes). Mine stays the same in water and out. It is very well rooted on the rock and I pulled a bunch out about 2 months ago and threw it out in the yard. I've kept an eye on the stuff; so far it has not broken down at all. It is now purely white, but still just as stiff and hard as it was in tank. It's consistency is very bristly. The best metaphor of it is like a man's whiskers on his face about 1/2"-1" long.

 

[lawmary]

Well, my bryopsis isn't bristly, it's soft, but it does stay intact when you take it out of the water. It grows about 4" tall like a turf.
Have you tried checking your phosphate levels?

 

[Sooner]

no I haven't. I did an extensive search through pics on google, etc. and decided that this is actually Maiden's Hair. It's for sale on Live Aquaria and Saltwaterfish.com They sell the stuff and I'm trying to get rid of it!!! How's that? Like I said it is beautiful, but there's too much of it in my tank.
I did a search for Maiden's Hair last night and found some people that have it and say it grows slowly and makes a great addition to the tank. I have to agree - it does grow slowly compared to other algae. Someone else says it that it rarely jumps to another rock - and I say " whatever! " But the stuff I have looks exactly like the pics I've found of Maiden's Hair.
I also did a post specifically about Maiden's Hair last night to see if anyone could tell me what might eat it - so far all I got was an offer from a guy who wants some of it. I told him I would have to give him over half if not most of my LR! That's how much there is! So......ANYbody have ANY clue of what would eat the stuff?

 

[fishome25]

maidens hair is much brighter green. pandora's advice has been right on. whoever said to get a pencil urchin was quite wrong since they are not herbivorous. I'd try a sea hare and tuxedo urchin.

 

[Sooner]

well, I can promise you that it is not bryopsis. By the pics and info. I've found bryopsis is 'leafy'. There's actually a leaf to it. This stuff I have has no leaf. If I could describe it it is like whiskers on a man's face. It is almost the consistency of beard hair.

Also, the person who mentioned the urchin did not specifically say a 'pencil urchin.' That's what I got because it was my understanding all urchins were algae eaters.