Tech-M and sea hare?

[~reefchik~]

Does anyone know if you can try the Tech-M treatment (high magnesium) for bryopsis at the same time you have introduced a sea hare to the tank to clean up the hair algae?

I got desperate last week and ordered the Tech-M, but when I was browsing at the LFS they had one of these guys and I know they are reputed to do a nice clean up job.

Should I just let the hare do it's thing and pig out and leave the Tech-M for later on to mop up anything he doesn't eat?

 

[Airwolf75]

I think it will eat everything, and run out off food in a 20 gallon tank in short order.

Or get sucked into the filtration and killed. Maybe take some other stuff with it, depends on what kind of sea hare and how big.

 

[~reefchik~]

Well, it's a pretty big mess, so it's going to take a while for this guy to clean up. I made the mistake of pulling out all the caulerpa a few months ago, and then haven't had a lot of time lately for tank maintenance.

Fortunately I have a light bio-load so maybe this sea hare can do the job. He's on it, that's for sure.

He can't get sucked into the filter, it's got too fine an intake screen. That was a concern of mine too. Thanks.

 

[~reefchik~]

Just an update. The Sea Hare's rep as an algae-eating fool is well deserved. This critter has cleaned up at least 50% of the hair and bryopsis (or whatever it was) in the tank. I helped him out yesterday by doing some harvesting.

I found out too that the Rio on my CPR Bak-Pak croaked sometime recently So I have a replacement on order. That probably explains why I wasn't getting much skimmate lately.

And I'm holding off on the Tech-M til he's done and probably moved on back to the LFS to help out the next person's tank. I do have some algae sheets to feed him now in case I decide to keep him.

 

[~reefchik~]

New update:

The sea hare has almost cleaned all hair algae from the tank at this point. I think he's having to really search for it now, as he just got gone slurping the filter intake screen that had just shreds on it!

I ordered a new Rio and I'm cleaning out the Bak-Pak and getting ready to reassemble it.

 

[Airwolf75]

Cool, I never could get them to eat the sheets. You only have a few days to try before they start starving. Probably a new home is a good idea.

 

[~reefchik~]

How about caulerpa? I went to the LFS yesterday and got a small handful of some caulerpa and some red algae too. He's staying hidden more and more, but someone is eating the sheet algae.

With all I have going on this week I surely do not need him dying in there, I'd feel horrible and it would be a major incident to have to empty that tank and find him and do big water changes.

He's a cool creature, I think I just need to re-home him, job well done.

 

[tinyfish]

From my experience they die quickly without food.

I am currently feeding mine seaweed sheets tied on a rock. The LFS told me a rock works best because it is a natural thing unlike a clip.

 

[averychacha]

Actually, my RT is also suffered from the bryopsis and I started to push up the Mg level by Tech M. BTW, would anyone give me an advice whether I need to stop other additives like AB parts & Kawasser buffer. Also, should I switch off the skimmer duing the treatment?