Sea Hare ?

[NewbReefer]

So i got a Sea Hare yesterday while i was getting some more fish food. I put him in the tank and he starting eating algae right away and seems to be doing great. It's now been about 12 hours since i've seen him. he's about twice the size of a golf ball and pretty hard to miss so do they just go missing for a bit? im not to worried as it's only been 12 hours, just would have thought that i'd see him again once the lights came on. also anything else you could tell me about em would be great. I know some of you have had one before.

 

[Bifferwine]

They bury themselves in the sand when they are not active. It's probably just hiding.

They are awesome algae eaters, the best animals I've found for any and all types of algae, it seems.

 

[cgoodman381]

Don't they sometimes have a tendency to crawl in the sand and die?

 

[Bifferwine]

Yep, if they do die, they'll probably be in the sand when it happens. Same with sea cucumbers.

I had a sea cucumber die in my old tank in the sand somewhere, and I didn't go digging around to find it. I mean, they're gross enough alive, like I want to dig out a rotting one. It spiked my parameters. It sucked.

 

[NewbReefer]

yeah i finally saw him today eating, doing a really good job at it to. Probably gonna swap him in and out of my fuge until i get a better clean up crew in there.

 

[JustinStone87]

yea do anyone know if they eat colariline alge?

 

[Bifferwine]

No they don't.

 

[bluewaterbruce]

Be careful of them getting into the intakes of your pumps, they will get shreaded. I guess it might not be a problem with Korilla pumps but with mj 900 they can get sucked in. The hares do a heck of a job eating algae thats for sure.

 

[JAG107]

Sea hares are awesome for all types of algae, but they shouldn't bother your coralline. Get him out ASAP when he dies though. They're tough to spot in the tank sometimes, they look a lot like live rock.

 

[naperenterprise]

They need a nice diet... Its best to keep moving him to other tanks if possible... rent him out to all of your friends... 3 days each...lol

In their natural environment, theychange their food as they grow. They normally settle out of the plankton onto red algae and then gradually move higher up the shore where they feed on brown and green algae.

 

[Rugie]

it will not live long in your tank sad to say!