Sea Hare Care

[pokerfish]

I recently had an outbreak of tough turflike algea most likely caused by old T5 bulbs...i dont overfeed, use distilled water for changes and top offs, and my parameters test 0 for nitrites,nitrates and phosphates. My rocks were overrun with brown gren tufts of thick algea. I purchased a Sea Hare from Lovely Pets and this guy has gone to town and in less than two weeks my rocks are getting near clean and my tank looks great again. I am told he will eventually starve and my dilemma is that I really find him fascinating and wish I could keep him...

Here's the question...do you think if I use tap water instead of distilled, that I can strike a balance that will provide enough algea to keep him alive without infesting tank? Or am I just pushing my luck and need to find him a new home soon? Can I feed him with store bought food and successfully keep him alive? Or do I have to surrender this cool creature to someone who needs him and pass on the good karma? Any thoughts?

 

[PasstheTorch]

see if he will go after a peice of nori rubber banded to a Rock and sunk to the bottom. Dont stop using good water cuz tap water has a lot of trace elements that arnt good for the tank. if the nori fails then it may need to be passed around doing cleaning jobs on members tanks. wouldn't want him to starve.
Good luck!
Jeff

 

[Turbosnail]

I myself just past my sea hare on to a fellow reefer who was having an algae problem and he will pass it along when his tank is cleaned.

 

[WoodRiverTroutBum]

I would be willing to rent him LOL. I have some rock that I want to put in the new tank but it has some algae on it that I don't want in the new system. Maybe by the time he is done with mine you will have some algae for him.

 

[Matt W]

Should be a forum group just for passing along sea hare's etc. Kinda like a clean up crew library. Kinda joking

 

[pokerfish]

I will give him up in a week or so when he is done with my tank...maybe I will start a Share a Hare thread....thanks for the good advice

 

[JayM]

i'd be interested....

 

[diastech]

I have a serious algae problem that is out of control. I would borrw the guy if possible. If not where ca. I buy one? I am in the southcoast new bedford area

 

[MrX]

FWIW diastech this thread is 14 months old.

 

[diastech]

Oops. Sorry. I cant see the year. I am using tapatalk.