Dolabella Sea Hare

[Makers Marc]

I suppose that the older, longer stuff is very tough to chew on. It obviously like young tender thing. You can help the sea hare by taking out the tough old algae manually yourself. You might also consider adding a pink short spine sea urchin. They are dynamic duo when it comes to eradicating hair algae.

Davethej - I cannot tell you how long the sea hare will live after your green hair algae is gone. When your tank is clean, you can share it with another fellow reefer.

Yep. I do manually pull it out. Doesnt bother me too much so probably every 2-3,weeks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive three different ones who did their job and then I donated them to others in need. They are great mowers for algae and Never had an ink issue

 

[headdr]

They will disappear quickly. I had one that I intended to pass on, but he was just gone in about a week after all the hair algae was gone.

 

[Makers Marc]

Ive had mine for going on 5 months strong.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I added one to my chaeto forest a month or so ago. For some reason my refugium gets all sorts of algae growing on its walls although my display tank stays clean as a whistle. He has done a great job cleaning up there so far. I have two different types of chaetomorpha. I was wondering if he would eat any of chaeto or C. prolifera in the fuge, but it does not look like he has touched any of them so far.

 

[Brew12]

I added one to my chaeto forest a month or so ago. For some reason my refugium gets all sorts of algae growing on its walls although my display tank stays clean as a whistle. He has done a great job cleaning up there so far. I have two different types of chaetomorpha. I was wondering if he would eat any of chaeto or C. prolifera in the fuge, but it does not look like he has touched any of them so far.

Where did you get yours from?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I got it from The Aquarium Shop.

 

[H@rry]

Found it on the front glass this morning. Opportunity to play with the phone camera.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Found it on the front glass this morning. Opportunity to play with the phone camera.

The best algae eater of hare family. After algae depleted, seaweed sheets will supplement nutrition needs.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I cannot see the video, H@rry...

I have my dolabella sea hare in my fuge. My fuge is cleaned up nicely and I don't have to trim any Chaeto lately. The sea hare must be either eating the Chaeto or glazing/irritating Chaeto enough that it does not grow. Chaeto is alive and well - just not growing long.

 

[H@rry]

I cannot see the video, H@rry...

Did you click on the attachment?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Yes, I did.

 

[H@rry]

Yes, I did.

I don't know, it works for me.

 

[pbrown]

I've had them on and off over the years and never had an issue with ink. From by readings the Dolabella are not the variety of Sea Hares that ink the tank. In the past when they run out of algae they just "went missing" in the tanks. I recently have an issue with hair algae in one of my tanks and I remembered how the ones I've had in the past cleaned it up so I put two more in that tank last week. I usually only see them at night but they are constantly grazing algae.

My Dolabella fell into my elegance coral and promptly started inking a dark purple dye in my tank. I pulled him out asap and put him in a small Rubbermaid tub. Grabbed a turkey baster I use for the tank and siphoned up the ink. It was very coagulated....stayed in a stream and sucked up easily. by the time I got back to my sea hare he was thoroughly burned. He continued to ink and in the small container impacted himself. I tried to rehab him...but he passed in a few days.
He was an amazing algae eater. Cleaned up 4-5 large rocks in two days....so bummed he decided to fall off a rock in the wrong place. Just glad I was walking down the stairs when my sea hare decided to go atomic. My tank would have taken a major hit. After this experience, I won't have a sea hare again.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My Dolabella fell into my elegance coral and promptly started inking a dark purple dye in my tank. I pulled him out asap and put him in a small Rubbermaid tub. Grabbed a turkey baster I use for the tank and siphoned up the ink. It was very coagulated....stayed in a stream and sucked up easily. by the time I got back to my sea hare he was thoroughly burned. He continued to ink and in the small container impacted himself. I tried to rehab him...but he passed in a few days.
He was an amazing algae eater. Cleaned up 4-5 large rocks in two days....so bummed he decided to fall off a rock in the wrong place. Just glad I was walking down the stairs when my sea hare decided to go atomic. My tank would have taken a major hit. After this experience, I won't have a sea hare again.

This is the type of stress that will send them inking

 

[Tomoko Schum]

My dolabella sea hare never inked in my tank as far as I know. Two died from starvation in the past, and another recent addition got attacked by my Molly Blenny and was balled up and rather unhappy. I found it stuck to my MP40 and dead next morning. I did not see any ill effect from the dead Dolabella. My tank looked and still looks just fine.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Starvation is chief reason they die but there are many weird causes. I generally loan them out or rehome before they starve
I had a mantis shrimp drag one into its cave and devoured over half of it- yuk

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Yikes!