- Joined
- May 22, 2017
- Messages
- 486
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- 347
I wanted to post this for everyone who's clinging to these horror stories about sea hares crashing their tanks. Since I first found interest in sea hares I always heard they could/would crash your tank. Like most of us who have a significant investment if there's a chance of losing all your livestock we immediately cross that option off the list. However recently in a bid to curb some turf algae issues I decided to roll the dice... and I freakin' love this guy!!
All day he cruises around the tank munching on algae. He bother's no coral or fish, at most he'll crawl over top a snail but he's absolutely gentle, and dare I say kind of adorable! He's not that great at finding the algae patches, often I'll find him mindlessly roaming the back glass. However I just grab my tank tongs, pick him up, and place him right on a fresh patch. He's totally unfazed when I'm manhandling him, he just goes limp and enjoys his transport to the next algae buffet.
While the bulk of my GHA is gone tufts have been regrowing fast enough to keep him fed for that past 10 weeks. There's a big part of me that hopes the algae never subsides and I don't have return him to the LFS. I think the reports of these guys crashing tanks are wildly exaggerated. I've seen fish investigate him, I've found him stuck to a powerhead (multiple times), and he totally tolerate me moving him around, all without incident of him releasing any toxin. That and I think now on our modern tanks our filtration is so baller if you have anything over 90g the chance of crash is very low.
My point is these guys are AMAZING algae eaters, better than a flock of hermits, a gaggle of urchins, or a troop of turbos! They're peaceful, fun to watch, and easily sourced. I think it's time this gentle giant shook of this mantle as a tank crasher and was more readily embraced by reefers.
All day he cruises around the tank munching on algae. He bother's no coral or fish, at most he'll crawl over top a snail but he's absolutely gentle, and dare I say kind of adorable! He's not that great at finding the algae patches, often I'll find him mindlessly roaming the back glass. However I just grab my tank tongs, pick him up, and place him right on a fresh patch. He's totally unfazed when I'm manhandling him, he just goes limp and enjoys his transport to the next algae buffet.
While the bulk of my GHA is gone tufts have been regrowing fast enough to keep him fed for that past 10 weeks. There's a big part of me that hopes the algae never subsides and I don't have return him to the LFS. I think the reports of these guys crashing tanks are wildly exaggerated. I've seen fish investigate him, I've found him stuck to a powerhead (multiple times), and he totally tolerate me moving him around, all without incident of him releasing any toxin. That and I think now on our modern tanks our filtration is so baller if you have anything over 90g the chance of crash is very low.
My point is these guys are AMAZING algae eaters, better than a flock of hermits, a gaggle of urchins, or a troop of turbos! They're peaceful, fun to watch, and easily sourced. I think it's time this gentle giant shook of this mantle as a tank crasher and was more readily embraced by reefers.