Why do sea hares still have a bad rep?

[nim6us]

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.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I couldn't agree with you more. Usually animals get a bad rep when really its the animals owner that actually is at fault. E.g. not good water quality. Not enough food source.
I've had boxfish die. Seahares. Tank was never "nuked".
D

 

[Azedenkae]

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.

So. What species are we talking about here?

 

[nim6us]

@Azedenkae that's a good point, don't let me over generalize. I'm talking about Dolabella specifically.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Similar in many respects I have had a Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber for about 15 years...they sometimes get a bad rap as well. The thing is a workhorse, poops sand all day and gets into the areas much of my other CUC can't...keeps the sandbed and under rocks nice and clean. Ticking time bomb? So far so good... Can't imagine not having it...

 

[nim6us]

@CanuckReefer That's so interesting to hear you say that because I've been debating getting a cucumber but again had been clinging to this idea that they're time bombs. I think you just convinced me to pull the trigger!

 

[BigBendBirder]

We had a recent blow up of green hair algae. LFS recommended the Dolabella sea hare and an urchin, with the advisement that if the algae disappeared, and the sea hare had nothing more to eat, we could potentially bring him back to the store. It's been a powerhouse at cleaning up nearly all of the algae growing from the substrate. It's day 8 of having him in the tank, and my only worry now is that he poops... A LOT. Been checking ammonia and nitrate levels more frequently, and watching pH a bit more closely, but no major changes detected so far. A very bizarre and intriguing creature to watch. He ignores everyone else in the tank, and they also seem to mostly ignore him.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

I wasn’t even aware they had a bad two. I’ve always had great success with them in taking care of green hair algae. Last time I had a pair of them and the entire rock in my 60 was clean in about 10 days. I didn’t want them to starve so they went for free to a local reefer who needed them.

 

[ZoWhat]

However recently in a bid to curb some turf algae issues I decided to roll the dice... and I freakin' love this guy!!

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

And

 

[nim6us]

@zoa what Wait for what? I previously said it’s been 10 weeks and we’re doing good. This isn’t a knee jerk review, I wanted to spend some time before I shared my experience. What do you think is going to happen?

 

[ZoWhat]

@zoa what Wait for what? I previously said it’s been 10 weeks and we’re doing good. This isn’t a knee jerk review, I wanted to spend some time before I shared my experience. What do you think is going to happen?

Everyone I've talked to that has tried to keep it as a pet say that eventually you'll find it not moving and it'll start turning very dark. Sign it's either about to die or already dead.

Did it poison the tank where fish died? No. But from I heard you have to watch its whereabouts bc its hard to find when it dies. Decomposition leads to bad bad bad water chemistry

Why does it die? Lack of algae diversity. I don't believe it can survive long term on just the strain of algae your tank has.

I say "Wait for it" bc I believe it won't last but 4-6mos.

But you seem really excited and enjoying it. It may last overa year or two. Just get thst thing O U T when it dies die. Bad things when you can't find it and it decomposes

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I’ve seen sea hairs the size of a football

Everyone I've talked to that has tried to keep it as a pet say that eventually you'll find it not moving and it'll start turning very dark. Sign it's either about to die or already dead.

Did it poison the tank where fish died? No. But from I heard you have to watch its whereabouts bc its hard to find when it dies. Decomposition leads to bad bad bad water chemistry

Why does it die? Lack of algae diversity. I don't believe it can survive long term on just the strain of algae your tank has.

I say "Wait for it" bc I believe it won't last but 4-6mos.

But you seem really excited and enjoying it. It may last overa year or two. Just get thst thing O U T when it dies die. Bad things when you can't find it and it decomposes

they get so huge in the deep blue, I’ve seen them a foot long and grazing on huge pieces of kelp along the jetties

 

[NowGlazeIT]

The buddy I was with, talked about how he used to touch them as a kid. He convinced me to give one a gentle poke hahaha they’re like balloons of water and I wouldn’t want one of those to pop on my tank.

 

[nim6us]

@zoa what Thanks for going into a bit more detail. And this is exactly what I’m trying to get at, do you know anyone this has directly happened to? Can they confirm this was directly caused by the sea hare dying? Because I suspect it’s like most of these stories about someone who “knows a guy it happened to”. Or the tank wiped and they think it may have been a sea hare that crashed the tank.

There’s just so much bad info floating around out there coming from third or fourth hand experience and I suspect this is the case with nuclear sea hares. However to be clear I think you should treat them like porcelain crabs. Unless you have a massive tank they’re not forever residents. Once the algae is gone you should move them on.

 

[ZoWhat]

@zoa what do you know anyone this has directly happened to? Can they confirm this was directly caused by the sea hare dying?

About 8-10 guys in my Cincy Reef Club and two LFS owners

 

[tehmadreefer]

Most of the nonsense we hear is nothing but hearsay anyway in this hobby. It’s always “I heard” or “a friend said”

 

[nim6us]

I remain skeptical but I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for weighing in!

 

[bmxbumpkin]

I am so done with sea hares, my wife (who hated aquariums and thought they were stupid OBSESSED over them after i got my amazing tank) had like 5 die now within a 2 year period after a week or two in the tank and i don't understand whats going on. My 6 rose bubble tip anenomes have split into 17 in the same time.....

 

[MCatano]

Sea Hares and cucumbers are great additions. Like mentioned above the only issue for Sea Hare is when they run out of algae to eat, but here is a great idea. Idea comes from a local Reefing forum.

Pass the Sea Hare! When they do their job and run out of food, you post it for free and ask for the same to be done when they no longer need it.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Sea Hares are algae-eating POWERHOUSES. I have had several, but the consensus (together with my personal experience) is that if you can get one to last 6 months since you plunked down money (about $12) at your LFS, consider yourself fortunate.