Lettuce Nudi? Advice anyone?

[austinsdad]

Thinking about adding one to my 72g reef/fish tank. 3 year old tank, 125 lbs of rock. 2" - 3" sand bed.

Purple tang, clowns, neon goby, watchman goby/pistol shrimp, pair of CBS, mandarin, assorted hermits, snails - the usual stuff. Xenia gone wild, frogspawn, various leathers, shrooms, zoos, tube worms, deresa clam already in there.

Forsee any problems? What's your lettuce nudi experience(s)? Do I have to worry about them at the overflow? Maxi jet PHs have the factory intake screen. Any worries there - or anyplace else I should know?

 

[Hara]

http://www.fantasyreef.com/database/index.php?p=getitem&db_id=1&item_id=37

If you read the description, you will find they have a VERY specialized diet and unless you have the particulars to feed them, they will starve rather quickly.

 

[austinsdad]

Yeah. My luck says it'd live in my overflow with the hair algae. I also see you can't supplement for them. Nice link. Thanks.

Nitrates stay around 2.5 to 5, so that's under control, but I am concerned about the hair algea availability. May be some in the tank that I can't see if it's in my overflow also.

 

[Hara]

it is also my understanding that the hair algae is "iffy" as a food source, they really prefer the briopsis.

 

[austinsdad]

I see. The briopsis is more like a moss algea as opposed to hair. Obviously, both green, but one a lot shorter growth than the other. Shouldn't be too hard to tell the dif.

http://www.ecology.org/ecophoto/algae/ALGAE.html

Looks like the lettuce nudi would be more of a paid assassin than just something to add to the tank.

 

[seaham358]

IMO you should pass on them. I got 3 after the LFS said it was a good idea(ned to SW at that time), well you know what happened... They all died after a short visit in the tank..
Another critter that should be left in the Ocean..