lbannie
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Anyone have any experience with these? I have an algae problem and the lfs said these are the way to go......I'm a little scared....any advice?
Sea Hares??
- Thread starter lbannie
- Start date
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Yeah, very cool, but for me they've been short lived. Sure it ate algae, but nothing crazy, I mean its not going to eat it all. I think your LFS should be helping you find the reason for the algae instead of just trying to sell you a bandaid solution. Too much light, food, nitrates, phos...etc... Got any parameters to share?
Jimbo7
Aquarium Advice Addict
If your LFS will rent it to you, Its a great way to go. But otherwise in a week or so all your algae will be gone and it will starve, die and pollute the crap outta your tank.
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
they are also very specialized. they will not just eat any algae.
OP
OP
lbannie
Aquarium Advice FINatic
nxb161- Did it pollute the tank when it died?
Can you feed them?
Can you feed them?
0o.Kelsey.o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
i love sea hares! i just got one for my seahorse tank since it just started to grow a bit of hair algae..he ate it all in a few days 
I then fed him green seaweed which is dry and you can buy in sheets...i either would feed him by hand or elastic it to a rock or shell. He is now currently living in my other 28 gal nano tank. I have had 4 sea hares in total and i found that the blue spotted ones were very short lived ( i've had two and both died in a few months). The hare i have now is all brown and slightly larger than the blue spotted hare. I've had one just like it a few years back and he lived almost a year before he got sucked up into a power head (I also was feeding that one the dried seaweed by hand)
I then fed him green seaweed which is dry and you can buy in sheets...i either would feed him by hand or elastic it to a rock or shell. He is now currently living in my other 28 gal nano tank. I have had 4 sea hares in total and i found that the blue spotted ones were very short lived ( i've had two and both died in a few months). The hare i have now is all brown and slightly larger than the blue spotted hare. I've had one just like it a few years back and he lived almost a year before he got sucked up into a power head (I also was feeding that one the dried seaweed by hand)
0o.Kelsey.o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
My old blue spotted hare
new hare trying to get at the dried algae i just put in...stupid hermit always in the way
new hare trying to get at the dried algae i just put in...stupid hermit always in the way
Mitchell0605
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes I agree with nbx. They are 'bandaids' for a bigger problem. Kinda like putting a bandaid on something that needs stiches. What you should do is:
1) Find the root of the problem. This will be excess nutrients such as Phosphates and Nitrates.
2) Reduce these levels with regular PWC's.
3) To hinder the algae growth cut the lighting time in half for a tank with coral and leave it off all together for a FOWLR tank.
These will help to get rid of your algae.
1) Find the root of the problem. This will be excess nutrients such as Phosphates and Nitrates.
2) Reduce these levels with regular PWC's.
3) To hinder the algae growth cut the lighting time in half for a tank with coral and leave it off all together for a FOWLR tank.
These will help to get rid of your algae.
OP
OP
lbannie
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I don't have any nitrates....how do you test for phosphates? maybe I need a better test kit......I'm going to be better about water changes
--Kelsey-- nice pics! I'll try the algae if I get one!
--Kelsey-- nice pics! I'll try the algae if I get one!
Jimbo7
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you have an algae problem, you have nitrates. You won't see any nitrates on your tests because the algae is eating it all up. Same goes for phosphates. You need to be doing:
Frequent water changes.
Scrubbing the rock clean during PWC, sucking the algae out.
Reducing feedings.
Rinsing frozen food in RO water.
Reducing lighting period.
Running skimmer/phosban/carbon 24/7.
Frequent water changes.
Scrubbing the rock clean during PWC, sucking the algae out.
Reducing feedings.
Rinsing frozen food in RO water.
Reducing lighting period.
Running skimmer/phosban/carbon 24/7.
OP
OP
lbannie
Aquarium Advice FINatic
oh.... that makes sense! Thanks
iDream
Aquarium Advice Addict
if its hair algae i added an extra 3 turbos to my other 3 and they took it down in a matter of days.
now they all have fun scootin around with my army of stomatellas, they are quick breeders! =]
but this was in combination with turning down my lights from 14 hours a day to 8, and feeding less, so there you go lol
now they all have fun scootin around with my army of stomatellas, they are quick breeders! =]
but this was in combination with turning down my lights from 14 hours a day to 8, and feeding less, so there you go lol
six2sevenproductions
Aquarium Advice Activist
Sea hares are definitely not a long term solution. Cut your feedings down and keep up with water changes. I do 10% every 4 days. If you are overloaded with algae then get one and return it before he starves. I have had my green sea hare for 4 months now and for a time, he did get smaller(worried) he gained weight and seems to have found other types of algae to eat. At first he only ate green hair algae.
