Sea slug health query

[bumblebee1976]

I have recently set up a marine biorb (don't all complain, please!) which is going very well. All params have been 0 since setup and I now have 3 hermits, 2 turbo snails, 1 clown goby and a newly introduced cleaner shrimp and lettuce sea slug. My question is, why does my sea slug seem to slow down/stop at times and look half its size? I was advised when I bought it that it would feed on algae growing on the acrylic, but I have since found it that it specifically eats bryopsis and chaetomorpha in large quantities. What are my chances of success with this creature, given that it is a fairly new setup (6-7 weeks)? Thanks all.

 

[roka64]

If you are talking about a Tridachia crispata, they graze on algae and also use photosynthesis to some degree, but should be in a mature tank (6-7 weeks might not be mature enough).
When it is different sizes, is it right after lights on or off, can you see any type of patter to the size/time of day?

 

[melosu58]

Well at least it`s eating. Ussually in a new tank there isnt much to eat so the end ep starving. It looks like there is plenty to eat in your tank.

 

[bumblebee1976]

Thanks for getting back to me. It is a tridachia crispata/clarki sp. and I have not really observed a pattern to the size/slowness but I have noticed a slight slime excretion, which I guess must be normal slug behaviour. He seems unaffected by the light, just seems to graze mainly on the acrylic surface for a while and then slows down or stops completely. There isn't a great deal of green algae, the lower third of the acrylic is covered in a kind of brown dust and the live rock probably has some algae on it. Is there any way of feeding a prepared food or would you recommend putting the correct algae in the tank? I am worried this will overrun my aquarium and the lfs didn't recommend it, saying that they can browse on general algae! I have just had an email from the sea slug forum and they have suggested that it will die without the correct diet. The shrinking seems unusually soon though since I have only had him for 2 days! Any further help greatly appreciated. This is now the second time my lfs has sold me something which is unsuitable for my tank. The first time they advised on a pair of clown gobies but I added one a few days after the first and it suffered badly from malnutrition and was a lot smaller in size.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Well at least it`s eating. Ussually in a new tank there isnt much to eat so the end ep starving. It looks like there is plenty to eat in your tank.

Just FYI... this is a 15 gallon tank.

 

[bumblebee1976]

sea slug query

Hi there - just wondered if anyone has any further advice for me regarding this fascinating creature. He is still alive and seems to be feeding and moving a lot, but I guess that he could be moving around still searching for something to eat and therefore it would be hard to tell if he is hungry or well fed. I am having real trouble finding out what to feed him on - would it be recommended to get some chaetomorpha or caulerpa algae? I have started to get a few areas of hair algae but he doesn't seem to have found them and they are on leaves so maybe they are hard to reach? I have read that sea slugs can starve for a period of weeks or longer but eventually die through starvation. Please help if you know anything about the feeding of these creatures. Thanks.

 

[roka64]

Check out here:
The Sea Slug Forum - Tridachia crispata

 

[bumblebee1976]

Thanks roka. I did look at the sea slug forum but I couldn't find anything definitive on feeding, though there are a lot of posts. He seems to be moving around but that doesn't prove he is eating. It is a new tank (2 months old) so I doubt whether there is really enough algae to eat. I have noticed a recent growth of a little hair algae but he hasn't come across it. Can I move him to it and if so, how do I do that safely? He seems to stop and start periodically, shrinking and growing at different times of the day. Any further help appreciated - have I looked at the wrong posts on the sea slug forum?

 

[roka64]

Those guys are still a mystery as to what exactly they eat. The lettuce is a little more resilient and eats a wider range of algaes, I'm just not sure what all they really eat. I had a brief interest in them but found they are hard to keep so I decided not to get one....Sorry I couldn't help more...There might be a book you can find or try google...let us know what you find, I would be interested in learning more about them....

 

[gzeiger]

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that you register on the sea slug forum and post your question there. Some things are so obvious once known that they aren't discussed. You won't find posts on here, for example, stating that guppies can be kept on flake food. I think you'll have better luck with this question asking among people who keep sea slugs than asking among people who keep fish

 

[bumblebee1976]

sea slug health query

Thanks so much for the previous two postings - it's great to be part of such a helpful community! I did find a post on the sea slug forum regarding feeding which suggested that they eat bryopsis (which I had heard), chaetomorpha and caulerpa as a last resort. There was an algae pack advertised on ebay comprising the last two sorts but I thought there were differing views on whether caulerpa is a nuisance algae. Also, I thought a multipack might look a bit overpowering in a 60 litre biorb!! The reason I posted the question here is because I had already looked through the sea slug forum and initially didn't find any answers. When I have got my slug on a suitable food I will post a reply, but as you say roka, it's hard to tell whether he is actually eating what he is attached to! I did notice that he found a small amount of hair algae on a leaf but he didn't seem to have eaten any and promptly fell off - this is quite a regular occasion in my tank with the sea slug
Marine inhabitants never cease to amaze me. My cleaner shrimp got into a bit of a fight with a large aiptasia today, I think they were competing for a brine shrimp. The shrimp pulled away sharply and proceeded to feed on a dried mosquito which happened to fall into the tank. Urgghh. Yesterday, he tried to eat a whole food pellet, clutching it with all his might, even though he couldn't fit it in his mouth!! He really is a character, even tries to nibble my hand when I am rearranging the tank. I'm interested to know what happened to your sea slug, roka. How long did he live, what killed him? Thanks again - will keep you posted, pardon the pun!

 

[bumblebee1976]

Oops, I just realised you never actually got a sea slug. Sorry, I misread. I wasn't intending on getting one, but saw it at my lfs and they advised it would just graze on general algae and was easy to keep. The other one they had was a quasi modo sea slug, but I preferred the look of this one. I normally like to research before buying but I broke the rules...this time.

 

[indyainfo]

Dentists Midland Texas

i these sea slegs should be taken into the account

Doctors

 

[gzeiger]

That almost needs to be on Engrish.com...