Sea hares are hair algae dynamos!

[Kimmy]

I purchased a large rock from a fish store that had hair algae on it and within two weeks the stuff was everywhere. I put a sea hare in and he just mowed the stuff down. It was actually pulling the algae off the snails back. They are so ugly that they are cool. Kimmy

[Anemone]

Glad to hear it stranger! Where ya been? :D

Kevin

[Kimmy]

Anenome!! My long lost reef central buddy!! I have been so busy (working two jobs ect) that I just kind of fell off the board. I still have my 180 reef and its going strong. I just had to tell about the sea hare because it was so amazing to just watch him ripping that stuff off the rocks. I'll have to buy it algae sheets when the algae is all gone. Thanks for remembering me!! I surely haven't forgotton you either. Kimmy

[RBirns]

Kimmy--any update with your cyano problem? I think it was early last year that you treated the tank. Any problems since?

[Kimmy]

Nope, I haven't had any cyano or other problems until this brief outbreak of hair alge and that ws simply stupidity on my part for not paying attention to what I was buying. I have been red algae free since that thread. I have been tempted to start that one back up again just to see how everyone else did with it. There are always so many different opinions and right and wrongs in this hobby. I just share what works for me..its never a guarantee that it will work for someone else. Kimmy

[kmk2307]

Kimmy, what kind of sea hare did you get? What can you feed it once it eats all the algae?

Thanks,
Kevin

[Kimmy]

I don't know the genus of it. It is kind of golden colored with a mushy kind of body and it has funny looking horns that come out of its head when it crawls. I named it Jabba the hut if that says anything. I have a algse clip with an algae sheet attached to it and he nibbles on that along with my hair algae. A reefer friend of mine in Portland has has his sea hare for 2 year and thats what he told me to feed it. My Tang eats right along side him at the clip.

[kmk2307]

Is the algae on the clip Nori? I had some small Dolabrifera (sp?) that ignored nori :-(

Thanks,
Kevin

[kysmith]

Aren't you worried about it walking into a powerhead? That is what happened to the 1 I bought.

[tisso]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7149982#post7149982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RBirns
Kimmy--any update with your cyano problem? I think it was early last year that you treated the tank. Any problems since? kimmy, how did you treat your cyno problem ?

[Anemone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7149426#post7149426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kimmy
Anenome!! My long lost reef central buddy!! I have been so busy (working two jobs ect) that I just kind of fell off the board. I still have my 180 reef and its going strong. I just had to tell about the sea hare because it was so amazing to just watch him ripping that stuff off the rocks. I'll have to buy it algae sheets when the algae is all gone. Thanks for remembering me!! I surely haven't forgotton you either. Kimmy

Well, it's nice of you to stop in and tell us how you're doing. You might pop into the Lounge occasionally and update any of the oldsters still around. :D

Glad you're still in the hobby and evidently keeping yourself busy with work. I feel like I should make a comment about your "ferret" just for old times' sake. :lol:

Kevin

[Kimmy]

Kevin!! You never cease to crack me up!!:D My red cyano problem is over and gone. I haven't had a lick of the nasty stuff since I treated with the Erythro. I still say it rocks!! I hope I don't lose Jabba to the powerhead!!:eek: I have screens on the bottom so hopefully that will help. The algae is not Nori. It is from peetco and its called "Marine Algae". Its kind of a greenish brown color. I forgot how much I enjoyd talking "fish" again. I will get back in the lounge and chat again. Kimmy

[reefNetWork]

i wanted to get a sea hare but online i have read that they release a purple dye that is poisonous. has your hare done that or are they pretty mellow?

[Kimmy]

I haven't seen any problems with him. He just lazily crawls around munching the hair algae and the fish totally leave him alone. My friend has had one for a coiple of years and he hasn't had any problems with his.

[Bandsaw]

Correct someone if I am wrong, but the hares need to consume cyno to make the dye.

Kimmy, can you publish a picture of Jabba? I've had two hares and both have ignored my HA. They both ended up going belly up.

[miracles38]

I would also love to see a picture of the sea hare. I need one for my 72 bowfront.

[Kimmy]

Yes, I will. I'll take some pictures of him after work tonight ad try to get them posted tomorrow sometime. I have to wait for him to come out. He climbs thru the smallest crevices that you can imagine. He can make hisself long and skinny or big fat and round when lounging on the rocks. The fish store in Salem that I ordered him from called him a sea monster. I'll put his pic up as soon as I can...Kimmy

[trippyl]

I had a sea hare who died after swimming into my anemone. Apparently they are not very good at walking backwards. Anyhow, the sea hare released his ink, and it did no damage whatsoever to anyone in the tank. In fact, the ink seemed to have congealed at the bottom. When I removed the sea hare's dead body, I also scooped out the ink. I have corals (sps, lps, polyps).

I have since traded the anemone to avoid this stuff from happening (he also got a firefish). And I will be aquireing a new sea hare soon.

[dippin61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7158083#post7158083 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kimmy
Yes, I will. I'll take some pictures of him after work tonight ad try to get them posted tomorrow sometime. I have to wait for him to come out. He climbs thru the smallest crevices that you can imagine. He can make hisself long and skinny or big fat and round when lounging on the rocks. The fish store in Salem that I ordered him from called him a sea monster. I'll put his pic up as soon as I can...Kimmy

would that happen to be from ryan at advanced aquarium?

[whalloper]

I have 2... they are awesome - they just eat everything bad, and nothing good - incredible. I will try to snap a picture of one the next time they come out to clean a rock.

[Kimmy]

Yes, that would be from Ryan at Advanced. I called him for weeks until he got me one. I am going to post a picture of Java here in a few minutes as promised..hang tight. KImmy

[Kimmy]

Here's a kind of blurry photo.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/589/4705STA70098b.JPG

[miracles38]

I got one that looks pretty much like that last night. I sure hope it eats all that d*** hair algae!

[riotj]

How big is the sea hare?

[Kimmy]

Mine is about 3 inches when scrunched up and about 6 inches when he stretches itself out.

[Ixthys]

can he climb up the glass, or does he just move over the rocks?

[Kimmy]

He climbs all over the glass and over the top of the powerheads. I find him all kind of strange places.