SnowboardKid26 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 So I got this sea hare from joel about a week and a half ago... what in the heck is wrong with it. It looks pregnant... anyone have any idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Looks like it is getting ready to kick the bucket to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Pull it out of your tank when they die some of them ink and that is not good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowboardKid26 Posted August 21, 2006 Author Share Posted August 21, 2006 I actually think it was dead when i took the pictures, but I put him in a bucket of water with an airstone anyways. No movement for like 3 hours, and let me tell you, when they are dead, they STINK!!!!! anyways, thanks for the help lowman and Sean. SBK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Yup, they require EXCELLENT water quality. When I get them I do a large water change just to be safe. They are a pain in the ARSE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-3 Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Yeah he definately looked dead. Good job that you caught it in time. It could have been a problem. Later Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowboardKid26 Posted August 21, 2006 Author Share Posted August 21, 2006 I really don't understand what happened. He was doing well, seriously killing the hair algae, and he just up and died..... nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia is all at 0..... im kinda vexed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanF Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 What Nyles said is the most ironic part of keeping them. Most people that are having an algae problem are having it because of some problem with water chemistry. The best thing to eat that hair algae is hard to keep in water that is not perfect. Go figure huh. For what is worth I have never seen one die and then ink. I have only had one ink on me and it was when I went to ship it out. It decided it didn't want to go and inked in the bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Actually, the only time they ink on me is if when I remove them I squeeze to hard, other wise there fine. But ya my levels are fine as far as ph04, no3, no2, and amonia. But for whatever reason, I have about everything in my tank you can imagine but I can't keep a sea hare to save me. They live 1-2 weeks and get lathargic and die. If I do a water change there fine, even though my salifert tests test fine. I don't have a silicate test, and think it MAY have something to do with this or the actual veriety of hair algae I have since I have the dreaded filamentious hair algae with blue strands. I dunno but I got the hair algae out without a sea hair, thank god, because if it didn't come out soon I was getting out of the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowboardKid26 Posted August 21, 2006 Author Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm at this point with my hair algae too. I think it may be the same kind as yours as well. Haven't really seen this color before. Do you by chance have marshall island rock? How did you get rid of it? I ordered a phosban reactor, should be here today, my po4 tests 0 but I know there has to be phos in there if I'm having this algae problem. Nothing seems to be working, well the sea hare was for about 2 weeks as you said..... uh, im sick of this, starting to think about just buying new rock, and cooking this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 not sure if anyone has mentioned this but what is your water source for top off and water changes it may be time to change filters alot folks dont know if your using RO water if membrane get dry or if u dont run water through on regular basis they go bad also everything will test well because the algae is using the nutrients to grow so testing will show good parameters so check water source check additives and if this is newly setup system it takes time for balance to come in check and if your over feeding or even over adding additives via, iodine or any other multi additive also any liquid foods like DT's and the latter would be bad to be adding right know so back off any additives other the cal,alk.ph and let water changes be the source of replacement of any other minerals needed for the moment till things get under control.Now with this said the replacement water source has to be pure so id start there.Also im assuming your skimmers up to par also this maybe a factor to look at as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 LOL funny you should ask. I got the tank in Bend from a guy Named Jeremy. The 100 pounds of rock came with it, and the tank was infested with hair algae. I didnt want to cook since there was lots of zoos and shrooms. He did not use ro/di water and the rock had been absorbing all the waste for a long time. Ultimately it took pulling the rock out and cleaning it well (toothbrush), and doing lots and lots of water changes. If hair algae started to show up I would rip the siphon tube off the siphon line and just use the hose to pinch the hair algae in the tube an pull off making sure to suck the spores out to. It really needs to be completly removed from the rock, to do that I increased my mechanical filtration (10 times my tank volume per hour, yes I have a CLS) and used a toothbrush to scrub the few areas clean. This worked so well in a matter of 3 weeks I have only a spec here and there of it, and it too is dying. I honestly believe it mostly has had to do with large water changes (10% twice a week did it for me) and reduceing the lights and light photo period. I went to Petsmart and purchased a few buckets of IO for 32 bucks and well for 32 bucks I dont care how much salt I use comparied to what I have been paying for seachem reef salt. Honestly though if I knew better I would have cooked the rock in the first place, but I figured I wanted it in there now! So basically with the large water changes I am pretty much COOKING the rock in tank, other than the rocks are lit. The water changes are leveling off and I have a few inhabitants that help tell me when I need a water change, however all the tests I test for test fine. I have a phosban reactor but I don't think it helped alot but it did help a little (I am turning it off this week and going to use it for my 3 day a month cycle of carbon), water changes are your friend though, I personally just couldn't stand the HA in my tank. I was determined to get rid of it, or the whole system. I have never given up on anything and Im glad I stuck with it, it was probably one of the most fustraiting things I have ever delt with... sad I know. I now have a lettuce nudi in there with about 250 pounds of LR, he seems to keep things pretty clean with the 3 medium tangs and LM blennie and about 100 hermits all doing their part to keep the algae under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowboardKid26 Posted August 22, 2006 Author Share Posted August 22, 2006 So you bought Jeremy's 155? Thats kinda funny. I bought my tank from Jeremy as well. Exact same problems... (he'd been really neglectful.) Anyways, i have been going waterchanges, mine are more like 20% weekly. How far did you reduce your light photoperiod? I've been running my halide for about 8 hrs a day, I was only running for about 3 hours a day, but I really saw a decline in my corals. Lost a couple too. Flyguy has some rock that is just getting finished cooking, so I think since I only need like 20lbs i'm going to buy it from him and cook my rock. I'm just so sick of the hair algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I removed the MH lights and put in 8 each - 5 foot t-5's. to reduce photo period I turned off 2 of my 5 11k lights and reduced the photoperiod from 8 hours to 6 over the course of a few weeks. After a few more weeks of getting the HA out I slowly bumped the lighting back. I did see a decline in my corals as well, so the lighting is up back to normal now. What very little HA is in the I let the fish eat, it seems to be going away on its own now, I will keep up with the crazy water changes for another month and then I will probably slowly back off and see how things react. I am going to start dosing my cultured phyto in to feed some of my filter feeders, Im just concerned it will spike the HA again, regardless I am going to test it out very slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted August 23, 2006 Share Posted August 23, 2006 I got the first sea hare ive ever had today in the mail. Ive got some hair algae from a new tank start up,...its already receding on its own but i wanted a little help. HOLY CRAP!!! I was expecting this little 2 inch slug looking thing. This thing is like FIVE inches long. Didnt expect that. He started going to town on the algae within minutes of being in the tank. Van, get your phosphates down a little and you can have him in a couple weeks if you want to give it another shot......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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