Sea Slugs as Pets?

August 10, 1998
From: Sam Noe

I am 6 1/2 years old and I love sea slugs. I have petted them at the Long Beach Aquarium. I have a book of many beautiful sea slugs. I would like to be able to keep one in an aquarium. Do you think that it's possible? My mom is not so sure.

Thank you for helping me.

Sam Noe

samicedog@juno.com

Noe, S., 1998 (Aug 10) Sea Slugs as Pets?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/197

Dear Sam,
Keeping any sea animals in a salt water aquarium is not easy because you have to be sure that the amount of "salt" in the water stays constant. You would be best to get advice from an aquarium shop, or look up some books on how to look after a saltwater aquarium.

If you are interested in Sea Hares, which feed on sea weeds, they are probably not so difficult because you can probably feed them on lettuce. Have a look at the messages about Sea Hares .

Nudibranch Sea slugs however, are quite difficult to look after, because they are very fussy feeders, eating only one or two types of food. Their food is usually sponges, hydroids, sea anemones etc, and other colonial animals which are even more difficult than nudibranchs to keep alive in aquaria. It is possible to keep some nudibranchs alive in aquaria for some weeks without feeding them.. but what you are doing then is starving them.

If you are near the sea and would like to keep a few for a day to two to see what they do, then it is quite easy to keep them in fresh sea water without feeding them. But after a day or so you should put them back carefully where you found them. To keep them for a longer time is quite difficult.

Unfortunately our computer cut off your email address. Could you let me know what it is please so I can add it to your message .. Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Aug 10). Comment on Sea Slugs as Pets? by Sam Noe. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/197

Factsheet

Keeping sea slugs in captivity

Related messages

  1. Is It Possible To legally Purchase Phyllidia ocellata?
    From: Jason Brooks, May 5, 2010
  2. Unknown sea slug
    From: Jupiter dale, March 19, 2010
  3. Re: Chromodoris annae in aquarium
    From: R. Grooters & M. Snoek, March 7, 2008
  4. Chromodoris annae in aquarium
    From: Mattias Westermark, March 5, 2008
  5. Hypselodoris bullocki and aquarium shops
    From: joshua sampson, November 21, 2004
  6. Concerning 'angelfood'
    From: Alan Osborne, March 19, 2004
  7. Hypselodoris bullocki in aquaria
    From: Steve Jen, March 19, 2004
  8. Hypselodoris picta in aquaria
    From: Susanne, March 18, 2004
  9. Question of an outsider ...
    From: Shoei, October 11, 2003
  10. More aquarium shop misinformation
    From: David Clay, March 23, 2003
  11. Need some advice - uninvited aquarium guests
    From: Jenifer, December 30, 2002
  12. Red Seaweed for sale
    From: Jim DeMattia, June 8, 2002
  13. Elysia crispata and Green Carpet Anemones
    From: Andy Feifarek, May 21, 2002
  14. Identity of Nudibranch mimic
    From: Raymond Mears , March 23, 2002
  15. Observing sea slugs in aquaria
    From: Sarah Bredensteiner, March 14, 2002
  16. We want to buy a nudibranch
    From: jennifer, March 10, 2002
  17. Opisthobranchs in Captivity - new book news
    From: Dave Behrens, February 7, 2002
  18. Introducing a sea slug
    From: Alisa Taylor, November 12, 2001
  19. More misinformation from nudibranch suppliers
    From: Michael Bloss, July 2, 2001
  20. Keeping nudibranchs in tanks
    From: Melinda Newton, May 31, 2001
  21. Keeping sea slugs in captivity
    From: Lorena Schwarz, May 28, 2001
  22. Sacoglossan Defenses
    From: Tina Calle, March 22, 2001
  23. keeping Spanish Dancers in aquaria
    From: Kyle, February 8, 2001
  24. Colored sea slug
    From: Robin, January 7, 2001
  25. Alternative to Sponges for Hypselodoris bullocki
    From: John Leventis, October 26, 2000
  26. Re: What do they eat?
    From: Darla Hatton, August 7, 2000
  27. Re: What do they eat?
    From: Darla Hatton, August 2, 2000
  28. Help identify species & what do they eat?
    From: Darla Hatton, August 1, 2000
  29. Re: what do they eat?
    From: Darla Hatton, August 1, 2000
  30. Sea Slug Info
    From: Cherish, April 7, 2000
  31. Seaslugs as pets
    From: Steven Grant, March 29, 2000
  32. Sea Slugs in a local Mall pet store
    From: Mike Thomas, February 13, 2000
  33. Advice on keeping nudibranchs in aquariums
    From: Phanor Montoya, August 22, 1999
  34. Nudibranch I.D.
    From: Adam Walbridge, August 20, 1999
  35. Can you recommend good aquarium species?
    From: Eirik Eilertsen , July 29, 1999
  36. Nudibranchs in the Reef Aquarium
    From: Theresa Coulter, May 23, 1999
  37. Re: keeping nudibranchs in the aquarium?
    From: Rob See, January 7, 1999
  38. Keeping sea slugs in captivity
    From: Stephen (Max) Gillies, July 9, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages