Aplysia dactylomela - keeping in aquarium

September 16, 2005
From: Jack Brown

Greetings from Alaska the Greatland.
Our local fish store has been selling the Sea Hare - Aplysia dactylomela for the past few years. They don't have any knowledge on how to feed it after it has cleaned up all the green hair algae in your home aquarium. They sell several per week because they do such an incredible job of cleaning up green hair algae. I know others have asked this question.... How can I supplement the diet of the sea hare? I've tried sheet algae and colerpa with negative results. I also believe that my large cleaner shrimp is severely stressing the sea hare by 'digging' at its back all the time. I really hate to see this creature in a constant slow death scenario... Any suggestions?
Jack Brown
Anchorage
Alaska, USA

jackandsue@gci.net

Brown, J., 2005 (Sep 16) Aplysia dactylomela - keeping in aquarium. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14764

Dear Jack,
In an earlier message [#9154] I referred to research that suggested that this species of sea hare preferred to eat particular red algae. But if it eats green 'hair algae' it obviously can survive on other algae. One report showed they would eat the green alga Ulva, commonly called Sea Lettuce, which may be what you call sheet algae? They do grow a little on Ulva but clearly it's not their preferred food. This is a problem in small aquaria, because red algae tend to produce some very nasty waste products which can poison the water. Only other suggestion would be to grow a tank of hair algae to feed the Aplysia.

Concerning the cleaner shrimp. All I can suggest is moving it to another tank
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Sep 16). Comment on Aplysia dactylomela - keeping in aquarium by Jack Brown. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14764

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