Max Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 So after a lot of research I decided to buy a sea hare to rid my tank of gha growth. After getting it home and acclimating it, I placed it on some of the gha. It immediately started munching away and seemed to be doing well. I noticed that my Bi-colored blenny was checking it out and took a couple nibbles on it's back, but soon it realized it wasn't that tasty. I fed everything to make sure no one else was going to give it any problems and left it be. It found a corner to hide in and stayed there till the lights went out. This morning I woke up and noticed that it had shifted a small rock and pinned itself down in the process. I went in and freed it from the pinched it had gotten into and placed it in a shady spot. Now it hasn't moved and is contracted. I'm worried it that it has died or is in the process of dying. To what I've read when a sea hare dies it releases the muscles that hide its reduced skeleton and in result exposes it's skeleton. Does anyone have any experience with sea hares and their behavior when first introduced to a new aquarium? I'm sad that this has happened and want to make sure that it's passed before removing it from my tank. I'm not worried that it's going to poison the tank since it's diet determines the toxicity of it's ink (other than what it would add from decomposition) and seeing as the LFS I bought it from had no cyanobacteria for it to eat (from which it produces it's ink) I have nothing to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 I didn't mean to post twice, sorry for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 He may just be upset or he may be waiting for lights to go out or he may be digesting yesterdays meal. With a lot of invertabrates there is no way to tell if there is something wrong until you start getting white slimy spots or legions. you won't get red splotches or red legions like you do on fish that have a bacterial infection. They are natually slimy so don't go by just a slimy touch or mucous coating look for very obvious discoloration and white areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Many of the critters like sea cucumbers will pick a spot and never move from it. A good rule of thumb is, if it isn't truly stuck, you're better off deciding to let it go (or stay) where it wants. This is especially true of anemones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua-Dome Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I'll agree that if it dies you will see a flat round shell (dime/penny size) revealed in the center of its back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshgabel Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I'll agree that if it dies you will see a flat round shell (dime/penny size) revealed in the center of its back. i have witnessed this as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 It's official, he/she (it) passed. Fool smell + leaking insides confirms it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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