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[sfin52]

My Seahares (both) died during my vacation. Now my tank is full of baby sea hares.

This makes more sense now. Ive got hundreds of babies.

Your one of the first that I've heard this happened to. Not many keep 2.

 

[Dutch_Mill]

A video I took;

 

[sfin52]

A video I took;

Thats awesome

 

[Dutch_Mill]

Thats awesome

Funniest part is they were in one of the tanks (it's a system of 7 tanks on one sump), but all of the tanks have the babies. I assume they have a plankton stage that made them spread through the system. I don't use any mechanical filtration.

 

[sfin52]

Funniest part is they were in one of the tanks (it's a system of 7 tanks on one sump), but all of the tanks have the babies. I assume they have a plankton stage that made them spread through the system. I don't use any mechanical filtration.

Prob

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Thanks for the reply. But I’m not sure they are Sea Hare eggs. After your reply I searched Sea Hare eggs and they seem to be laid in a pile with ribbed edges (google info) sorry if I’m wrong . This thing is smooth, under a live rock about 4 inches from sand bed and is self supporting comes out maybe 3 inches.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

As mentioned, these are sea hare eggs - I'm not entirely sure I understand what you mean by "ribbed edges," but the way they look varies from one species of sea hare to another, so that could explain the difference you're seeing. Regardless, as was also mentioned, if you only have one sea hare, then the eggs are infertile and won't hatch. You can leave them or remove them if you want - it shouldn't cause problems either way.

Usually seahares don't last a real long time in our aquariums. They are harvested at an older age and thus don't live long.

Info that I've read says that once a seahare lays eggs they die shortly after. So keep an eye on that. Much like a squid and octopus.

Yeah, they're also typically very short-lived creatures to begin with (I only know a handful of exceptions, with Dolabella auricularia living the longest life of up to six years). To my understanding, most seem to only live to be around a year old.

With regards to dying shortly after laying eggs, I'm beginning to wonder if that's just because the seahares are near the end of their lives anyway:

as mentioned below, I've read that as well, but in the thread linked below it seems that the OP's sea hares lasted for ~2-4 months after first spawning (which is a long time for a sea hare that starts mating at ~2-3 months old):

I've seen it mentioned in a few scientific articles (the only ones I recall offhand were about Bursatella leachii), but it seems that the info may be inaccurate regardless (assuming I've correctly ID'd the species in this other thread, that is):

Sea Hares mating and eggs

I must have had some sea hare eggs on some plants for my tank because I never bought any and one day I noticed 2 sea hares in my tank. That was about 6 weeks ago and now they are mating and laying eggs everywhere! I egg survived and is the size of the older ones already. I have been...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[sfin52]

With regards to dying shortly after laying eggs, I'm beginning to wonder if that's just because the seahares are near the end of their lives anyway:

Thats for scientific studies I have read. My guess is they are easier to find at a larger size. So they enter the hobby as an old slug.

 

[Newbie 4872]

I’m eating humble pie now. . They are Sea Hare eggs. . This is why I joined this group there is some very knowledgeable members out there, me I’m new to reefing, approx 18 months. Overcoming a major tank crash last November where I lost all my fish didn’t do my confidence any favours. Water parameters were fine LFS tested as well they couldn’t give me an answer to what happened. So now it’s just CUC and Shrek at the moment. Waiting 3 months before adding any more fish. Keep up the job work guys/girls

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I’m eating humble pie now. . They are Sea Hare eggs. . This is why I joined this group there is some very knowledgeable members out there, me I’m new to reefing, approx 18 months. Overcoming a major tank crash last November where I lost all my fish didn’t do my confidence any favours. Water parameters were fine LFS tested as well they couldn’t give me an answer to what happened. So now it’s just CUC and Shrek at the moment. Waiting 3 months before adding any more fish. Keep up the job work guys/girls

No need for pie
That's what this place is for - to ask questions

 

[Newbie 4872]

No need for pie
That's what this place is for - to ask questions

Managed to get an underwater video of the eggs . Put the camera round the back of the rock and it looked like a chef had had tantrum and through spaghetti everywhere. So to get rid of the mess do I just brush it off with a toothbrush. ?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Managed to get an underwater video of the eggs . Put the camera round the back of the rock and it looked like a chef had had tantrum and through spaghetti everywhere. So to get rid of the mess do I just brush it off with a toothbrush. ?

That, I do not know.

 

[JAS927]

But sea hares don't lay eggs

That’s why the ol’ “what came first? The sea hare or the egg?” has only one answer, unlike the chicken version.