Pink and purple sea slugs (nudibranchs?)

[aholley19]

So I've been eyeballing these sea slugs at the lfs the past couple of times I've dropped in. They're 2.5 or 3 inches long and pink or purple with yellow tips on their antennae. I've been told they are nudibranchs and they eat algae and are supposedly excellent for a clean up crew member. HOWEVER, everything I've been able to find about them online says they eat sponges and only a certain kind at that and that they are pretty much impossible to feed and keep in an aquarium and starve to death after a few months. Does anybody have or had one of these guys in the past and do they eat algae or are they in fact impossible to feed? If anybody has one or has had one, how long has it lived and what does it eat?

 

[jimknutson]

I have owned these in the past and yes they can eat algae but they wont. Their natural food is sponges and sea sprites. mine lasted 2 months tops both times. also they are fragile as they get sucked tawards all your inlets.

 

[rizmaher]

Mine did not last more than a couple of months back when I first started. Now about a year later, my tank is full of the tiny yellow sponges. But they do look amazing.

 

[aholley19]

So you started growing sponges to feed them? Or am I misunderstanding? I was just wondering if there is any way to keep them alive and eating. If anyone's been able to, how hard it is, etc.

 

[KrisDeitz]

Some can be fed Algae sheets from what i read. I really want one also. I do have a bunch of sponges but not enough in a 10 gallon

 

[rizmaher]

No, the sponges grew on there own. I bet they would last longer in a well established tank.

 

[peachyreef]

lettuce nudi's arent too hard to keep, but they only eat algea.

 

[aholley19]

Hmm.....so nobody's been able to keep the pink and purple slugs alive or get them to eat seems like the general consensus? Kinda makes you wonder why the lfs store will sell them :/

 

[thanh386]

Stores sell a lot of things because it attracts customer. When i was new these little things amuse me alot. I am guilty of buying them without proper research lol.

 

[jennm]

Usually too, the more brightly coloured they are, the more toxic they can be if they are picked on.

We call creatures like that, "rental items". (Read: they don't last long).



Edit: Not *all* LFS carry "rental items".

Jenn

 

[stacy22]

Check out this article (as associated links). http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/12/inverts">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/12/inverts</a>

Thanks to Jenn for being a responsible shop-owner!

 

[thanh386]

Jenn should sell me a blue ring octopus!!!!!! Do it Jenn do it!!! Yea there are alot of responsible lfs and alot that are not so much. It's still a business so I have respect for that to not ask why or tell how to run their stores. To be honest, even to this day, even though I know it will die, seeing the beautiful slugs I am still tempted to buy them. Shame on me for have the "ooooo shiny " syndrome. Every creature is different, you might get lucky and get one or train one to eat algae.

 

[pamelahaley]

I had one for awhile and believe it ate algae. it was purple. It did disappear for a day but was found alive in the tube of the UV filter. Sometimes they like to free float to find a new spot leaving them vulnerable to getting the suck.