{"product_id":"lettuce-sea-slug-elysia-spp","title":"Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia spp.)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia spp.), also sold as the lettuce nudibranch, is a peaceful, reef safe grazer named for the ruffled, leaf-like folds along its body that really do look like green lettuce. Collected from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, it is a fantastic natural algae control option, especially for tanks battling hair algae and bryopsis. It is also one of the few sea slugs well suited to reef life, since it grazes a range of green algae rather than one fussy species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy we love it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHard working, natural grazer that targets nuisance green algae including hair algae and bryopsis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeaceful and completely reef safe, it will not bother corals or other livestock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenuinely fun to watch, with a ruffled lettuce look and a surprising amount of movement\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolar powered, it stores chloroplasts from the algae it eats and photosynthesizes, a trick called kleptoplasty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSuggested parameters\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTemperature: 24 to 26°C (75 to 79°F)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSalinity: 1.024 to 1.026 SG\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003epH: 8.1 to 8.4\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlkalinity: 8 to 10 dKH\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNitrate: keep low and stable, these slugs are sensitive to high nitrate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNever expose them to copper based medications\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCare and placement\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDifficulty: Easy to moderate, the main requirement is a steady food supply\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBest in an established tank with live rock and a healthy growth of green algae to graze\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLighting and flow: any reef lighting is fine, with low to moderate flow suiting it best\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScreen powerheads and overflows, since slugs can be drawn into uncovered intakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLettuce sea slugs feed by piercing algae cells and sucking out the contents, working slowly across rock and glass. They do best when there is enough algae in the system to sustain them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrazes green hair algae, bryopsis, and other soft green algae such as Halimeda and Penicillus\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo supplemental feeding is needed if the tank has a good algae supply\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn a very clean tank, target it onto algae patches or run a refugium to keep it fed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf algae runs out it can slowly starve, so plan for a steady food source\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCompatibility and tankmates\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeaceful and reef safe with corals, inverts, and most fish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid keeping it with fish or inverts that pick at slugs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultiple slugs can be kept together and will often reproduce in a stable tank\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHealth and acclimation notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrip acclimate slowly, since sea slugs are sensitive to swings in salinity and to poor water quality. They will not tolerate copper, so never use copper based treatments in a tank that houses them. Note that despite the nudibranch nickname, this is technically a sacoglossan sea slug, not a true nudibranch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you are buying\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou will receive: 1 Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia spp.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize, colour, and exact species (commonly Elysia crispata or Elysia clarki) can vary between individuals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Little Shop of Coral","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53605983977745,"sku":null,"price":40.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/5196\/6737\/files\/LettuceSeaSlug.png?v=1780015336","url":"https:\/\/littleshopofcoral.ca\/products\/lettuce-sea-slug-elysia-spp","provider":"Little Shop of Coral","version":"1.0","type":"link"}