nudibranch

[jjlove]

okay, i think im going with a nudibrach to try and help my flatworm problem. did i hear that the nudibraches are very very toxic to the tank if they were to die? or am i thinking of something else? also, are they totally reef safe?

[pagojoe]

You probably did hear that, because the myth gets repeated so often. There actually are some nudibranchs that are bad boys, but they very rarely show up in reef tanks. They are phyllidiids, and usually look like a rubbery slug with bumps on it, often black with blue or yellow or green or pink bumps. They don't have the exposed feathery gills like the dorids, and they don't have the cerata typical of aeolids (which include the "Berghia" nudibranchs and the infamous zoanthid-eating nudibranchs). All that said, the "Velvet Nudibranchs" that eat flatworms aren't really nudibranchs. They belong to the Cephalaspidea, or Head Shield Slugs. Like most other slugs, they won't nuke your tank if they die. As far as I know they only eat flatworms, so I'd reckon they are completely reef safe.

Cheers,



Don

[lenny8671]

jj love, you might want to check this site out, loads of stuff on nudibranches

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=8838

[anjiro]

It is true that they need flat worms to supplement their diet, but it is not what their diet consists of totally, from what I know they are omnivores and will eat a slight bit of algae and meaty things that fall within their grasp in the tank

[jjlove]

awesome!! thanks for everyones help. im off to aqua tech.

[jjlove]

lenny the link didnt work.

[greenbean36191]

It is true that they need flat worms to supplement their diet, but it is not what their diet consists of totally, from what I know they are omnivores and will eat a slight bit of algae and meaty things that fall within their grasp in the tank

Starving slugs will eat odd things, but that's not evidence that they make up a normal part of their diet. For example, we know from feeding observations and morphological analysis that all nudibranchs are carnivores, yet we know of a few cases in captivity where they've munched on algae. That doesn't mean that algae actually makes up any part of their diet though or change the fact that their digestive anatomy isn't suited to omnivory.

Likewise, we know that all members of the genus Chelidonura feed exclusively on flatworms in the wild. Trying to make up the bulk of their diet with anything else (especially algae), even with flatworms included just doesn't work.

[Tylt33]

I had a flatworm problem, considered a nudi as the answer, read all the archived threads, and decided Flatworm Exit was the way to go. Just my two cents.

[lenny8671]

Sorry should have checked it....try this

http://www.seaslugforum.net/

[Whys]

Originally posted by pagojoe
"Velvet Nudibranchs" that eat flatworms aren't really nudibranchs. They belong to the Cephalaspidea, or Head Shield Slugs.

Why does that kinda figure? Lets see, strombus grazers are not true strombus, flame scallops are not true scallops, velvet nudibranchs are not true nudibranchs, and I thought I read somewhere that emerald crabs are not true crabs. Sheessh....

[pagojoe]

Originally posted by Whys
Why does that kinda figure? Lets see, strombus grazers are not true strombus, flame scallops are not true scallops, velvet nudibranchs are not true nudibranchs, and I thought I read somewhere that emerald crabs are not true crabs. Sheessh....

HA, well, it's because of several reasons, the most common being that lots of the animals don't have common names, so the people selling them just make up something (and some of their names are real doozies). It doesn't matter if the animal belongs in the Nudibranchia...a "Velvet Nudibranch" is probably more likely to sell than a "Blue-lined Black Head Shield Slug," and most of the buyers won't know the difference. Notice that my invented name doesn't sound nearly as sexy or appealing? Sometimes it's just ignorance, sometimes it appears to be intentional. "Strombus grazer" sounds like something known to be safe in the hobby, a Strombus, or conch, so they must be great, right? And if they GRAZE, then hey, everybody must need some, huh... In case you don't realize it, the "common names" of many of the animals are only common to the aquarium crowd, which is why the experts may seem dumbfounded when asked questions about the animals by using the aquarists' common names (and I'm talking about the true experts on the families or genera, not the commercial sellers' experts). Some of the animals actually have published common names, but the aquarists tend to use the names they see on the commercial sites instead. I guess it boils down the the fact that lots of people would rather avoid using the latin names, so a stupid or incorrect name is probably better than nothing I'm slowly but surely figuring out what you guys are talking about when you use "common names"

Cheers,



Don

[Whys]

That actually explains a lot. Thank you Pago. Now I know.

[loosecannon]

Chelidonura varians , ( blue striped nudibranch ) aka. Headshield slug ! predator on flatworms, it can`t get them all an so it slowly dies.

[ROLLINS240Z]

Flatworm Exit by Salifert works great and did not harm any of my corals or my fish. Just make sure to read the directions and treat the tank more than once, about a week or two apart.