nudibranch diet??

guy145 · 12/26/2009, 03:50 PM

hi everyone i just bought a beautiful blue spot nudibranch and was wondering what there diet is i know they eat alge but is alge sheets possible? i have agle on the glass of my tank after like 3 days witout cleaning will he have enough food or should i consider buying agle strips to put on the glass so he can feast any other opinoins will be well appreciated thanks

MrRyanT · 12/26/2009, 05:34 PM

Not sure which species of nudibranch that is. Do you know the scientific name? I doubt that it would get any of the algae sheets before your fish ate it, assuming you have fish.

bunzaroo · 12/26/2009, 06:14 PM

Can you post a pic?

bertoni · 12/26/2009, 06:52 PM

True nudibranchs are all predatory and tend to have very specific diets. If your animal is a nudibranch, it'll likely die fairly soon now.

Grandreef 2 · 12/26/2009, 07:10 PM

A lot of nudibranches eat flatworms if I remember correctly.

nikon187 · 12/26/2009, 07:12 PM

yes, all nudis have different and very specific diets, most are predatory. algae will not suffice

guy145 · 12/26/2009, 09:22 PM

im sorry but i cant upload photos..ill give you a brief discription its basicly a blue blob with black spots it has a pointy head wit these 2 little horns and on its back persay it has 4/~5 humps it almost alien like..i cant seem to find pics of it any where online to find oug the exact name of it

but my lfs said it will eat plenty of alge and he has a nudi of his own just like it for almost a year i dong get how BERTONI says its gunna die when i just got it today and yes i have a 6 line wrasse and a pair of black ocr clowns.. but agle strips wont help??? any thing else they eat??

nikon187 · 12/26/2009, 09:47 PM

Without knowing the specific species we can't say as to what it will eat.. 95% die from starvation in our hobby so that is probably why he made the comment. As already said there are many different types of nudibranchs and each have their own specialised diet.

insane · 12/26/2009, 10:22 PM

Look through the photos on these websites and see if you can spot your nudi so we can put a name to it.

http://www.nudibranch.com.au/colour_greyblackbrown.htm

http://www.nudibranch.com.au/colour_greenblueviolet.htm

http://www.nudibranchi.it/photo_data...ndopacific.htm

http://www.nudibranchi.it/Photo_data...iterranean.htm

http://www.nudibranchi.it/Photo_database_red_sea.htm

http://www.diveoz.com.au/nudibranchs...ry/default.asp

http://www.divegallery.com/morebran.htm

http://www.sergeyphoto.com/underwater/nudibranchs.html

scolley · 12/26/2009, 10:33 PM

insane - I only want to point out that you went to a lot of trouble to help a newbie (the OP) identify something that many would argue should have never been purchased in first place.

All those issues aside... thank you. Support like this makes our community strong. Karma points coming your way...

lordofthereef · 12/26/2009, 11:08 PM

Bertoni said that it will probably die simply because that is the nudi track record, especially for those people who don't even know what they bought. Even the varieties that eat algae eventually starve since they eat practically 24/7 and a LOT. The only really successful nudis I have seen are those where people know exactly what they eat (generally the algae or faltworm variety) and when the tank becomes very devoid of its food source reefers usually trade to someone in need. I doubt Bertoni or anyone wanted to say anything in a rude or upsetting way. The way I look at it is that he simply didn't sugar coat it. I will also add that plenty of LFS owners will say anything and everything to get the customer hyped on a sale. I am also no expert on nudis, but I do know at least some varieties exude a toxin on death that can wipe out tanks hundreds of gallons in size. Not sure if this is a characteristic of them all, but just something you may want to consider.

guy145 · 12/27/2009, 07:39 AM

well i have yet to see it in any of those photos but thanks for all the help i dont know if im goin to keep my nudi since it will die eventully and if that is true that when is dies it releases toxins that will kill live stock then i will consider returning it but i only paid 15 $ for its cause my buddy whos owns the store owed me but thanks again for all the opinions and if i return it ill just get a fish of coral hey what about sea urchins is that suttin i can buy in replace???

lordofthereef · 12/27/2009, 08:23 AM

I know urchins are notorious for bulldozing everything and anything as they move. They also have a tendency to smother corals as they move along to their next meal. Plenty of people have kept them successfully though.

guy145 · 12/27/2009, 08:48 AM

hey sounds good im just lookin for something new and exciting but i really love this nudi branch if anyone has some real long experience with these wonderful creatures lemme know what you did to keep them alive cause i might get rid of it but if theres a good way to keep it fed in my 55 gal that will be awesome please post your comments and ideas thanks alot

Wrench · 12/27/2009, 09:14 AM

All nudis are very specialized feeders. Some only eat a particular algae. Others only eat flatworms. Some feed on specific coral species'. Nudis are NOT hard to keep, they are hard to feed. Once they run out of their natural food source they will not eat anything else so they starve. If you happened to buy one that eats flatworms then once the flatworms are gone it will die.

guy145 · 12/27/2009, 10:01 AM

so if i have regular brown hair alge on the glass and he eats it i can keep growing alge on the glass and he can just keep eatin it i guess i jjst hope he does die im not sure if hes the kind where if he dies the toxins will kill my live stock but the main point is if he eats the glass alge can he live off that if theres enough and the agle keeps comin back? whats ur opinion should i get rid of him and trade for suttin else?

Wrench · 12/27/2009, 10:13 AM

First, identify the species.

Second, verify it's dietary needs and do what you can to supply it.

Third, please learn to use punctuation.

Elysia · 12/27/2009, 01:34 PM

First -- there are ABSOLUTELY no Nudibranchs that eat algae.

As it is, we have no idea what sort of animal you have. We don't know for sure if it is a snail or a sea slug. There are whole groups of snails that are mistaken for sea slugs quite often.

Like snails, there are all sorts of sea slugs and, like snails, some are carnivores, some omnivores, and other herbivores. And just like there are univalve and bivalve snails, there are different kinds of sea slugs. One kind/group of sea slugs is the nudibranch, and this group is, by definition, carnivorous. Thus, all nudibranch are sea slugs, and all nudibranch are carnivores. If your animal is a sea slug and is, in deed, a nudibranch, it will not eat algae.

There are groups of sea slugs that do eat algae, including the sea hares. I know of no sea hare that is blue with black dots, although there is a species that can be blackish with blue dots.

How is it that your LFS has kept these animals alive if they do not know what they are?

A dead sea slug is going to foul your tank to the degree that any rotting animal would.

12/26/2009, 03:50 PM	#1
guy145 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chicopee Posts: 62	nudibranch diet?? hi everyone i just bought a beautiful blue spot nudibranch and was wondering what there diet is i know they eat alge but is alge sheets possible? i have agle on the glass of my tank after like 3 days witout cleaning will he have enough food or should i consider buying agle strips to put on the glass so he can feast any other opinoins will be well appreciated thanks

12/26/2009, 05:34 PM	#2
MrRyanT MrRyanT Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 1,731	Not sure which species of nudibranch that is. Do you know the scientific name? I doubt that it would get any of the algae sheets before your fish ate it, assuming you have fish. __________________ We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle Current Tank Info: 30 gal display

12/26/2009, 06:52 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	True nudibranchs are all predatory and tend to have very specific diets. If your animal is a nudibranch, it'll likely die fairly soon now. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/26/2009, 07:12 PM	#6
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	yes, all nudis have different and very specific diets, most are predatory. algae will not suffice __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

12/26/2009, 09:47 PM	#8
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	Without knowing the specific species we can't say as to what it will eat.. 95% die from starvation in our hobby so that is probably why he made the comment. As already said there are many different types of nudibranchs and each have their own specialised diet. __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

12/26/2009, 06:14 PM	#3
bunzaroo Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Miami,FL Posts: 617	Can you post a pic?

12/26/2009, 07:10 PM	#5
Grandreef 2 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: burlington, vermont Posts: 376	A lot of nudibranches eat flatworms if I remember correctly.

12/26/2009, 09:22 PM	#7
guy145 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chicopee Posts: 62	im sorry but i cant upload photos..ill give you a brief discription its basicly a blue blob with black spots it has a pointy head wit these 2 little horns and on its back persay it has 4/~5 humps it almost alien like..i cant seem to find pics of it any where online to find oug the exact name of it but my lfs said it will eat plenty of alge and he has a nudi of his own just like it for almost a year i dong get how BERTONI says its gunna die when i just got it today and yes i have a 6 line wrasse and a pair of black ocr clowns.. but agle strips wont help??? any thing else they eat??

12/26/2009, 10:22 PM	#9
insane Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: under your bed Posts: 771 Blog Entries: 7	Look through the photos on these websites and see if you can spot your nudi so we can put a name to it. http://www.nudibranch.com.au/colour_greyblackbrown.htm http://www.nudibranch.com.au/colour_greenblueviolet.htm http://www.nudibranchi.it/photo_data...ndopacific.htm http://www.nudibranchi.it/Photo_data...iterranean.htm http://www.nudibranchi.it/Photo_database_red_sea.htm http://www.diveoz.com.au/nudibranchs...ry/default.asp http://www.divegallery.com/morebran.htm http://www.sergeyphoto.com/underwater/nudibranchs.html

12/26/2009, 10:33 PM	#10
scolley ARKSC Founding Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: CT Posts: 2,823	insane - I only want to point out that you went to a lot of trouble to help a newbie (the OP) identify something that many would argue should have never been purchased in first place. All those issues aside... thank you. Support like this makes our community strong. Karma points coming your way... __________________ - Steve Longing for "fact based" reef keeping - with hearsay, non sequiturs, dogma and other types of bad “information” removed from our discussions.

12/26/2009, 11:08 PM	#11
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Bertoni said that it will probably die simply because that is the nudi track record, especially for those people who don't even know what they bought. Even the varieties that eat algae eventually starve since they eat practically 24/7 and a LOT. The only really successful nudis I have seen are those where people know exactly what they eat (generally the algae or faltworm variety) and when the tank becomes very devoid of its food source reefers usually trade to someone in need. I doubt Bertoni or anyone wanted to say anything in a rude or upsetting way. The way I look at it is that he simply didn't sugar coat it. I will also add that plenty of LFS owners will say anything and everything to get the customer hyped on a sale. I am also no expert on nudis, but I do know at least some varieties exude a toxin on death that can wipe out tanks hundreds of gallons in size. Not sure if this is a characteristic of them all, but just something you may want to consider. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

12/27/2009, 07:39 AM	#12
guy145 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chicopee Posts: 62	well i have yet to see it in any of those photos but thanks for all the help i dont know if im goin to keep my nudi since it will die eventully and if that is true that when is dies it releases toxins that will kill live stock then i will consider returning it but i only paid 15 $ for its cause my buddy whos owns the store owed me but thanks again for all the opinions and if i return it ill just get a fish of coral hey what about sea urchins is that suttin i can buy in replace???

12/27/2009, 08:23 AM	#13
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	I know urchins are notorious for bulldozing everything and anything as they move. They also have a tendency to smother corals as they move along to their next meal. Plenty of people have kept them successfully though. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

12/27/2009, 08:48 AM	#14
guy145 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chicopee Posts: 62	hey sounds good im just lookin for something new and exciting but i really love this nudi branch if anyone has some real long experience with these wonderful creatures lemme know what you did to keep them alive cause i might get rid of it but if theres a good way to keep it fed in my 55 gal that will be awesome please post your comments and ideas thanks alot

12/27/2009, 09:14 AM	#15
Wrench Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,004	All nudis are very specialized feeders. Some only eat a particular algae. Others only eat flatworms. Some feed on specific coral species'. Nudis are NOT hard to keep, they are hard to feed. Once they run out of their natural food source they will not eat anything else so they starve. If you happened to buy one that eats flatworms then once the flatworms are gone it will die.

12/27/2009, 10:01 AM	#16
guy145 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: chicopee Posts: 62	so if i have regular brown hair alge on the glass and he eats it i can keep growing alge on the glass and he can just keep eatin it i guess i jjst hope he does die im not sure if hes the kind where if he dies the toxins will kill my live stock but the main point is if he eats the glass alge can he live off that if theres enough and the agle keeps comin back? whats ur opinion should i get rid of him and trade for suttin else?

12/27/2009, 10:13 AM	#17
Wrench Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,004	First, identify the species. Second, verify it's dietary needs and do what you can to supply it. Third, please learn to use punctuation.

12/27/2009, 01:34 PM	#18
Elysia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,718	First -- there are ABSOLUTELY no Nudibranchs that eat algae. As it is, we have no idea what sort of animal you have. We don't know for sure if it is a snail or a sea slug. There are whole groups of snails that are mistaken for sea slugs quite often. Like snails, there are all sorts of sea slugs and, like snails, some are carnivores, some omnivores, and other herbivores. And just like there are univalve and bivalve snails, there are different kinds of sea slugs. One kind/group of sea slugs is the nudibranch, and this group is, by definition, carnivorous. Thus, all nudibranch are sea slugs, and all nudibranch are carnivores. If your animal is a sea slug and is, in deed, a nudibranch, it will not eat algae. There are groups of sea slugs that do eat algae, including the sea hares. I know of no sea hare that is blue with black dots, although there is a species that can be blackish with blue dots. How is it that your LFS has kept these animals alive if they do not know what they are? A dead sea slug is going to foul your tank to the degree that any rotting animal would.