who has used Berghia Nudibranchs for eating aptasias?

murphreef · 12/26/2006, 01:42 AM

just wondering if any one has had experience with these lil critters in trying to rid your tank of aptasias??

i have a 180G tank and the aptasias continue to spread along the rock work.... nothing too bad as of yet but its getting there.... i have lots of corals from sps to lps to softies and clams.... they are mainly bugging me zoanthids now cuz they are growing within some colonies and causing them to close....

anyways i tried peppermint shrimps but either my fuzzy dwarf lionfish or my pink tailed trigger ate them.... so needless to say they were not effective...

it would be easier to buy these nudibranchs and see if they work than trying other methods.... ive tried kalk paste and its about a 10% effective rate cuz they always seem to pop up a few weeks later right next to the hardened kalk paste on the rock....

i would say my aptasia problem is moderate right now so im lookin at getting about 12-15 nudis.....at $15 a pop these things are pricey so i wanna make sure im doing the right thing first??

any insight would be helpful and appreciated!

thanks!

DrBDC · 12/26/2006, 09:10 AM

IMO you need to get your turnover rate as low as possible while they're working. At the time I only had about 25X turnover and I think it was still too much for them. If you have any wrasse's, gobies, or dragonettes they might find they make a good lunch.

coolie · 12/26/2006, 11:22 AM

I used them in my 90. I bought 8 of them and all aptasia were gone in a month. Also, I use 2 tunze 6000's on a controller so my flow is descent. When you add them to the tank, make sure you drop them in a hole in the rockwork so they have time to grab on and not be harrassed by any fish.

grallster · 12/26/2006, 12:08 PM

IMO it's cheaper to buy a couple and raise more to release into your tank. They are easy to raise if you have a steady food source. I bought 3 and ended up releasing around 35 of them into my 75 gal. with a fairly heavy infestation. Unfortunatley, they all die after the aiptasia is gone.

Rays · 12/26/2006, 02:11 PM

I'm gonna get 3 for my 55, according to http://www.saltyunderground.com/
they breed pretty regularly.

grallster · 12/26/2006, 02:17 PM

You have to breed them in a separate container with no water flow or their eggs won't have a chance. Not to mention, they are so small and only 3 in 55 gals--the chances of them running into each other is slim.

duec22 · 12/26/2006, 02:49 PM

I recently saw them on http://reefready.net/rr2/ , but when I looked today it looks like they are on a waiting list right now.

DrBDC · 12/26/2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rays
I'm gonna get 3 for my 55, according to http://www.saltyunderground.com/
they breed pretty regularly.

for salty

coolie · 12/26/2006, 04:59 PM

Saltyunderground is where I purchased mine.

DarkXerox · 12/26/2006, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by duec22
I recently saw them on http://reefready.net/rr2/ , but when I looked today it looks like they are on a waiting list right now.

Yeah ReefReady has them but you might have to wait a little. They're going to be ready in batches (due to how many of these hatch at a time) so just cause you aren't 1st in line, doesn't mean that you wont get any for sure.

murphreef · 12/26/2006, 08:16 PM

thanks for the input everyone...

well i ordered 8 from saltycritters today they are supposed to be here friday morning ....

man those things are pricey cost me $153 with shipping i hope these things do there job!

ill let u know.... im guna throw my serpent in the sump and im guna add them after my yellow coris wrasse goes to bed and ill turn the flow off when i put them in at first

any other comments or suggestions??

12/26/2006, 01:42 AM	#1
murphreef Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: simi valley Posts: 3,208	who has used Berghia Nudibranchs for eating aptasias? just wondering if any one has had experience with these lil critters in trying to rid your tank of aptasias?? i have a 180G tank and the aptasias continue to spread along the rock work.... nothing too bad as of yet but its getting there.... i have lots of corals from sps to lps to softies and clams.... they are mainly bugging me zoanthids now cuz they are growing within some colonies and causing them to close.... anyways i tried peppermint shrimps but either my fuzzy dwarf lionfish or my pink tailed trigger ate them.... so needless to say they were not effective... it would be easier to buy these nudibranchs and see if they work than trying other methods.... ive tried kalk paste and its about a 10% effective rate cuz they always seem to pop up a few weeks later right next to the hardened kalk paste on the rock.... i would say my aptasia problem is moderate right now so im lookin at getting about 12-15 nudis.....at $15 a pop these things are pricey so i wanna make sure im doing the right thing first?? any insight would be helpful and appreciated! thanks! __________________ Justin Current Tank Info: 25G cube (finally back in the hobby in a small way)

12/26/2006, 09:10 AM	#2
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,358	IMO you need to get your turnover rate as low as possible while they're working. At the time I only had about 25X turnover and I think it was still too much for them. If you have any wrasse's, gobies, or dragonettes they might find they make a good lunch. __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

12/26/2006, 02:11 PM	#5
Rays Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Mansfield, Ma Posts: 948	I'm gonna get 3 for my 55, according to http://www.saltyunderground.com/ they breed pretty regularly. __________________ What! I need this too? Current Tank Info: 90 seahorse, 60 hex seahorse, 55 reef

12/26/2006, 02:49 PM	#7
duec22 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Sacramento Posts: 2,187	I recently saw them on http://reefready.net/rr2/ , but when I looked today it looks like they are on a waiting list right now. __________________ -David

12/26/2006, 08:16 PM	#11
murphreef Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: simi valley Posts: 3,208	thanks for the input everyone... well i ordered 8 from saltycritters today they are supposed to be here friday morning .... man those things are pricey cost me $153 with shipping i hope these things do there job! ill let u know.... im guna throw my serpent in the sump and im guna add them after my yellow coris wrasse goes to bed and ill turn the flow off when i put them in at first any other comments or suggestions?? __________________ Justin Current Tank Info: 25G cube (finally back in the hobby in a small way)

12/26/2006, 11:22 AM	#3
coolie Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 309	I used them in my 90. I bought 8 of them and all aptasia were gone in a month. Also, I use 2 tunze 6000's on a controller so my flow is descent. When you add them to the tank, make sure you drop them in a hole in the rockwork so they have time to grab on and not be harrassed by any fish.

12/26/2006, 12:08 PM	#4
grallster Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 541	IMO it's cheaper to buy a couple and raise more to release into your tank. They are easy to raise if you have a steady food source. I bought 3 and ended up releasing around 35 of them into my 75 gal. with a fairly heavy infestation. Unfortunatley, they all die after the aiptasia is gone.

12/26/2006, 02:17 PM	#6
grallster Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 541	You have to breed them in a separate container with no water flow or their eggs won't have a chance. Not to mention, they are so small and only 3 in 55 gals--the chances of them running into each other is slim.

12/26/2006, 04:59 PM	#9
coolie Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 309	Saltyunderground is where I purchased mine.