aiptasia and berghia nudibranch

[burtonboy182]

Would berghia nudibranch eliminate or just control aiptasia? I have a 30 frag tank with a bunch of frags that have aiptasia. Most of the frags are zoas so they are mixed into some of the polyps/colonies.
I would like to eliminate them before I put the frags into my DT.
How many would I need to add to this tank?
I would say I can see 20-30 aiptasia. I’m sure there is more that I can’t see.
Thanks

 

[dbl]

If they work for you, they will eliminate the aiptasia and then perish, unless you find someone with their own aiptasia problem to give them to. They only eat aiptasia so once it's gone, so are the nudis.

I think the recommendation is around 8-10 per 100 gallons for a "normal" outbreak. You may want to wait for someone to chime in to confirm that. You have to have enough that they can find each other to reproduce while they are trying to find the aiptasia.

In my case, I think I bought a dozen for my 120g. I had also put in two peppermint shrimp. To be completely honest, I'm not sure who gets credit, but I no longer have aiptasia.

 

[lejeune981]

I put 5 in my 90 display and 3 in my 49 fuge.. along with 8 egg swirls that they sell..
They say it takes about 3 months for the berghia population to grow big enough to help a big infestation like mine.. it's been about a month since I put mine in... I've seen a couple aptasia disappear over night.. but I can't say if they were eaten.. or moved... time will tell

 

[jasonrusso]

If they work for you, they will eliminate the aiptasia and then perish, unless you find someone with their own aiptasia problem to give them to. They only eat aiptasia so once it's gone, so are the nudis.

I think the recommendation is around 8-10 per 100 gallons for a "normal" outbreak. You may want to wait for someone to chime in to confirm that. You have to have enough that they can find each other to reproduce while they are trying to find the aiptasia.

In my case, I think I bought a dozen for my 120g. I had also put in two peppermint shrimp. To be completely honest, I'm not sure who gets credit, but I no longer have aiptasia.

The peppermint shrimp probably ate the berghia eggs. My peppermint shrimp were useless. Didn't eat aiptasia, stole food from my trachy, etc.

I had to catch my peppermint shrimp before I bought the berghia. After that, the aiptasia was gone in a month. I haven't seen any berghia since. I assume that they are eating the small ones only they can find

 

[lejeune981]

My peps were useless too...
I didn't have to catch them though.. my long nose hawk fish had a couple nice meals a couple weeks ago..

 

[burtonboy182]

If I add the nudis to the tank. Would they eliminate the aiptasia or just do population control. I’m wondering if I should just pick out the frags that have aiptasia and keep the ones that don’t.
Thanks

 

[burtonboy182]

If I add the nudis to the tank. Would they eliminate the aiptasia or just do population control. I’m wondering if I should just pick out the frags that have aiptasia and keep the ones that don’t.
Thanks

 

[burtonboy182]

If I add the nudis to the tank. Would they eliminate the aiptasia or just do population control. I’m wondering if I should just pick out the frags that have aiptasia and keep the ones that don’t.
Thanks

 

[jasonrusso]

If I add the nudis to the tank. Would they eliminate the aiptasia or just do population control. I’m wondering if I should just pick out the frags that have aiptasia and keep the ones that don’t.
Thanks

They will eventually eliminate it, as long as they don't get eaten (that was my problem in my old tank). I put 5 in my tank a month ago and I don't have 1 aiptasia. They eat the small ones first so if you can get the big ones out that will stop the larger ones from spreading.

 

[lejeune981]

I'm not sure if the ones in my tank are doing anything/ still alive..
I've got 3 sally light foot crabs in my display..
I added 5 berghia to the display and 3 along with 8 eggs swirls to my fuge (no predators)

Been about a while..and no difference in aptasia levels in either the display or fuge..

I'm now on the market for a copperband.. though I'm not having any luck finding one locally.. so I may buy more berghia of i can't find a local coperband...

The berghia site says give then 3 months to start noticing a differance... hopefully it happens... because the aptasia in my tank are getting very very bad

 

[Aqua 59]

Would berghia nudibranch eliminate or just control aiptasia? I have a 30 frag tank with a bunch of frags that have aiptasia. Most of the frags are zoas so they are mixed into some of the polyps/colonies.
I would like to eliminate them before I put the frags into my DT.
How many would I need to add to this tank?
I would say I can see 20-30 aiptasia. I’m sure there is more that I can’t see.
Thanks

For a small infestation of aiptasia, you should add two Berghia sea slugs for every 10-gallons. Their small size enables them to squeeze into tiny crevices to eat hidden aiptasias-that's all they eat. For a large infestation, add two per gallon.
Berghia sea slugs can be a bit pricey-but once fully grown, if properly cared for, they will reproduce in the home aquarium. They are completely reef-safe.

Hope this helps!

 

[lejeune981]

Little update... I'm starting to see the berghia In my tank and fuge... they are fairly large so maybe I spoke too soon... hopefully they will get the job done !!
Because it aptasia are getting pretty bad :-(

 

[jd371]

Little update... I'm starting to see the berghia In my tank and fuge... they are fairly large so maybe I spoke too soon... hopefully they will get the job done !!
Because it aptasia are getting pretty bad :-(

I had a bad infestation in my tank, 3 months ago I added 16 Berghia to my tank. In the past couple of weeks I have noticed all the Aptasia that were in the caves and crevices at the sand level and midway point up the rocks have disappeared. The only Aptasia left are the ones higher up on the rocks. Just like I was told they will eat the ones that are unseen first deep in the rocks and work their way out and up.

 

[TX_Punisher]

I added 2 as that's what I could get for my 160. They were so small I thought they were lost or just died. It did take about 3 months but one morning I woke up to this monster on the glass so I had proof they were alive.

 

[jd371]

Is all the Aptasia gone from the tank? If you're seeing one during the day it's probably looking for one because it's starving.

 

[lejeune981]

Zoom in on the rocks in the top right...and just about everywhere else too unfortunately... my berghia have their work cut out for them..
I've seen at least 5 in my fuge..and 3 in the display...all adults... originally I added 5 to the display and 3 to the fuge lol... at least I know they must be breeding

 

[databox]

I just ordered 10 off of Ebay.

Wondering if I should put them all in my DT or drop a few in the huge?

 

[dwest]

I just ordered 10 off of Ebay.

Wondering if I should put them all in my DT or drop a few in the huge?

I’d go DT

 

[dwest]

Zoom in on the rocks in the top right...and just about everywhere else too unfortunately... my berghia have their work cut out for them..
I've seen at least 5 in my fuge..and 3 in the display...all adults... originally I added 5 to the display and 3 to the fuge lol... at least I know they must be breeding

They will take care of them.

 

[User1]

I've tried Berghia years ago and they seemed to work. However, I had them with my 40 breeder and went the route of peppermint and matted file fish. I actually saw one of the peppermints dive down and take out one Aiptasia. However, I had a lot of them. I believe between the filefish and the peppermints in about a month and a half I was free. File fish I returned a couple years after since it was picking on a new frag of Xenia that I didn't get a chance to establish before it started picking at it otherwise I'd still have the fish. It is pretty cool although I don't think it is zoa friendly. I had some larger green button type polyps that it left alone.

 

[lejeune981]

They will take care of them.

I sure hope so.. I've got a file fish now too.. but still aptasia everywhere.. I'm starting to kalk blast the dang things too..

I watch the berghia at night... it almost seems like they are scared of the aptasia or something.
They wonder around.. get stung or almost eaten by the aptasia.. and then just keep on wondering around... maybe they only eat the tiny ones ?
File fish always has a sore I'm it's mouth.. like it's biting aptasia and getting stung.. but I have yet to see either eat one