Berghia nudibranch breeding

[maleks.reef]

I need some advice from those who have successfully bred berghias.

This is the set up that I have:
3 gal tank for berghia w/ heater & air stone
1 gal bowl for the aiptasia w/ heater (Do i need an air stone?)

Aiptasia will be fed and cut frequently to promote growth and multiplication. Once the aiptasia are plenty, I will buy 3 nudis to start the berghia colony.

Anything else to keep in mind? Anything to avoid? Anything you've learned from trial and error?

Thank you all :))!

 

[ying yang]

Easy Berghia Nudibranch Propagation

Applied Sustainable Aquaculture Inc., The Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut. Justin discusses his methods for propagating this interesting nudibrach.

reefs.com

Just found this

 

[ying yang]

Berghia Nudi Breeding

I am trying to breed some berghia nudi's for my aiptasia problem. I have built a dedicated system and have 3 adult berghia. I have read the book by Dene Banger however i am struggling to get the eggs to develop. On average i am getting 1 egg mass per day, however when inspecting the egg masses...

www.reef2reef.com

@Sabellafella still active and gives someone advice in this thread.good luck

 

[Chrisv.]

I need some advice from those who have successfully bred berghias.

This is the set up that I have:
3 gal tank for berghia w/ heater & air stone
1 gal bowl for the aiptasia w/ heater (Do i need an air stone?)

Aiptasia will be fed and cut frequently to promote growth and multiplication. Once the aiptasia are plenty, I will buy 3 nudis to start the berghia colony.

Anything else to keep in mind? Anything to avoid? Anything you've learned from trial and error?

Thank you all :))!

My experience with this is that you will need WAY WAY WAY more aiptasia than you think you will need. Getting berghia to breed is easy when they are well fed but they eat a ton. If you really want to do this right, get a 10 gallon tank and grow aiptasia for 6 months until you hate the sight of it. Then you will have enough to sustain a colony.

Burghia eggs will be eaten by amphipods, for sure. So your brood stock tank should be 100% devoid of amphipods. Your aiptasia grow out will need heat and an air pump at a minimum, but since it's going to be a little bigger than you thought, maybe a hang on back filter. Have them growing on something that's easy to remove and will not end up with sneaky amphipods on them. Live rock rubble will not be suitable because of amphipods. Did I mention amphipods. Amphipods. They are the worst.

Eggs are hard to see if they are not on a very contrasting surface. I used calcium reactor media as a substrate for mine which they loved to hide in, but man, I could never see the eggs.

The burghia brood stock tank doesn't have to be big. It does have to be heated. It does need an air pump. I preferred an air pump with no air stone and with a valve to control output.

This is fun if you grow a whole ton of aiptasia on the front end. But my experience was not fun. I ended up at fish stores every weekend begging for aiptasia. Different stores every weekend. It was...as they say... a bit much.

I have eradicated my aiptasia, I think.

 

[maleks.reef]

My experience with this is that you will need WAY WAY WAY more aiptasia than you think you will need. Getting berghia to breed is easy when they are well fed but they eat a ton. If you really want to do this right, get a 10 gallon tank and grow aiptasia for 6 months until you hate the sight of it. Then you will have enough to sustain a colony.

Burghia eggs will be eaten by amphipods, for sure. So your brood stock tank should be 100% devoid of amphipods. Your aiptasia grow out will need heat and an air pump at a minimum, but since it's going to be a little bigger than you thought, maybe a hang on back filter. Have them growing on something that's easy to remove and will not end up with sneaky amphipods on them. Live rock rubble will not be suitable because of amphipods. Did I mention amphipods. Amphipods. They are the worst.

Eggs are hard to see if they are not on a very contrasting surface. I used calcium reactor media as a substrate for mine which they loved to hide in, but man, I could never see the eggs.

The burghia brood stock tank doesn't have to be big. It does have to be heated. It does need an air pump. I preferred an air pump with no air stone and with a valve to control output.

This is fun if you grow a whole ton of aiptasia on the front end. But my experience was not fun. I ended up at fish stores every weekend begging for aiptasia. Different stores every weekend. It was...as they say... a bit much.

I have eradicated my aiptasia, I think.

Wow. Do they really need that much aiptasia! Also, why did you have a hard time keeping the aiptasia in stock to feed the nudis?

Regarding the grow out, i could potentially get like a wide shallow plastic tray and just use that, would be easier. Also why the HOB for the aiptasia? Ive seen an aiptasia that survived for a month outside the tank in a small body of water with nothing but 3 hours of light, yes a whole month lol. I am truly convinced these guys are indestructible.

For the aiptasia grow out, i might use either gravel or possible carbon so that I can easily remove them.

 

[Chrisv.]

Wow. Do they really need that much aiptasia! Also, why did you have a hard time keeping the aiptasia in stock to feed the nudis?

Regarding the grow out, i could potentially get like a wide shallow plastic tray and just use that, would be easier. Also why the HOB for the aiptasia? Ive seen an aiptasia that survived for a month outside the tank in a small body of water with nothing but 3 hours of light, yes a whole month lol. I am truly convinced these guys are indestructible.

For the aiptasia grow out, i might use either gravel or possible carbon so that I can easily remove them.

My group of 6-8 breeders was eating on a quarter size aiptasia every other day. I was putting in a half a dozen a week and they would be gone by day 5. When they get going, they really get going.

You can get aiptasia to grow in crappy conditions, but if you really want them to reproduce, they will benefit from at least marginally decent care. I'm not saying you have to wait a year before adding a sea anemone (lol) but do think you will get the best results if you put a little extra effort into it.

I like the carbon grow out idea. Good way to get a clean, non amphipod contaminated aiptasia culture going. Way better than just scraping them from an overflow.

 

[maleks.reef]

My group of 6-8 breeders was eating on a quarter size aiptasia every other day. I was putting in a half a dozen a week and they would be gone by day 5. When they get going, they really get going.

You can get aiptasia to grow in crappy conditions, but if you really want them to reproduce, they will benefit from at least marginally decent care. I'm not saying you have to wait a year before adding a sea anemone (lol) but do think you will get the best results if you put a little extra effort into it.

I like the carbon grow out idea. Good way to get a clean, non amphipod contaminated aiptasia culture going. Way better than just scraping them from an overflow.

Alright sounds good!

What if I use the bowl for the nudis and the 3 gal tank for the aiptasia? Nudis dont really need much space.

 

[maleks.reef]

@Sabellafella I know you are an expert on this topic. Mind sharing some tips or things you've learned over the years? Thank you :)!​

 

[Chrisv.]

Alright sounds good!

What if I use the bowl for the nudis and the 3 gal tank for the aiptasia? Nudis dont really need much space.

The issue with the bowl for the nudis is that the evaporation will be super high in such. A small container with such a large surface area. I kept mine in a container from target for storing cereal. Worked perfectly.

 

[maleks.reef]

The issue with the bowl for the nudis is that the evaporation will be super high in such. A small container with such a large surface area. I kept mine in a container from target for storing cereal. Worked perfectly.

Good point. I think i will go with the 3 gal hooded tank for the nudis and a plastic tray that hold about a gallon for the aiptasia.

 

[Chrisv.]

Good point. I think i will go with the 3 gal hooded tank for the nudis and a plastic tray that hold about a gallon for the aiptasia.

Whatever you do, make sure you kick anemone production info high gear BEFORE you get the nudibranchs. The whole reason we keep burghia is that they eat aiptasia faster than aiptasia can reproduce.

It will be a critical mistake to think you can get them both at the same time, ot to think that you have 15 anemones and three nudibranchs and therefore are good to go. My experience has been that you should test your aiptasia culture methods well before the burghia arrive.

Keep in mind that if you want to breed these things, you will go from having three mouths to feed to having 100 mouths to feed in the first two months.

The only way they won't starve in the first generation is if you have a way to feed them. I know this all sounds a bit nuts, but growing aiptasia really is the rate limiting step.

 

[Tannermule]

I've been doing this now for about 18 months. Not an expert either. I have a 75 gallon brute container full tank tear down rock with aiptasia in it. Before that I started with just 5 gallon tank of aiptasia. It wasn't enough. I suggest you get friendly with an lfs and post on your local pages that you are looking for aiptasia. I have 3 lfs that provide me aiptasia every month almost. And they have ran our before. I take egg crate, rubble rock and even frags. I put the frags in to my grow out and 48hrs later they are clean.

My set up
3 long shoe storage containers (each 7g and one for each size)
Activated carbon as substrate
Heater
Air stone
Large flat frag plates (helps induce egg laying and place to breed)
Shop light on a timer

Maintenance
Daily top off
Daily aiptasia harvest (grab from the brute container walls, cut egg crate, or cut the aiptasia right off the rock)
Weekly water changes on all systems
Target Feed aiptasia tank

 

[Chrisv.]

This whole thing really is quite the endeavor. If you REALLY want to breed them to sell it may be worth it, but if you're just hoping to expand for your own tanks, I strongly suggest that you just buy what you need and don't look back. It's a real PITA.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I need some advice from those who have successfully bred berghias.

This is the set up that I have:
3 gal tank for berghia w/ heater & air stone
1 gal bowl for the aiptasia w/ heater (Do i need an air stone?)

Aiptasia will be fed and cut frequently to promote growth and multiplication. Once the aiptasia are plenty, I will buy 3 nudis to start the berghia colony.

Anything else to keep in mind? Anything to avoid? Anything you've learned from trial and error?

Thank you all :))!

airstone would help. Have lots of rock in aiptasia tank but don't stack them. bigger aiptasia tank maybe

 

[maleks.reef]

Whatever you do, make sure you kick anemone production info high gear BEFORE you get the nudibranchs. The whole reason we keep burghia is that they eat aiptasia faster than aiptasia can reproduce.

It will be a critical mistake to think you can get them both at the same time, ot to think that you have 15 anemones and three nudibranchs and therefore are good to go. My experience has been that you should test your aiptasia culture methods well before the burghia arrive.

Keep in mind that if you want to breed these things, you will go from having three mouths to feed to having 100 mouths to feed in the first two months.

The only way they won't starve in the first generation is if you have a way to feed them. I know this all sounds a bit nuts, but growing aiptasia really is the rate limiting step.

I was thinking about this food issue yesterday. I think the best thing to do is to only have 15-20 adult berghias in my grow out tank at all times. The rest will either be sold/traded/used for my own aiptasia issue. I know that I wont be always be able to keep them at 15 to 20, especially after a harvest, but the babies eat less anyway.

I plan to grow a healthy big forest of aiptasia before getting the nudis.

 

[maleks.reef]

I've been doing this now for about 18 months. Not an expert either. I have a 75 gallon brute container full tank tear down rock with aiptasia in it. Before that I started with just 5 gallon tank of aiptasia. It wasn't enough. I suggest you get friendly with an lfs and post on your local pages that you are looking for aiptasia. I have 3 lfs that provide me aiptasia every month almost. And they have ran our before. I take egg crate, rubble rock and even frags. I put the frags in to my grow out and 48hrs later they are clean.

My set up
3 long shoe storage containers (each 7g and one for each size)
Activated carbon as substrate
Heater
Air stone
Large flat frag plates (helps induce egg laying and place to breed)
Shop light on a timer

Maintenance
Daily top off
Daily aiptasia harvest (grab from the brute container walls, cut egg crate, or cut the aiptasia right off the rock)
Weekly water changes on all systems
Target Feed aiptasia tank

Why do you rely on your LFS for aiptaisa? If you irritate and feed them enough you should have hundreds no?

 

[Chrisv.]

I was thinking about this food issue yesterday. I think the best thing to do is to only have 15-20 adult berghias in my grow out tank at all times. The rest will either be sold/traded/used for my own aiptasia issue. I know that I wont be always be able to keep them at 15 to 20, especially after a harvest, but the babies eat less anyway.

I plan to grow a healthy big forest of aiptasia before getting the nudis.

15-20 adult burghia will eat two dozen adult aiptasia a week, at a minimum. I know it probably seems like aiptasia grow out of control, and sometimes they do, but I think you may be underestimating how much of a burden it will be to grow them in the numbers you will need.

 

[sixty_reefer]

If you want to grow them on a large scale you will need for the Aipatasia:

1. A large shallow container
2. A heater set for 28 to 29 Celsius
3. Activated carbon as substrate
4. Water movement
5. Tank water
6. Brine shrimp incubater
7. Brine shrimp eggs
8. Air pump
9. Water from a cycled tank with frequent water changes from the cycled tank.

set it all up as you would with any other tank, feed live brine shrimp every couple days and cut the Aipatasia in half every 4 to 6 days.

 

[Chrisv.]

I guess the punchline here is that this is no small undertaking.

 

[maleks.reef]

15-20 adult burghia will eat two dozen adult aiptasia a week, at a minimum. I know it probably seems like aiptasia grow out of control, and sometimes they do, but I think you may be underestimating how much of a burden it will be to grow them in the numbers you will need.

I read on another forum that if you cut the aiptasia from the stalk, the stalk will grow with a week. So assuming I take out 15 aiptasia a week, they should all grow back + the new baby ones. This SHOULD lead to a surplus of aiptasia each week.