Berghia Nudibranch questions

[boeingn747]

So in my 75gal mixed reef I have a major aptasia outbreak. I recently purchased 6 berghia nudibranch. They were at the biggest 1/4" long, smallest probably 1/8". After acclimation, I placed them in the tank all close to each other. They all were alive when places I watched them all scoot away 2 of them went straight to a small aptasia. They were still eating it the next morning (I think there were several small ones in the same spot). Since then I have not seen any of them cruising around. I did take a flash light about a hr or 2 after lights out a couple times and still didn't find any. I feel like I have noticed aptasia going away. I am just kinda wondering what other people's experience is with them. Do you see them often? Do they reproduce fast? Is it normal to not see them? Are they hardy? Do fish eat them? I do have a mandarin in the tank and a 6 line wrasse. My LFS said that 6 would be more than enough for a 75 and that ot should take 6mo to completely itradicate all the aptasia. I would love to hear all your experiences with these guys. Thanks

 

[Saltyreef]

It takes months sometime and yes fish will scarf em down. Especially that wrasse

 

[Saltyreef]

My orchid dottyback had a real nice $250 snack one week.
Her belly was so full she looked pregnant.

 

[GoVols]

I would love to hear all your experiences with these guys. Thanks

I think your good.

Berghia Nudibranchs for the Dreaded Aiptasia Anemone

First off, I don't consider myself an expert reefer. I'm just one person that's been in the hobby for many years and, I'm still learning. I also like to help others to be successful too. So, I want to write this piece to help others dealing with...

www.reef2reef.com

Never saw my nudis until they were just about done.

 

[boeingn747]

My orchid dottyback had a real nice $250 snack one week.
Her belly was so full she looked pregnant.

So do you think they are already gone? Do you think I should move the wrasse while the nudes are there? I will I ever know if they are already gone? Should I be seeing them? Or will I just see aptasia disappear?

 

[GoVols]

So do you think they are already gone? Do you think I should move the wrasse while the nudes are there? I will I ever know if they are already gone? Should I be seeing them? Or will I just see aptasia disappear?

I’d take out any wrasse, to play it safe. Had a six line back in 2012 but that guy never had the pallet for the nudis.

 

[boeingn747]

I think your good.

Berghia Nudibranchs for the Dreaded Aiptasia Anemone

First off, I don't consider myself an expert reefer. I'm just one person that's been in the hobby for many years and, I'm still learning. I also like to help others to be successful too. So, I want to write this piece to help others dealing with...

www.reef2reef.com

Never saw my nudis until they were just about done.

Wow, great read. Thanks for sharing. I'm worried about my 6 line wrasse. I can't catch that little ****** either. What's the chances that he eats them or has already eaten them?

 

[boeingn747]

I’d take out any wrasse, to play it safe. Had a six line back in 2012 but that guy never had the pallet for the nudis.

No earthly idea how I will catch that MF'er. He is sooooo quick and agile. He doesn't come out at feeding time either so it's not like i can entice him with food. Hmm, the fun begins.

 

[GoVols]

@SaltyT

Do you have any incite regarding a six line wrasse (eating) with berghia nudibranchs?

Thank you

 

[SaltyT]

@SaltyT

Do you have any incite regarding a six line wrasse (eating) with berghia nudibranchs?

Thank you

If the berghia are starving and out during the day they will be eaten. As long as there’s enough aiptasia for the berghia to feed on they will stay nocturnal and reproduce quickly.

I had berghia in my last reef full of wrasses the trick was adding them at night with the flow turned off. The berghia eventually ate every single aiptasia, but it did take good while.

 

[Dburr1014]

In my experience, the nudies hide during the day when the wrasse is out. Even if he plucks off a few here and there it won't get them all.
It will take months to get the aptaisia cleaned up and you won't see the berghia working. Maybe by chance you'll see one or two but not very often.
The other thing about beghia is they won't 100% get every one of the aptaisia. In a couple of years you'll see them start to come back. The problem is you may have one aptasia in your overflow or your sump or somewhere they missed one and they start to die off before they get it. The aptasia start to grow back. In a couple of years you'll be buying some more berghia.
But, Imo, they are the best way to get rid of aptaisia.

 

[boeingn747]

If the berghia are starving and out during the day they will be eaten. As long as there’s enough aiptasia for the berghia to feed on they will stay nocturnal and reproduce quickly.

I had berghia in my last reef full of wrasses the trick was adding them at night with the flow turned off. The berghia eventually ate every single aiptasia, but it did take good while.

That's great to hear. I do have a ton of aptasia. For about 6mo I was killing with aptasia x and then decided to try F Aptasia. So I killed/spread enough young aptasia to use a bottle of aptasia x and 1.5 bottles of f aptasia. Once I realized that those are just a very temporary solution, and a waste of money, I decided to invest in the nudes. As others have reported, i too, now beleive that those products cause the aptasia to spread at a incredible rate. I mean a few weeks ago I tried to cound and lost count somewhere after 150. I don't have many big ones (except in my refugium) they are mostly small. I look morning, noon, and night for those dang nudes and I'll be damed if I can find one.

 

[SaltyT]

That's great to hear. I do have a ton of aptasia. For about 6mo I was killing with aptasia x and then decided to try F Aptasia. So I killed/spread enough young aptasia to use a bottle of aptasia x and 1.5 bottles of f aptasia. Once I realized that those are just a very temporary solution, and a waste of money, I decided to invest in the nudes. As others have reported, i too, now beleive that those products cause the aptasia to spread at a incredible rate. I mean a few weeks ago I tried to cound and lost count somewhere after 150. I don't have many big ones (except in my refugium) they are mostly small. I look morning, noon, and night for those dang nudes and I'll be damed if I can find one.

Hmmm not seeing your berghia at night isn’t good. Do you have any shrimp or crabs (other than hermits) in your tank?

 

[boeingn747]

Hmmm not seeing your berghia at night isn’t good. Do you have any shrimp or crabs (other than hermits) in your tank?

In this tank I have 2 fire shrimp (which they dont really venture out much), a dozen or so blue leg Hermits, a porcelain crab (which never leaves his btn). Oh other than Hermit! I just caught that part. That would be it.

 

[boeingn747]

Hmmm not seeing your berghia at night isn’t good. Do you have any shrimp or crabs (other than hermits) in your tank?

I want to also add that when I put the nudes in my tank, there was 6. The biggest at 1/4" and the smallest at 1/8" so they were all very tiny. Like a grain of white rice.

So while I've got you... I have just noticed what seems to be some type of hydroid. I know some say hydroids are bad, some say they will die off with time. Can you confirm that this is or isn't hydroids, and if so what type it is? I have noticed quite a few throught the rock work now. I touched one with a syringe to see if it closed up and it did. It also feels like there may be a hard part where it attaches to the rock. Here are a couple pics that I have taken.

 

[SaltyT]

In this tank I have 2 fire shrimp (which they dont really venture out much), a dozen or so blue leg Hermits, a porcelain crab (which never leaves his btn). Oh other than Hermit! I just caught that part. That would be it.

Those inverts aren’t known to eat berghia so I think you’re fine. Sounds like your berghia are pretty small and may not be adults yet so no worries that you haven’t seen them at night yet.

As far as your other concern, the pics don’t look like a hydroid to me but I’m no expert on those. Sorry.

 

[Hendrix]

I added some tiny ones to my 500G that a crap load of aptasia. I also have a copper band and a file fish. In a few months all gone, Ive seen some real large nudi's a few times and a few tiny ones. There breeding, so they must be eating.

Always find a safe natural preditor for pest! Chemicals suck...

I have a few different wrasses, but its a big tank with a lot of hiding spots.

 

[boeingn747]

I added some tiny ones to my 500G that a crap load of aptasia. I also have a copper band and a file fish. In a few months all gone, Ive seen some real large nudi's a few times and a few tiny ones. There breeding, so they must be eating.

Always find a safe natural preditor for pest! Chemicals suck...

I have a few different wrasses, but its a big tank with a lot of hiding spots.

Ok. Sure. Well,, here's to hoping.

 

[boeingn747]

Those inverts aren’t known to eat berghia so I think you’re fine. Sounds like your berghia are pretty small and may not be adults yet so no worries that you haven’t seen them at night yet.

As far as your other concern, the pics don’t look like a hydroid to me but I’m no expert on those. Sorry.

Thanks for your insight. I do appreciate it. Between the aptasia, and the ich that has been making its way to some of my tangs, now it looks like I have some other critter that has popped up as of late. I thought forsre they were digitate" hydroids. I sure hope it turns out that they are not. Thanks again for your help. Can't imagine how reefing was before the days of social media. I've only been doing it for about 5 years. Been keeping freshwater for over 20. Reefing is a hole other game. Glad there are fine people such as yourself that are willing to pass along advice.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Bought one Berg as an 'experiment' with several Aiptasia...... a month later ZERO Aiptasia, and I couldn't find the little hero either to rehome. Did its job in fine form though. Not sure how they do it but they are stone cold killers!