Berghia nudibranchs disappearing

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

Hey everyone,

I’m dealing with a massive aiptasia infestation in my 25 gallon tank. They are literally everywhere — even covering parts of the glass — and I can barely see my sandbed anymore because of how many there are.

I had success with Berghia nudibranchs in my previous tank — they completely cleared the aiptasia — so I decided to try them again in this tank.

The first time I added them, they disappeared within a day. Later I found out my pistol shrimp was eating them, so I removed the shrimp.

I tried again with another group of 6 Berghia. This time they survived longer, and I actually saw them eating aiptasia. They even laid eggs after about a week, so I thought they might establish themselves.

However, about a month later I cannot find any Berghia at all. They never made a noticeable dent in the aiptasia population. I saw a few aiptasia disappear while they were feeding, but nothing close to enough to control the infestation.

The strange thing is that the tank itself seems very healthy. My fish are doing great, my other inverts are fine, and my corals are growing really well.

Livestock-wise I have a few hermit crabs, some bristleworms, and one pytho crab. The pistol shrimp has been removed. Could any of these still be a possible Berghia predator?

The Berghia are expensive where I live, and they only come in groups of 6. Would adding 12 more give me a realistic chance of getting a population established, or would I just be feeding something in my tank?

Could there still be a hidden predator, or is the aiptasia population simply too large for 6 Berghia in a 25 gallon?

At this point I’m running out of ideas. The aiptasia is spreading everywhere and taking over the tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BuffaloLake]

Hey everyone,

I’m dealing with a massive aiptasia infestation in my 25 gallon tank. They are literally everywhere — even covering parts of the glass — and I can barely see my sandbed anymore because of how many there are.

I had success with Berghia nudibranchs in my previous tank — they completely cleared the aiptasia — so I decided to try them again in this tank.

The first time I added them, they disappeared within a day. Later I found out my pistol shrimp was eating them, so I removed the shrimp.

I tried again with another group of 6 Berghia. This time they survived longer, and I actually saw them eating aiptasia. They even laid eggs after about a week, so I thought they might establish themselves.

However, about a month later I cannot find any Berghia at all. They never made a noticeable dent in the aiptasia population. I saw a few aiptasia disappear while they were feeding, but nothing close to enough to control the infestation.

The strange thing is that the tank itself seems very healthy. My fish are doing great, my other inverts are fine, and my corals are growing really well.

Livestock-wise I have a few hermit crabs, some bristleworms, and one pytho crab. The pistol shrimp has been removed. Could any of these still be a possible Berghia predator?

The Berghia are expensive where I live, and they only come in groups of 6. Would adding 12 more give me a realistic chance of getting a population established, or would I just be feeding something in my tank?

Could there still be a hidden predator, or is the aiptasia population simply too large for 6 Berghia in a 25 gallon?

At this point I’m running out of ideas. The aiptasia is spreading everywhere and taking over the tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Bristleworms will eat the eggs. One thing that I have done in the past is set up a quarantine tank with an air stone. Add aiptasia to that, then try to breed Berghia in the quarantine tank. It takes 11 days for the eggs to hatch. They might hatch into tiny babies, or they might go larval for a few more weeks.

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

Bristleworms will eat the eggs. One thing that I have done in the past is set up a quarantine tank with an air stone. Add aiptasia to that, then try to breed Berghia in the quarantine tank. It takes 11 days for the eggs to hatch. They might hatch into tiny babies, or they might go larval for a few more weeks.

If I would set up a quarantine tank, do I need to cycle it first?

 

[LeftyReefer]

I recently added (8) berghia to my tank. Saw them for the first night or two, out and about. Even found a egg spiral after the first night, and then after that, things went down hill for them. Each day my lights would come on and I'd see little piles of their bristles or appendages, or whatever you call them, scattered in crevices on my rocks. looked like something was eating them at night.

One I killed by accident... I was vacuuming my sand and the next thing I knew, I saw one of my tiny berghia free floating in my tank in the current. I quickly shut off all the pumps and wavemakers to try to rescue it but sadely it fell right into a big torch colony,. I tried to rescue it from the torches tentacles as quick as I could, but it was already dead by the time I got it freed.

So then I stopped vacuuming my sand...

It's now been a few weeks since and there is no sign of them. ugh.

the only thing in my tank that I can picture eating them would be a single springeri damsel which only has (1) eye, so it spends most of it's time hiding from it's tank mates... or maybe a scavenger snail? like a bumble bee snail maybe? I dunno what ate them all, but it's frustrating to watch $200 of berghia go bye bye in a matter of days.

my aptaisa is thriving though!

 

[BuffaloLake]

Bristleworms will eat the eggs. One thing that I have done in the past is set up a quarantine tank with an air stone. Add aiptasia to that, then try to breed Berghia in the quarantine tank. It takes 11 days for the eggs to hatch. They might hatch into tiny babies, or they might go larval for a few more weeks.

If I would set up a quarantine tank, do I need to cycle it first?

No. You won’t really have an appreciable ammonia source. I never worried about filtration, just the airstone.

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

No. You won’t really have an appreciable ammonia source. I never worried about filtration, just the airstone.

well alright, we got a heatwave coming in a few days. After that I will fill a 5G with as much aiptasia I can find and see if that works.

 

[midgetracer]

I’m using a 2.5 gallon tank with top from Petco small heater and air stone ! Took water from DT and a frag plug with a Aiptasia on it ! 3 BERBHIA cleaned it off in a week now 2 weeks later I have a egg spiral when hatched and grow larger I will add them to the DT

 

[midgetracer]

Tank is simple Berghia and egg spiral

 

[midgetracer]

Do you have any wrasses they will devour them