Berghia Nudibranchs in Your Reef Tank

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

I have an out of control aiptasia problem and about 10 weeks ago bought 23 Berghia. I have not seen any lessening of the aiptasia as of yet. Two questions/thoughts:
- How long do they normally take to be effective
- What other reef dwellers/fish might eat the Berghia. I am thinking of getting a captive bred aiptasia eating filefish and a Kleini Butterfly soon. I know they can eat the aiptasia, but will they also eat the Berghia?

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

It took my berghia nudibranchs a long time to demolish my aiptasia. I put 3 in a 15g (which is a ton for the tanks size), and it took 8 weeks. They reproduced the day I put them in, so I think that sped things up a ton since I had mature ones that could lay eggs once I added them in. So, I think you're on track. If you got 23 large ones, then you should start to see aiptasia disappearing in a few more weeks.

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

It took my berghia nudibranchs a long time to demolish my aiptasia. I put 3 in a 15g (which is a ton for the tanks size), and it took 8 weeks. They reproduced the day I put them in, so I think that sped things up a ton since I had mature ones that could lay eggs once I added them in. So, I think you're on track. If you got 23 large ones, then you should start to see aiptasia disappearing in a few more weeks.

great, thank you for the response...my tank is 210 gallons, so maybe they will take a while to reproduce enough to start impacting

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

anyone have a comment on those fish eating the Nudibranchs ?

 

[JayM]

I had about a dozen small aiptasia that I could see a few months ago. Added 3 Nudis and aiptasia was gone in a couple of weeks.

 

[William Bruckmann]

I have an out of control aiptasia problem and about 10 weeks ago bought 23 Berghia. I have not seen any lessening of the aiptasia as of yet. Two questions/thoughts:
- How long do they normally take to be effective
- What other reef dwellers/fish might eat the Berghia. I am thinking of getting a captive bred aiptasia eating filefish and a Kleini Butterfly soon. I know they can eat the aiptasia, but will they also eat the Berghia?

What size tank? Berghia either eat Aiptasia or die, so at 10 weeks I think you should see at least some Aiptaisa disappearing. I thought only wrasses and inverts ate them, but sold some one time and the customer watched a yellow tang eat one. I guess anything is possible.

 

[Formulator]

I’ve never had success with berghia. For me it is like lighting my wallet on fire every time. I had great luck with a filefish. He completely eradicated my 120g of a massive infestation in about 3 weeks. But then he developed a taste for my zoas and killed my bubble tip anemone so he was returned to the LFS. Still, I owe him a great deal of thanks. Saved me from almost throwing in the towel on the whole hobby.

 

[William Bruckmann]

I’ve never had success with berghia. For me it is like lighting my wallet on fire every time. I had great luck with a filefish. He completely eradicated my 120g of a massive infestation in about 3 weeks. But then he developed a taste for my zoas and killed my bubble tip anemone so he was returned to the LFS. Still, I owe him a great deal of thanks. Saved me from almost throwing in the towel on the whole hobby.

Thats the beauty of Berghia, they only eat one thing. They only don’t work when something eats them. I am guessing you had a predator in your tank. Glad the filefish worked though.

 

[Formulator]

Thats the beauty of Berghia, they only eat one thing. They only don’t work when something eats them. I am guessing you had a predator in your tank. Glad the filefish worked though.

I’m sure it was a predator. I have wrasses, cleaner shrimp, and hermits. Someone told me it would be fine though, so I took the chance, twice actually. First time I thought maybe I just didn’t buy enough. Not gonna fool me thrice!

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

What size tank? Berghia either eat Aiptasia or die, so at 10 weeks I think you should see at least some Aiptaisa disappearing. I thought only wrasses and inverts ate them, but sold some one time and the customer watched a yellow tang eat one. I guess anything is possible.

the tank is 210 gallons, but a lot of rock and absolutely covered with aiptasia. it's dreadful to look at. saw another Berghia on the glass a few days ago in the morning and watched it crawl down to the sand and back into the rocks. might be that because of the amount of aiptasia it'll take some time for enough Berghia to make an impact.

 

[William Bruckmann]

Yea, if they are alive they are eating!

 

[kevgib67]

the tank is 210 gallons, but a lot of rock and absolutely covered with aiptasia. it's dreadful to look at. saw another Berghia on the glass a few days ago in the morning and watched it crawl down to the sand and back into the rocks. might be that because of the amount of aiptasia it'll take some time for enough Berghia to make an impact.

Typically it is the following generations of berghia that do the most damage to aptasia so it takes time. A general rule is that anything that eats aptasia will eat berghia.

 

[William Bruckmann]

Typically it is the following generations of berghia that do the most damage to aptasia so it takes time. A general rule is that anything that eats aptasia will eat berghia.

This is true. It is those spirals of 100’s of eggs that eventually get the job done.

 

[Dburr1014]

- What other reef dwellers/fish might eat the Berghia. I am thinking of getting a captive bred aiptasia eating filefish and a Kleini Butterfly soon. I know they can eat the aiptasia, but will they also eat the Berghia?

Yes they will eat berghia

 

[BryanM]

I wanted to use nudis for my aptasia, but it just didn't feel right to let them eat, and then starve them to death, so I'm using f-aptasia.

But I don't have an outbreak. I have "hitchhiking aptasia" on my live rock, and I think its completely manageable to get it all removed with f-aptasia.

We shall see :)

 

[anthonymckay]

I tried Aiptasia-X for a while, but it was just too difficult to stay on top of them. They would return and multiple each time. I then added ~40 berghia into my tank a few weeks ago. Didn't consider that my wrasses would probably eat them... Anyway, literally haven't seen a single one of them in the tank since adding them, BUT a few weeks later and I can't find any more aiptasia in my tank anymore. So I guess they were able to hide from the wrasses well enough during the day to come out and be effective at night. I wish they would migrate down into my sump where lots of Aiptasia still propagates.

 

[BryanM]

I tried Aiptasia-X for a while, but it was just too difficult to stay on top of them. They would return and multiple each time. I then added ~40 berghia into my tank a few weeks ago. Didn't consider that my wrasses would probably eat them... Anyway, literally haven't seen a single one of them in the tank since adding them, BUT a few weeks later and I can't find any more aiptasia in my tank anymore. So I guess they were able to hide from the wrasses well enough during the day to come out and be effective at night. I wish they would migrate down into my sump where lots of Aiptasia still propagates.

my understanding is they come out at night.... could be wrong... But you might see if you can see them at night, and possibly rehome some of them to the sump.

 

[Dburr1014]

I wanted to use nudis for my aptasia, but it just didn't feel right to let them eat, and then starve them to death, so I'm using f-aptasia.

But I don't have an outbreak. I have "hitchhiking aptasia" on my live rock, and I think its completely manageable to get it all removed with f-aptasia.

We shall see :)

That's the safest bet with the sporadic aiptasia

 

[Dburr1014]

I tried Aiptasia-X for a while, but it was just too difficult to stay on top of them. They would return and multiple each time. I then added ~40 berghia into my tank a few weeks ago. Didn't consider that my wrasses would probably eat them... Anyway, literally haven't seen a single one of them in the tank since adding them, BUT a few weeks later and I can't find any more aiptasia in my tank anymore. So I guess they were able to hide from the wrasses well enough during the day to come out and be effective at night. I wish they would migrate down into my sump where lots of Aiptasia still propagates.

I've had no problems with wrasse eating them.
They do come out at night if you can use a flashlight and catch them. Use a turkey baster.
Then put them in your sump.

 

[anthonymckay]

I've had no problems with wrasse eating them.
They do come out at night if you can use a flashlight and catch them. Use a turkey baster.
Then put them in your sump.

I've tried locating them at night with a flashlight but haven't found any. If I can find some I'll relocate them to the sump.