Do micro brittle stars eat Berghia nudibranch

[((FORDTECH))]

Hello so I’ve got 2 systems that Ive put Nudis in over 2 months ago and I have not noticed a decrease in my aptasia. After reading 2 different sites Looking for predators of Nudis I found internet to say emerald crabs eat them so I removed all my emerald crabs in placed 10 more Nudis in 120 gallon system. Another month goes by and still aptasia is growing with no signs of Nudis. So read again and from the rest of things that could eat them all it says it brittle stars. Does this mean the large brittle or does this mean any brittle even the micro version because if that’s the case I’m screwd cause my systems have literally thousands of micro brittle stars sticking out from all my rocks.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I almost want to collect few micro stars in a cup and sacrifice a nudi to know for sure cause I’m already 800$ into this what’s another 20$

 

[Lavey29]

So you believe they are dead because you no longer see them in the tank and aptasia has not decreased?

Have you tried peppermint shrimp to?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

So you believe they are dead because you no longer see them in the tank and aptasia has not decreased?

Have you tried peppermint shrimp to?

Yes that is the reason and yes I have tried peppermint and since then permanently band them from any tank of mine because they are coral eaters. At the very least they rip and tear food from the mouths of 500$ plus corals. It really upsets me to watch after I’ve just direct feed the coral. The shrimp has no care about the coral at all only the food it’s stealing

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I put 25 Nudis that’s 500$ worth in a 120 gallon tank been over 2 months and aptasia increasing a lot not decreasing

 

[((FORDTECH))]

So I can understand the emeralds Eating them I removed all 6 large emerald crabs. Then added 10 more Nudis and it’s been a month maybe 5 weeks and still nothing. 11 weeks total since first 25. But like I said I have thousand and thousands of micro brittle stars everywhere. So many I sell them 50 and 100 at a time locally

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I am considering trying a copperband but that will not get in my overflows and sump so back to my original question

 

[Avel]

I need micro brittle stars! I used to have hundreds in my old tank.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I need micro brittle stars! I used to have hundreds in my old tank.

If you in Chicago stop by

 

[Lavey29]

Won't certain wrasses eat the micro stars?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Won't certain wrasses eat the micro stars?

Yes I’m sure they will but would probably take few years to get them all plus I’m sure the Nudis taste better to wrasse then stars lol

 

[Lavey29]

Brittle seastar and Berghia nudibranch

Does anyone have any experience having these two together? - brittle sea stars and berghia nudibranch? I recently bought a bunch of Berghia and didnt think anything about having a seastar that may be able to eat them,...

www.reef2reef.com

Look at this thread. Said it takes 3 or 4 months for nudis to work.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Won't certain wrasses eat the micro stars?This has also been thought about except issue is my whole sand bed is like 95% covered in corals and most wrasse dig

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Brittle seastar and Berghia nudibranch

Does anyone have any experience having these two together? - brittle sea stars and berghia nudibranch? I recently bought a bunch of Berghia and didnt think anything about having a seastar that may be able to eat them,...

www.reef2reef.com

Look at this thread. Said it takes 3 or 4 months for nudis to work.

I’m at the 3 month mark and see no relief obviously will have to wait longer but trying g to figure out about the micro stars. Again the post that you just referred to only says brittle stars and no where in it mentions micro

 

[Lavey29]

I think brittle stars are more of a threat then micro filter feeders.

 

[Lavey29]

Only one wrasse of the 4 in my tank digs a sand bed at night and never bothers my corals on the sand. I also never see any pests at all in my tank but I do have a few aptasia to kill.

 

[WallyB]

I’m at the 3 month mark and see no relief obviously will have to wait longer but trying g to figure out about the micro stars. Again the post that you just referred to only says brittle stars and no where in it mentions micro

Have you looked at night? With a UV Flashlight that will make them glow? I once put Beghia's in my tank and thought they were all dead, however checking (many weeks later) at night I saw them. Took a while for them to eat the aiptasia. I had 3 adults in a 110 G tank.

Right now I'm running a Beghia Farm. My first attempt was a failure after a month. I expected eggs to be laid but nothing happened. The Adult berghia's survived, but one day looking closely I found a Amphipod in the 2 Gallon Farm. It was eatting any Nudi eggs that were being laid.
When I started removing rock I even found a couple of bristle worms. Big guys. It appears Bristle Worms don't eat adults since all my adult berghia's suvived. Same probably applies to bristle stars which are more so filter feeders. Do they eat eggs? Probably not.

Once I transfered the nudi's to a more sterile/amphipod-free tank, they laid eggs then next day, and this time the egg's were not eatten.

I've been watch my Beghia's and eggs very closely each day. Adding Aiptasia that I dip to ensure no more Amphipods get into the farm.

I think the success of Beghia's is not so much the Adults and how much aiptasia they eat, it's having them breed rapidly and then hundreds of them attack aiptasia and wipe out any large outbreak. The 5 adults I have manage to only eat about one big aiptasia every other day. Then there is a pause. I actually see new aiptasia spouting up too. So it's a sea-saw situation, till berghia population increases and out numbers the aiptasia.

My first egg batch seems to have hatched just yesterday (14 days after they were laid...Which is right on schedule), so I'm expecting the little (invisible) guys (in larger numbers) to need more aiptasia.

My goal is to breed a large number of non-adults and then transfer them for the DT's for aiptasia kill.

I'm not an Beghia expert, but learning quickly.

This is my progress as things happen....
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/★★★-project-genesis-ii-2020-★-re-engineered-reboot-★-sps-110g-★★★.694515/page-13#post-9690545

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Have you looked at night? With a UV Flashlight that will make them glow? I once put Beghia's in my tank and thought they were all dead, however checking (many weeks later) at night I saw them. Took a while for them to eat the aiptasia. I had 3 adults in a 110 G tank.

Right now I'm running a Beghia Farm. My first attempt was a failure after a month. I expected eggs to be laid but nothing happened. The Adult berghia's survived, but one day looking closely I found a Amphipod in the 2 Gallon Farm. It was eatting any Nudi eggs that were being laid.
When I started removing rock I even found a couple of bristle worms. Big guys. It appears Bristle Worms don't eat adults since all my adult berghia's suvived. Same probably applies to bristle stars which are more so filter feeders.

Once I transfered the nudi's to a more sterile/security tank, they laid eggs then next day, and this time the egg's were not eatten.

I've been watch my Beghia's and eggs very closely each day. Adding Aiptasia that I dip to ensure no more Amphipods get into the farm.

I think the success of Beghia's is not so much the Adults and how much aiptasia they eat, it's having them breed rapidly and then hundreds of them attack aiptasia and wipe out any large outbreak. The 5 adults I have manage to only eat about one big aiptasia every other day.

My first egg batch seems to have hatched just yesterday (14 days after they were laid...Which is right on schedule), so I'm expecting the little (invisible) guys (in larger numbers) to need more aiptasia.

My goal is to breed a large number of non-adults and then transfer them for the DT's for aiptasia kill.

I'm not an Beghia expert, but learning quickly.

This is my progress as things happen....
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/★★★-project-genesis-ii-2020-★-re-engineered-reboot-★-sps-110g-★★★.694515/page-13#post-9690545

So I am actually doing the same thing in my third system. I also am having issues with amphipods eating the eggs usually after 4-5 days they are gone. But for what it’s worth some of them must be hidden well from the pods cause I do find very tiny Nudis in there. So every week or so I suck a few out that are 1/4-1/2inch and add to my 120 system. And still not seeeing the results. This is why I’m asking about the micro brittle stars. My adult nudi in the breeder system are over 1 inch long and lay eggs daily. I wonder what the life span of an adult nudi is should I add the adults to 120 and let babies grow up and start to lay eggs in breeder. So now I’m also thinking maybe I should collect as many Nudis I can from breeder and clean it out to rid the amphipods beat as possible. I think like you I only started breeder system to ensure I would have Nudis I needed to Eradicate all my aptasia. Good thing I did because I feel if I didn’t I would be buying more Nudis already

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Have you looked at night? With a UV Flashlight that will make them glow? I once put Beghia's in my tank and thought they were all dead, however checking (many weeks later) at night I saw them. Took a while for them to eat the aiptasia. I had 3 adults in a 110 G tank.

Right now I'm running a Beghia Farm. My first attempt was a failure after a month. I expected eggs to be laid but nothing happened. The Adult berghia's survived, but one day looking closely I found a Amphipod in the 2 Gallon Farm. It was eatting any Nudi eggs that were being laid.
When I started removing rock I even found a couple of bristle worms. Big guys. It appears Bristle Worms don't eat adults since all my adult berghia's suvived. Same probably applies to bristle stars which are more so filter feeders. Do they eat eggs? Probably not.

Once I transfered the nudi's to a more sterile/amphipod-free tank, they laid eggs then next day, and this time the egg's were not eatten.

I've been watch my Beghia's and eggs very closely each day. Adding Aiptasia that I dip to ensure no more Amphipods get into the farm.

I think the success of Beghia's is not so much the Adults and how much aiptasia they eat, it's having them breed rapidly and then hundreds of them attack aiptasia and wipe out any large outbreak. The 5 adults I have manage to only eat about one big aiptasia every other day. Then there is a pause. I actually see new aiptasia spouting up too. So it's a sea-saw situation, till berghia population increases and out numbers the aiptasia.

My first egg batch seems to have hatched just yesterday (14 days after they were laid...Which is right on schedule), so I'm expecting the little (invisible) guys (in larger numbers) to need more aiptasia.

My goal is to breed a large number of non-adults and then transfer them for the DT's for aiptasia kill.

I'm not an Beghia expert, but learning quickly.

This is my progress as things happen....
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/★★★-project-genesis-ii-2020-★-re-engineered-reboot-★-sps-110g-★★★.694515/page-13#post-9690545

And yes I look at night every single night for way to long my wife thinks I’m crazy Starring at a dark tank with flash light. I literally bought a red led light for this

 

[WallyB]

And yes I look at night every single night for way to long my wife thinks I’m crazy Starring at a dark tank with flash light. I literally bought a red led light for this

So I am actually doing the same thing in my third system. I also am having issues with amphipods eating the eggs usually after 4-5 days they are gone. But for what it’s worth some of them must be hidden well from the pods cause I do find very tiny Nudis in there. So every week or so I suck a few out that are 1/4-1/2inch and add to my 120 system. And still not seeeing the results. This is why I’m asking about the micro brittle stars. My adult nudi in the breeder system are over 1 inch long and lay eggs daily. I wonder what the life span of an adult nudi is should I add the adults to 120 and let babies grow up and start to lay eggs in breeder. So now I’m also thinking maybe I should collect as many Nudis I can from breeder and clean it out to rid the amphipods beat as possible. I think like you I only started breeder system to ensure I would have Nudis I needed to Eradicate all my aptasia. Good thing I did because I feel if I didn’t I would be buying more Nudis already

Well then you are way ahead of me, and actually doing better in your breeder tank.
I expected more egg laying so maybe I have another intruder, or my setup is wrong, or maybe my adults are not quite old enough for egg laying. They are suppose to lay eggs almost daily, like yours.

I did find out that Beghia's lifespan is 10-12 months, so your's should be all alive.

I do see now why you are concerned with something eatting them.