Eliminating Berghia Predators

[Biokabe]

I have a 20g tank that is completely overrun with aiptasia. I've tried all the control mechanisms:

Chemical attacks did... what they usually do. Nothing.
UV torch was... ineffective.
There's an aiptasia-eating filefish in the tank. He's fat and happy, but definitely not eating aiptasia.
There are three peppermint shrimp in the tank. They're loving life, and not touching aiptasia.
And I've tried berghia nudibranches on at least 3 separate occasions. There are no more berghia, but there are still lots of aiptasia.

The big problem with berghia, I think, is that there are simply too many predators, especially for their eggs. Bristle worms, fire worms, amphipods, various other critters. They can never reproduce in enough numbers to actually impact the aiptasia population. The bristle worms and the amphipods, I think, are the biggest problem. After lights-out, the entire floor of the tank is basically covered in worms.

The tank has other problems too, but the aiptasia is the big problem. If I could eliminate that, then I could take on the rest of the problems pretty easily (overgrown GSP, algae, etc). Pretty standard stuff, but it's hard to build up the motivation to, for example, clear a rock of GSP when you know it'll just get colonized by aiptasia. If I could get rid of the predators that take out the berghia, I think they would at least work well enough that I could remove the remaining aiptasia manually.

So, with that in mind... are there any critters I can add to the tank that would take out the berghia predators but not attack the berghia?

Current tank inhabitants:

2x Ocellaris clowns
1x captive-bred aiptasia-eating filefish
3x peppermint shrimp
Some snails
And a plague of worms.

 

[Biff0rz]

set up a second tank, add one of the rocks with aiptasia to it, add berghia. rotate rocks, add some berghia to the old tank once they are reproducing, and keep repeating. This will remove the predators (mostly) from the tank where you grow the bergia's out of -- note, sometimes aiptasia will also eat the nudi's if the aiptasia is large. But the bristles, pods, ect will be in small enough numbers for the nudi's to replicate. It also takes a long time for nudi's to start growing -- how long ago did you add them?

 

[gkprevite]

set up a second tank, add one of the rocks with aiptasia to it, add berghia. rotate rocks, add some berghia to the old tank once they are reproducing, and keep repeating. This will remove the predators (mostly) from the tank where you grow the bergia's out of -- note, sometimes aiptasia will also eat the nudi's if the aiptasia is large. But the bristles, pods, ect will be in small enough numbers for the nudi's to replicate. It also takes a long time for nudi's to start growing -- how long ago did you add them?

This is great advice. I would also invest in a bristle worm trap. Reducing their numbers will give the berghia a better chance.

 

[dwest]

I tried hatching and growing nudis in another tank. I was successful for a while. It appeared that amphipods eating the eggs were my biggest problem.

 

[Biokabe]

Setting up a second tank is not really viable for at least a few months. I already have two running and no space for a third, at least not until we finish the long-term project that is cleaning out our junk room. This tank has been running for about 5 years now. Aiptasia started appearing about a year after the tank started. The first round of berghia (5) were added about 3 months after that. When they failed to make any dent in the aiptasia, I added another five about a year later. And I think the last group, I added about 18 months ago. In all cases, they died out without making a visible dent in aiptasia - I think entirely because of predation, esp. on their eggs.

I can do it eventually, but are there any options for getting rid of the current predators before I can actually set up a treatment tank?

 

[IPT]

Sounds like the Bristleworm trap would be a start. I'd start another tank (as mentioned). Honestly they don't need much. I set up a 2.5 gallon tank with a single airstone (probably don't even need that) and $10 25W heater. I added 5 berghia and just put some of my smaller rocks with Aptasia in it. Already had one spiral of eggs. It takes hardly any room and a tiny expense.

The "Reefdudes" guy on Youtube (and others) are just doing it in small tuperware containers with no air and no heater (just ambient temps).

 

[kevgib67]

Anything that is supposed to eat aptasia will eat Berghia. The file fish and peppermint shrimp have to go.

 

[Y0U]

I do not have much experience with this and am seeing the beginnings of aiptasia in my tank. I like the suggestion of setting up a small tank and putting nudibranch in. But what if you did the small tank or bucket with the rock and put your peppermints in there? And lights out, don’t feed and see if they go after the aiptasia? If this is a bad idea, feel free to smack my hand and say ‘don’t touch’. :)