Raising Aiptasia hunters: Have you tried to breed Berghia nudibranchs?

[Cichlid Dad]

Great subject. In 2020 I bought Breeding Berghia Nudibranches the best kept secret https://a.co/d/1iIP4dQ built it and it works. Book is $12.

Thank you, just purchased.

 

[Jmp998]

Great subject. In 2020 I bought Breeding Berghia Nudibranches the best kept secret https://a.co/d/1iIP4dQ built it and it works. Book is $12.

So did you follow the system, build the Banger Breeding Boxes etc? How did that work out? I read that book a couple of years ago when I started breeding Berghia, but the system seemed complicated, hard to assemble, and like something that would end up leaking. I can see if you are making a large commercial system in an industrial space, it might work well. However for a small operation in a spare bedroom, it seemed like overkill. I ended up just setting up multiple separate tanks of Berghia and Aiptasia. This has worked fairly well, but admittedly is fairly labor intensive since I don't have any central filtration and am basically relying on water changes to maintain water quality.

 

[Operation Philo Beddoe]

So did you follow the system, build the Banger Breeding Boxes etc? How did that work out? I read that book a couple of years ago when I started breeding Berghia, but the system seemed complicated, hard to assemble, and like something that would end up leaking. I can see if you are making a large commercial system in an industrial space, it might work well. However for a small operation in a spare bedroom, it seemed like overkill. I ended up just setting up multiple separate tanks of Berghia and Aiptasia. This has worked fairly well, but admittedly is fairly labor intensive since I don't have any central filtration and am basically relying on water changes to maintain water quality.

I live in Phoenix so the only thing I didn’t do was the heating,, not needed for me since the house is reasonable indoors all year. I haven’t had any leaks,, this system ran so good that at one point I moved everything up one shelf,, and kept an Achilles in the “sump” for 8 months, the 4” sand bed is an amazing bio filter. Here is a tip,,, don’t think you’re gonna grow aptasia in the sump, escapes happen. Last comment,,, I now know more about growing aptasia than nudies,,, start your aptasia supply a year in advance. No joke aptasia is the biggest issue, having enough.

Here is a little secret, aptasia is the key, having enough. I saw a great aptasia setup during one of March’s Fragbox Corals YouTube video,, it was one of the trade shows in Florida, he had his very attractive gf with him on a tour of, I think, Top Shelf aquatics. At one point he is leaving one room, bumps into Reefdudes Devon… and you get a magical 10 second view of their solution to growing aptasia,, it’s like. 3 tier system,, he gets hustles past. It looks awesom. I think the idea was to tak a rock with aptasia from tha grow system to the bergia,,let them clean the rock.

 

[Jmp998]

I live in Phoenix so the only thing I didn’t do was the heating,, not needed for me since the house is reasonable indoors all year. I haven’t had any leaks,, this system ran so good that at one point I moved everything up one shelf,, and kept an Achilles in the “sump” for 8 months, the 4” sand bed is an amazing bio filter. Here is a tip,,, don’t think you’re gonna grow aptasia in the sump, escapes happen. Last comment,,, I now know more about growing aptasia than nudies,,, start your aptasia supply a year in advance. No joke aptasia is the biggest issue, having enough.

Here is a little secret, aptasia is the key, having enough. I saw a great aptasia setup during one of March’s Fragbox Corals YouTube video,, it was one of the trade shows in Florida, he had his very attractive gf with him on a tour of, I think, Top Shelf aquatics. At one point he is leaving one room, bumps into Reefdudes Devon… and you get a magical 10 second view of their solution to growing aptasia,, it’s like. 3 tier system,, he gets hustles past. It looks awesom. I think the idea was to tak a rock with aptasia from tha grow system to the bergia,,let them clean the rock.

Those pics are your setup? That looks awesome, very nice handiwork there. I'm still not sure I need it (as you point out, growing Berghia is the easy part), but now I sort of want it just for the cool factor. Have you come up with anything special for the Aiptasia system? I am just using some old 30 gallon rubbermaid tubs and a 40 gallon aquarium with lights, circulation, activated carbon filtration, heater, and feeding lots of BBS. In a couple of months I plan to transition to a smaller but hopefully better system with protein skimmer etc to reduce maintenance. I really want to reduce my time commitment even though it will be a negative hit on $$$.

It seems like TSA almost never has Berghia in stock. I wonder how many Berghia they are producing, or maybe they are mostly selling locally. I think I found the video that you were talking about, nice clean multitiered Aiptasia system with lots of rubble rock. I did not see the Berghia system itself. It is about 5 minutes into this video for anyone curious:

My system looks like a junkyard by comparison, but it was cheap to set up, fit easily into a small space, and most importantly produces Aiptasia/Berghia. I did set up the Aiptasia portion about 6 months before I started harvesting from it. Aiptasia seem like they grow fast when they are unwanted in your display, but when you are really watching them it seems slow.

Aiptasia tub full of 'brown gold':

 

[Kylesreeftank]

Important note that they DON’T tell you…

Although you should drop the Berghias near or on an Aptasia, do NOT drop them straight INTO the Aptasia’s mouth!

I was told to “drop them right on top” of an Aptasia, which I did.

Bergia - “Large”, about 1/2” maybe
Aptasia - small to medium, not even dime-sized.

The outcome?

CHOMP! It about two seconds the Aptasia closed up and swallowed that $24 Berghia like it was just getting warmed up!

Little Berghia tentacles came out over the next 10 mins and then it was all over folks!

He still lives today

Next time this happens take a toothbrush to the foot of it and you'll get the nudibranch out. He will be extremely upset, but it will live.

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Good evening,

Where are you from

Good evening

Where are you from Kristopher?

Would really be interested to buying a few and maybe even breeding them,

Please let me know,

Thanks

I am located in Michigan. I have a few smaller berghia that should be ready to breed again soon. Where are located?

 

[AvoidTheNoid]

Been breeding them on and off for a while.
My young ones just laid eggs, so cycle continues

The food-tank, that might cause nightmares:

Holy nightmare, Batman!

 

[Saminpa]

Fresh coil laid today in my breeding tank. Hundreds of eggs in that coil!!

 

[Subsea]

Fresh coil laid today in my breeding tank. Hundreds of eggs in that coil!!

Why lay eggs in a coil? Some snail variety do that.

 

[Saminpa]

Why lay eggs in a coil? Some snail variety do that.

I have no idea why they are laid how they are. It’s just what they do

 

[Subsea]

I have no idea why they are laid how they are. It’s just what they do

I have seen skits where people paint themselves in a corner. The nudibranch knows to start in the center and work out. In that manner, when all eggs are laid out, the slug exits it’s coil of incubating eggs, leaving eggs undisturbed and open to oxygenated flow. I consider that Intelligent Design.

How long have you operated your hatchery? What is the life span of this nudibranch?

 

[Saminpa]

I have seen skits where people paint themselves in a corner. The nudibranch knows to start in the center and work out. In that manner, when all eggs are laid out, the slug exits it’s coil of incubating eggs, leaving eggs undisturbed and open to oxygenated flow. I consider that Intelligent Design.

How long have you operated your hatchery? What is the life span of this nudibranch?

I have been breeding them since June. They only live 8-10 months. But with that said, they lay hundreds of eggs a week so there’s a constant revolving population.

They are no problem to breed in the right setup and conditions. The limiting factor is food supply. You put food in and it’s survival of the fittest. I don’t have a big enough food culture to sustain a 1000 at a time. I sell them as quickly as possible and for 3 times less then big online vendors. The quicker they sell, the less fatalities from starvation

 

[Subsea]

I have been breeding them since June. They only live 8-10 months. But with that said, they lay hundreds of eggs a week so there’s a constant revolving population.

They are no problem to breed in the right setup and conditions. The limiting factor is food supply. You put food in and it’s survival of the fittest. I don’t have a big enough food culture to sustain a 1000 at a time. I sell them as quickly as possible and for 3 times less then big online vendors. The quicker they sell, the less fatalities from starvation

Having sufficient Aptasia to feed the tribe is key for sustainable cultivation.

If this nudibranch only lives for 8 months, how long after eggs are hatched before juveniles can eat Aptasia?

 

[Jmp998]

Having sufficient Aptasia to feed the tribe is key for sustainable cultivation.

If this nudibranch only lives for 8 months, how long after eggs are hatched before juveniles can eat Aptasia?

They only eat aiptasia. Ever.
Berghia that skip the planktonic stage start feeding within 2-3 days of hatching.

 

[Subsea]

They only eat aiptasia. Ever.
Berghia that skip the planktonic stage start feeding within 2-3 days of hatching.

Do some Berghia go thru planktonic stage?

How long after egg coil is laid before they hatch?

At what stage are Berghia juvenile eaten by pods?

 

[Jmp998]

Do some Berghia go thru planktonic stage?

How long after egg coil is laid before they hatch?

At what stage are Berghia juvenile eaten by pods?

Yes some Berghia go through a brief planktonic phase, but not all.

Hatch is 10-14 days after laying, longer at lower temperatures.

Copepods-don't eat them in my experience. Usually if one of my hatching dishes is overrun by pods, it will end up being a good Berghia batch as well. This may be more reflective of good water conditions in a small unfiltered container rather than a direct relationship between the copepods and Berghia. Of course there are ?hundreds of species of copepods and maybe some do eat them, but I have not had any issue with my resident pods (seeded over the years from AlgaeBarn, Dinkins Aquatic Gardens, and Eldredge although I have no idea which ones persisted). I don't know about amphipods as I don't have any of those in my Berghia/Aiptasia systems.

Reference below for discussion of planktonic vs direct development:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237641285_Laboratory_Culture_of_the_Aeolid_Nudibranch_Berghia_verrucicornis_Mollusca_Opisthobranchia_Some_Aspects_of_Its_Development_and_Life_History

 

[Saminpa]

Having sufficient Aptasia to feed the tribe is key for sustainable cultivation.

If this nudibranch only lives for 8 months, how long after eggs are hatched before juveniles can eat Aptasia?

Trust me I know having food is key for sustainability. But if you have 30-40 adults laying eggs 1-2-3 times a week, that’s thousands of eggs which is thousands of mouths. No way to sustain those types of numbers unless you have a dozen 5ft tanks packed wall to wall with aiptasia and it being your only daily job being cutting and feeding aiptasia. My goal is simply to have 50-100 alive at a time for orders and that’s why I say it’s survival of the fittest. I accept the fatalities because I know im constantly having eggs laid.

 

[Saminpa]

Yes some Berghia go through a brief planktonic phase, but not all.

Hatch is 10-14 days after laying, longer at lower temperatures.

Copepods-don't eat them in my experience. Usually if one of my hatching dishes is overrun by pods, it will end up being a good Berghia batch as well. This may be more reflective of good water conditions in a small unfiltered container rather than a direct relationship between the copepods and Berghia. Of course there are ?hundreds of species of copepods and maybe some do eat them, but I have not had any issue with my resident pods (seeded over the years from AlgaeBarn, Dinkins Aquatic Gardens, and Eldredge although I have no idea which ones persisted). I don't know about amphipods as I don't have any of those in my Berghia/Aiptasia systems.

Reference below for discussion of planktonic vs direct development:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237641285_Laboratory_Culture_of_the_Aeolid_Nudibranch_Berghia_verrucicornis_Mollusca_Opisthobranchia_Some_Aspects_of_Its_Development_and_Life_History

I’ve only witnessed large amphipods eat eggs. Small copepods I have by the hundreds and have never been an issue with my experiences. I take special care to not introduce amphipods into the breeding tank.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Food supply is always critical easy way to tell if berghias are malnourished ( starving to death ) is they will be all white . A well fed berghia will always have a brown rim around the length of it's body . As far as the platonic stage it seems half go that route in my experience not sure the precentage of survival from that stage . It's not a bad thing if a amphipod gets in your culture area personally as there are thousands of eggs to be hatched . No way someone can raise every single one until 3/4-1inch range just not enough food .

 

[Saminpa]

Food supply is always critical easy way to tell if berghias are malnourished ( starving to death ) is they will be all white . A well fed berghia will always have a brown rim around the length of it's body . As far as the platonic stage it seems half go that route in my experience not sure the precentage of survival from that stage . It's not a bad thing if a amphipod gets in your culture area personally as there are thousands of eggs to be hatched . No way someone can raise every single one until 3/4-1inch range just not enough food .

I agree that you can’t keep thousands alive. Unless you have a dozen 300 gallon wall to wall aiptasia systems. That would be a full time job cutting heads off stalks for feeding lol. Personally IM happy if I can keep 50-100 alive at a time so IM prepared for orders.