Anyone got Berghia - Aiptasia Eatin' Critters?

[jamesonkh]

Hi, I am looking for some of these nudibranch critters to put in my tank to control aiptasia. If anyone has any to sell or trade, let me know. thanks, jamie

 

[jamesonkh]

OR, know where to get them or perhaps a Copper Banded Butterfly?

 

[zanclus]

I could use some also so if anyone knows or has any ....

 

[Teraphage]

I've never seen Berghia locally, but inland aquatics (www.inlandaquatics.com) sells them. I happened to see a Copper Banded Butterfly up at Caribbean Forest today...I only gave it a cursory glance but it didn't have any obvious problems.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

For Aiptasia control I'd recommend multiple Peppermint shrimps (assuming you don't have any shrimp eaters in your aquarium like Hawkfish) and kalk injections. Joe's juice seems to look and act exactly like kalk paste to me. Anybody else notice this?
Do research on any Butterflyfish species before adding one.

 

[flake]

I first tried Joe's juice and had good results at first but then they came back. I then tied Stop Aptasia with better more permanent results. Then I tried the Kalk paste and it worked equally as good and alot cheaper. ( thanks Gary )

 

[Kent E]

The only success I have had ridding aiptasia, is a copperband, ditto everyone else with chemicals.

 

[Guy]

I have some living in my Lagoon. I could probably catch a couple.

 

[jaf]

Guy

Guy

you have Copperbanded in your lagoon..??? or did you mean peperment shrimp...............John

 

[Guy]

Berghia.

 

[Guy]

Okey Dokey... I've captured 6. 4 are spoken for. I'm going to Rochester Saturday...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Guy- are you still around? :lol:

 

[Skier1]

CF has a sign up in the back room (with the LR and freezers) with prices for Berghia. So, presumably, they sell them.

 

[Jedistphn]

I found that joes juice coupled with Peppermint shrimp army works the best.
I had a few, some that i couldnt get to behind my stack, and I added 10 peppermints over a week period.
NO MORE AIPTASIA..
And If I see one pop up during the day, the next morning it is gone.
I think, and this is my opinion, aiptasia are a normal healthy part of a reef.
I know they are "nusiance" but in the wild I would bet lots of reefs have them , and critters eat off them.
So when I see one in my tank, I just chalk it up to a natural occurance, and a healthy system.. Then let my peppermints do the job, and Ill Nuke a couple if they are out in the open.
Jedi

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12386159#post12386159 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Skier1
CF has a sign up in the back room (with the LR and freezers) with prices for Berghia. So, presumably, they sell them.

this is precisely the reason I strongly suspect someone in our area is still raising Berghia.

FWIW I use Peppermint Shrimp, fish, kalk paste and manipulation of environmental conditions to help control Aiptasia outbreaks.
All large corals in my aquarium were grown from small frags in the presence of Aiptasia. I don't think Aiptasia are half the menace most people make them out to be- you just need to learn how to control them. Total Aip eradiction is obviously the objective, but it's often an unattainable pipe dream

 

[St.james of reefdom]

I have been using a Copper band I bought from Live Aquaria . They listed where it was collected from so I could be sure it wasn't a Phillipine B-fly.
My experience has been an aptasia eating machine. She combs the rocks for them, I admit I will occaisionally grab a aiptasia rock out of the 40gal and place it in the tank with her. They are usually clean within a couple hours..
She is one of my favorite fish