Berghia Nudibranch

[jd371]

Question for those of you that have used Berghia in the past for Aptasia. I'm in a middle of an Aptasia outbreak thanks to Aptasia-X. I added 10 Berghia Nudibranch to my tank about three weeks ago and in a few days I'll receive another 5 with some eggs to place on the opposite side of the tank to help speed things along. The only fish I have that may eat the Berghia are a Melenarus and a Falco Hawkfish. The Melenarus is buried in the sand before lights out when the Berghia come out and he's the last one out in the morning so I don't think they'll cross paths, and I observed no swimming around or any hunting from the Hawkfish at night so I don't think he's a problem.
I know they take a while to do their thing, I've heard about 2 months or longer before you start to see a difference to the Aptasia population. I'd hate to waste time if the Berghia aren't doing anything, so how long should I wait before I go to my next option of using a Filefish?

 

[journeyman]

Peppermint shrimp may be a better option for getting rid of aiptasia. They won't starve to death like berghia nudibranches once they finish the job.

I find that there is a noticeable difference in aiptasia population within a week after I add them.

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[mcgyvr]

I've heard about 2 months or longer before you start to see a difference to the Aptasia population. I'd hate to waste time if the Berghia aren't doing anything, so how long should I wait before I go to my next option of using a Filefish?

As Berghias main food source is aiptasia technically they should be doing "work" within the week as I'm not sure anything can really do without food for much longer than that...

But your question can't be answered as we don't know how bad your outbreak is nor can we state what your perceived differentiation is to qualify "making a difference"..
One could say that the instant they start chomping on one is "making a difference"..
Is "making a difference" the 25% point or 30% or 50%?
Then of course there is how large is your tank and how many do you have any many other variables..

I'd simply suggest patience and learning to adapt and adjust as needed to be the best answer to your question.

 

[jd371]

Peppermint shrimp may be a better option for getting rid of aiptasia. They won't starve to death like berghia nudibranches once they finish the job.

I find that there is a noticeable difference in aiptasia population within a week after I add them.

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I've tried adding Peppermint last year, They only lasted a few days before my Wrasse got them. Once the Berghia are finished in the Dt I'll take them out and move them to clear out the sump and then pass them on to another reefer who can use them.

 

[Xxero]

My Aiptasia experience thus far:

First, I tried Aiptasia X. It worked, but the Aiptasia seem to come back ten fold.
Second, I added 10 Berghia Nudibranch to a 65g display with no known Berghia predators. After adding them to the tank, I never saw them again, and the Aiptasia remains.
Third, I added 3 Peppermint Shrimp to the display. Since adding them to the tank, I have only seen glimpses of one of them. It has been several months, and the Aiptasia still remains.
Fourth, I purchased a Filefish just this last weekend. It's healthy and happy, and on day 2. So far, the Aiptasia still remains.

* SigH *

 

[jd371]

My Aiptasia experience thus far:

First, I tried Aiptasia X. It worked, but the Aiptasia seem to come back ten fold.
Second, I added 10 Berghia Nudibranch to a 65g display with no known Berghia predators. After adding them to the tank, I never saw them again, and the Aiptasia remains.
Third, I added 3 Peppermint Shrimp to the display. Since adding them to the tank, I have only seen glimpses of one of them. It has been several months, and the Aiptasia still remains.
Fourth, I purchased a Filefish just this last weekend. It's healthy and happy, and on day 2. So far, the Aiptasia still remains.

* SigH *

I know what you mean about the Aptasia-X, it worked great on the ones that were out in the open and I was able to get the whole thing. The ones in the holes and crevices I thought I was getting but weeks later they would be back in numbers.
I have a Copper Band and he might have been eating some at first but not now. Can't add Peppermint because of the Wrasse. My last two options were the Berghia or Filefish. I've heard that the Berghia start off with the Aptasia deep in the rocks before they start to venture out, so I hope that's the case and I'm not waiting around for nothing to happen.
When did you add the Berghia?

 

[LeJeune981]

I just ordered a bunch of berghia and eggs as well for my aptasia outbreak...

Tanks been up for a year and a half.. up until a couple weeks ago.. my aptasia were behaving nicely in my fuge.. then big one decided to move.. must have gotten sucked into the return pump because I have 1000 at least.. right where the return pump blows into my tank and hits this one rock... ugh

I've had pepermints since a year ago.. they have never looked twice at an aptasia..

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[Xxero]

When did you add the Berghia?

I added the Berghia last October, and at that time, I had no known predators. The Nudibranch that I received were less than a 1/4 inch in length. From what I understand, they do better at larger/mature sizes. I didn't add the Peppermint shrimp until March, so the Berghia had 4-5 months at least to have made some kind of difference???

 

[jd371]

I just ordered a bunch of berghia and eggs as well for my aptasia outbreak...

Tanks been up for a year and a half.. up until a couple weeks ago.. my aptasia were behaving nicely in my fuge.. then big one decided to move.. must have gotten sucked into the return pump because I have 1000 at least.. right where the return pump blows into my tank and hits this one rock... ugh

I've had pepermints since a year ago.. they have never looked twice at an aptasia..

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My tank has been up and running for almost three years now. The Aptasia outbreak started to get bad within the last few months, now they are all over the tank with some really big ones choking out my Zoas. Mine started in the tank and then moved to the fuge. Good luck with the Berghia.

I added the Berghia last October, and at that time, I had no known predators. The Nudibranch that I received were less than a 1/4 inch in length. From what I understand, they do better at larger/mature sizes. I didn't add the Peppermint shrimp until March, so the Berghia had 4-5 months at least to have made some kind of difference???

Gotcha, I thought adding the Peppermint to soon might have wiped out the Berghia because the Peppermint do feed on them. I've heard the same about the size of the Berghia. The first vendor recommended 10 for my tank so I bought 7 of the 1/4" and 3 of the 1/2" and added them on one side of the tank. With this last order I bought all big ones and some eggs this time and the vendor was throwing in a free Berghia for Mother's day, so I'll be placing these on the opposite side of the tank later this week.
I'm hoping they are eating the ones within the rocks first and I should start to see some of the ones on the rocks start to disappear by the end of this month or early next month. If I don't see anything happening by July I'll consider trying a Filefish.

 

[jd371]

Thought I'd put up a couple of pics of what I'm dealing with. There are some section of rocks with a lot of Aptasia but I couldn't get a clear pic of them.

These are some really huge ones in between the Zoas

 

[LeJeune981]

Berghia went in on Wednesday...
5 in the display...3 in the fuge.
8 egg swirls in the fuge ( couldn't see them in the bag.. so just dumped all the water from the bag in the fuge)

I have noticed that 2 aptasia are gone from that little zoa colony...

So fingers crossed that the berghia can eat.. reproduce... and avoid my 2 pep shrimp and 3 sally light foot crabs!!!

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[phenom5]

My Aiptasia experience thus far:

First, I tried Aiptasia X. It worked, but the Aiptasia seem to come back ten fold.
Second, I added 10 Berghia Nudibranch to a 65g display with no known Berghia predators. After adding them to the tank, I never saw them again, and the Aiptasia remains.
Third, I added 3 Peppermint Shrimp to the display. Since adding them to the tank, I have only seen glimpses of one of them. It has been several months, and the Aiptasia still remains.
Fourth, I purchased a Filefish just this last weekend. It's healthy and happy, and on day 2. So far, the Aiptasia still remains.

* SigH *

This is exactly where I am at. Fingers crossed on the filefish.

 

[moondoggy4]

Patience is the key with Beghias. I bought mine over 6 months ago.

First try to put them in a container, that way they can climb out on their own and not get blown around in the tank from the bad, I lost a few that way they got blown right into a Aptisa, lunch.
For the first 5 months I could swear that nothing has happened and it was a complete expensive failure. This month I finally saw some and my Aptisa are getting decimated.

Once all of the Aptisa are all gone and you start to see them they are starving and you need to sell them.

A couple of years ago I ended up with at least a hundred of them.

 

[aclinville]

My tank was overflowing with aiptasia I purchased some 1/4 and 1/2” Berg is it did take a few months but slowly over time they disappeared. I’ve tried the peppermint shrimp and filefish to no avail. Berghias worked for me but be patient.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I have about a half dozen large aiptasia in a mixed reef. They don't seem to be bothering anything and aren't multiplying, so far. I'm not sure if I should mess with them???

 

[Anemone]

I have about a half dozen large aiptasia in a mixed reef. They don't seem to be bothering anything and aren't multiplying, so far. I'm not sure if I should mess with them???

You'll be back asking what to do about your dozens of aiptasia soon enough. It's not a question of if the aiptaisa will multiply, only of when...

Kevin

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

You'll be back asking what to do about your dozens of aiptasia soon enough. It's not a question of if the aiptaisa will multiply, only of when...

Kevin

It seems like trying to kill them in the display tank is a BAD idea. All these posts indicate it just causes them to reproduce. Perhaps it is mainly due to botched attempts. I am thinking quarantine is the way to go. That way if I screw it up, it will only lead to an outbreak in the quarantine tank.

 

[Anemone]

It seems like trying to kill them in the display tank is a BAD idea. All these posts indicate it just causes them to reproduce. Perhaps it is mainly due to botched attempts. I am thinking quarantine is the way to go. That way if I screw it up, it will only lead to an outbreak in the quarantine tank.

I've found that Aiptasia X/Joe's Juice are the aiptasia multipliers. They seem to melt the aiptasia most of the way down, but leave enough of the base to have them eventually come back in greater numbers.

I have used both Berghia and the Mottled Filefish in my display tanks with great success.

Kevin

 

[jmm]

In one tank I had a few aiptasia. So I added peppermint shrimp. They took care of it. A little later they came back. I added berghia nudibranch. They got a few small ones and then the aiptaisia came back. And then, after a while (a few months) the aiptasia began to disappear. And then it was gone.

In another tank which had only two fish: a juvenile Harlequin tusk and a juvenile Emperor angel, there were no aiptasia while the Emperor was in there. After the Emperor was moved to the display tank (two years later) the aiptaisia took over. It was all over the rocks, the glass, the filters, etc. The Harlequin ignored it. And then, after a year or so, the aiptasia began to disappear. Within a month it was completely gone. The Harlequin didn't eat them and there was nothing else in there. I don't know where they went.

I've never had them in my other tanks.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I've found that Aiptasia X/Joe's Juice are the aiptasia multipliers. They seem to melt the aiptasia most of the way down, but leave enough of the base to have them eventually come back in greater numbers.

I have used both Berghia and the Mottled Filefish in my display tanks with great success.

Kevin

Thanks, I do like the approach of getting a natural predator. But since I only have a few Aips, I am worried the Berghia would starve to death before they find one to eat. I would definitely go for the filefish if I knew it would leave my corals alone.