Berghia Preditors?

[jason9jay]

I am considering some Berghia for some nuisance aptasia in my 150 gallon reef. I've read that amphipods will hinder the progress of berghia because they eat the eggs? Is this true? Also, has anyone had problems with certain fish/crabs preying on the berghia? They would be quite an investment so I'd hate to see them get eaten.

Thanks

 

[seafansar]

I think some kinds of fish like wrasses will eat them.

 

[jason9jay]

Yeah thats why i got my true green coris wrasse in the first place...

Has anyone seen the amphipods eating the eggs though?

What are the ideal parameters for successful reproduction?

 

[ludiNano]

Powerheads. : )

 

[dendro982]

I put mine in refugium type of tank, fishless, but with a lot of bristle worms. They disappeared.
Same with their babies (or whatever was hatched from the eggs), I put them repeatedly in each and everyone of my tanks, nobody survived.
Maybe it worth to have a separate heated tank just for them, it's a pity to waste nice creatures (and $100). Jar culture takes too much time every day, and is without heating in the winter they were not too good.
IMHE, of course.

 

[coralnut99]

I don't have firsthand knowledge of the pods eating eggs, but a number years ago, there was a LFS near home run by a couple that were marine biologists. They actually managed to rear some. They listed all of the kown issues and difficulties with trying to rear them in cativity, and pods were on the list. Success with them is probably best in tanks dedicated to them. Honestly, in my experience, I've had better results doing the same thing, but with peppermints kept them on the hungry side. The only reason I didn't just add peppermints to the display is that the anthias would make quick snacks of the peps.

 

[dilbert_uk]

I can't say much to the predators but to the disappearances.

Those are quite hidden creatures that are difficult to spot even in a nano or pico.

During half a year, I spotted them only twice. Only now, after a half a year, it becomes apparent that they are consuming Aiptasia.

I was in doubt so many times. Only the fact that one small spot on one particular rock was almost always free of Aiptasia let me assume that they were still alive.

By chance I found a very large Berghia in my Aiptasia pico when I needed to reposition a powerhead that fell of the suction cups. (It sat on the powerhead case because this tank has no heater.)
Even in that bare-bottom pico I never saw any signs of Berghia like grey-ish looking Aiptasia before.
Within the first week I introduced them into the nano, this Berghia must have crossed the entire nano until the opposite corner where I grabbed a small piece of live rock to transfer it into the Aiptasia pico.

So, they are quite active but always invisible.

 

[scuba71]

Peppermint shrimp, and copperband fish are Berghia predators. Saw both eat a few Berghias. :-(

 

[jmace1960]

most wrasses some angels do too

 

[pjf]

Neptune’s Tropical Fish in Littleton, CO, raises and sells berghia. They are kept in a small dedicated tank and fed aptasia.

 

[Rouselb]

Wrasses will eat them. I am putting together a group buy on my local board. Here is a great link with lots of info. Tells you how many you should add.
http://www.saltyunderground.com/pages.php?pID=4