bergia nudibranch...what to do with?

[suzimcmullen]

I believe I have a bergia nudibranch in my system. I wish I knew for sure. I found it in my copepod tank. It obviously came in on some plants. I've been looking all over for id's. This thing either looks like a bergia or a zoanthid eating one. It has lots of flowing like tenacles and looks the most like the bergia pictures I've seen. The problem is I only have a few very tiny aptasia that might not be aptasia at all because they have stayed the same size for months and months. I don't have any zoanthids in that tank. But if I'm right and there aren't any aptasia or they are only babies, wont this thing starve? And yet it's so beautiful! I really kind of want to keep it.

I'll come back in with pictures as soon as I get my husband up. His camera is a lot better than mine.

Suzi

 

[jadeguppy]

Yes, they will starve without aiptasia in the tank.

 

[suzimcmullen]

This little critter has curled tenacles. But all the pics I've seen of the bergia, they are straight. Anybody???

 

[Macimage]

I ended up purchasing rocks with aiptasia to keep mine alive until I could give them away. They are wonderful little animals.

You may want to give it away on your local RC forum if you have no aiptasia to keep it alive:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=536

Good Luck!
Joyce

 

[Macimage]

You posted the photo while I was typing.

That looks a bit different than mine.

Joyce

 

[suzimcmullen]

That's what I'm thinking. But it's so hard to know. I've been searching and searching. I have it in a glass right now. I don't want to put it back if it will starve. Either way, I want to know how to take care of it. It's about 1 inch long, maybe slightly shorter.

Suzi

 

[suzimcmullen]

 

[suzimcmullen]

to the top I'm hoping for some of the gurus to come and tell me what they think.

I sent this picture to a site that sells them. They say it's not reef friendly and will eat any kind of anemone, not just the aptasia. So I'm unsure if I will put it in my bigger tank. For now I put it back in the copepod tank. I'm thinking of going and buying a rock with aptasia on it.

I have 2 big rock flower anemones and they really aren't that exciting anymore. I think it's funny how we all have to choose what we like to keep. For instance... Some people say keep the peppermint shrimp and we like them, think they are cool. But other people would use them just to feed their larvae to other animals. I actually like the nudibranch more than the reef stuff I think!

Suzi

 

[jadeguppy]

Start a nudibranch tank. mts (multi-tanks syndrome) at its best!

 

[suzimcmullen]

I was just wondering to myself if a 2.5 gallon tank, airstone and a rock with aptasia would be enough.

 

[greenbean36191]

Yeah, it's definitely not Aeolidiella (aka "Berghia"). It is an aeolid though, so it will feed on some sort of cnidarian. Slugs in this family are hard to identify, but my guess is that this is Spurilla, which will feed on small pest anemones, but isn't as prey specific as Aeolidiella. It will probably be reef safe, but I wouldn't push my luck and add it to the main tank.