Help w/my Lettus Nudibranch

[zacharytrimble]

I got my nudi to work over the rocks...but for some reason he has been all over the glass and seems to be quite happy there...the problem is my glass is clean...and my rocks aren't. Can you touch or pull a nudi off of glass or would that injure it? If it is possible to manually move it where you want...any tips?

 

[boxfishpooalot]

I wouldnt. Try not to be impatient. Im not 100% sure but nudibranchs are toxic,and there is a posiblity they may secrete somthing when stressed.

 

[Dudester]

Nudis are extremely resilient. Mine routinely get sucked through the overflow, then become trapped on the strainer, sometimes for days, before I rescue them. You can blow it off the glass with a turkey baster, knock it off with a magnet cleaner, or simply push it off with your finger. It'll float away into the current and hopefully land on your rock. Alternatively, you can gently push it off of the glass, cradle it into your hand, and place it exactly where you want it to eat. Think of it as an employee -- you didn't hire it to loaf around on the glass, so make sure it's working for you.

 

[xcreonx]

Lettuce Slugs are actually not Nudibranchs, so don't worry about toxicity. They are in fact snails without shells. Be gentle with it and place it where you want it to go to work, like dudester said. Whether or not it will stay there and work is another story. But worth trying

 

[Peter Eichler]

On another note, even if he is on the rocks Lettuce Nudis don't really eat algae. They're more like little algae vampires that suck the juice out of the algae (usually Briopsis sp.) If you're looking for something to control an algae outbreak lettuce nudis are not a very good choice.

 

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9328453#post9328453 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
On another note, even if he is on the rocks Lettuce Nudis don't really eat algae. They're more like little algae vampires that suck the juice out of the algae (usually Briopsis sp.) If you're looking for something to control an algae outbreak lettuce nudis are not a very good choice.

Interesting comment. I got them to help control my bryopsis, and I can see a noticable decrease in bryopsis quantity once they move away from a "meal" site. Quite frankly I don't care how they achieve their results, as long as they continue to do so.

They do have a short, finite life span in captivity, but mine have generously provided me with offspring to continue to carry out the work.

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9328500#post9328500 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Interesting comment. I got them to help control my bryopsis, and I can see a noticable decrease in bryopsis quantity once they move away from a "meal" site. Quite frankly I don't care how they achieve their results, as long as they continue to do so.

They do have a short, finite life span in captivity, but mine have generously provided me with offspring to continue to carry out the work.

I gave them a shot when Bryopsis sprung up in my 65 gal. They were almost always around the algae but they did very little to decrease the actual quantity. In fact the bryopsis problem got worse ratehr than better while they were in the tank. The algae started to decline on its own due to lack of nutrients and the two of them were never seen again after that happened. They did however during the course of a few months have a couple offspring and I know at least one of them is still alive despite there being no signs of bryopsis in my tank.

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Well I though crabs were the ultimate hair algae fighters? What else works good for hair algae?

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9328615#post9328615 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boxfishpooalot
Well I though crabs were the ultimate hair algae fighters? What else works good for hair algae?

For hair algae I've always found turbograzers to be best.

 

[zacharytrimble]

Thanks for the comments guys...good discussion...and to further it...exactly what turbos are good with algae? I've got that black turbos with black shells and they don't seem to like it...and neither do my white shelled cone-head looking snails...sold as turbos.

 

[Dudester]

Mexican turbos are pretty darn good.

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9331074#post9331074 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Mexican turbos are pretty darn good.

Yep, tjhe Mexican Turbos are what I've always had the best luck with. The onyl drawback is they're big and a bit clumsy so make sure your frags (if you have any) and corals are somewhat secured.

 

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9332416#post9332416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
Yep, tjhe Mexican Turbos are what I've always had the best luck with. The onyl drawback is they're big and a bit clumsy so make sure your frags (if you have any) and corals are somewhat secured.

True that, and their excrement is the size of a whale's, so be sure your skimmer is working!