My Berghia Verrucicornis Nudibranch Breeding Tank Log *pics*

[graphixx22]

Sulp, that is great, the pics are actually pretty good they look very fat and happy. approx how long does it take for the little guys to hatch? Also how long do they feed at a time. and do they gang up on them. but that is great to hear all is going well. this is a great post keep up the good work sulp.

 

[sulp]

I actually am drawing a blank as to how long the eggs take to hatch. When I get home from this HOT A$$ office I'll let you know.

When they feed it seems like they feed for hours at a time. You just kinda see them sitting on the aiptasia turning brown. You don't really see the aiptasia getting smaller or "hunks" being taken out of it. Like I said, I am very happy to see that they don't devour the aiptaisa quickly. I thought they would have eaten a lot quicker. With the way things are going I have a huge supply of ever-spreading aiptasia to feed. I know that will change IF I start to get a bunch of Juviniles roaming around. But by that time I should have enough aiptasia to feed for a bunch for a long time.

 

[DeeZeal]

Are you sure the new nudis eat aiptasia or do they eat something else? If they eat the buggers it sounds like your set. Cool stuff!

 

[onefin]

I just read the first page, are these for sale on the net?

 

[iCam]

Are you sure the new nudis eat aiptasia or do they eat something else? If they eat the buggers it sounds like your set. Cool stuff!

That is solely what they eat.

 

[greenbean36191]

approx how long does it take for the little guys to hatch?

About 10 days, but it will be much longer than that before they are big enough to see.

but they appear to be quite blind. Mine would wander the rocks and "stumble" across an aptasia with their forward antennae

Yep, they are almost blind. They can really only see light and dark. They use smell to find their food.

 

[graphixx22]

I thought the gestation period was quite short. but your at least 3 to 4 weeks till they are visible isnt that correct???? Also what does the aptasia do when the nudi attacks it? in your pics the aptasia looks as if it hasnt drawn into its self like they usually do when i hit them with joes juice?

 

[sulp]

Also what does the aptasia do when the nudi attacks it? in your pics the aptasia looks as if it hasnt drawn into its self like they usually do when i hit them with joes juice?

Yeah, it is kinda weird. I would have thought they would have totally shrilveled up when they were attacked. The only thing they seem to do is retract to the rock. The way the Berghia eat is really quite peaceful. They "attack" it so slowly that I'm not even sure the aiptasia knows its being eaten. I was suprised to see that myself.

Deezeal- They ONLY eat aiptasia. Without it they will starve and die. What made you think they ate something else? Did you really think I was trying to breed something to eat Aiptasia if I wasn't sure what it ate? I'm not trying to sound cocky but that is the whole jist of this thread.

Thanks GB....I wasn't exactly sure when I was at work how long it took the eggs to hatch. And yes, it's approx 2 weeks (give or take). And like GB said, it will be a lot longer than that before they are even visible. I just hope some do actually hatch and mature. These nudis are going to be laying eggs all the time now and only a fraction of these are going to possibly make it.

 

[gwbuild]

onefin,

I couldn't wait for a 'local' to breed and ship. Needed them now, so ordered from Inland Aquatics. Not cheap, but they shipped today (same day) overnight. You can try there.

Sounds good that the nudis eat nice and slow. Hopefully they cause the aiptasias as much pain and suffering as they have caused me (mentally).

 

[onefin]

Hey guy's i just wanted to know if these can be bought on line, anyone!

 

[onefin]

gwbuild thanks.

 

[sulp]

Just a quick update: Yesterday I noticed one of the Berghias had been sitting in the same spot the entire day. I knew he was healthy but was slighty concerned. Anyway, after sitting in the exact same position all day and all night I woke up to find that all he was doing was laying eggs. I had no idea it took them this long. I don't remember seeing one sitting in the spot where the first egg sack was for that long of a time. Now I have at least 3 groups of eggs that I can see.

 

[PoukieBear]

Just a quick update: Yesterday I noticed one of the Berghias had been sitting in the same spot the entire day. I knew he was healthy but was slighty concerned. Anyway, after sitting in the exact same position all day and all night I woke up to find that all he was doing was laying eggs. I had no idea it took them this long. I don't remember seeing one sitting in the spot where the first egg sack was for that long of a time. Now I have at least 3 groups of eggs that I can see.

I guess the "he" turned out to be a "she". :lol:

 

[greenbean36191]

Nope, an "it." They're all simultaneous hermaphrodites.

 

[TravesTy]

Sulp, I've seen you post many a thread and reply, and you've always seemed to know what you're doing and/or talking about. Those who wish to bash, keep this in mind. ANYONE even thinking of attempting such a feat, would only do so buy doing enough research. After all, no one wants to just throw away money. For Sulp to attempt this, and even more so, post a thread for it's progress, I think he knows where he stands. I, on the other hand, cannot wait to see your progress in this attempt. I wish you the best of luck. And :Reefmaint:, offering to buy aiptasia is the silliest thing I've ever heard in the hobby. For one, if you give it time, it'll show up, I assure you. And secondly, IF you wanted to do a crazy thing such as manually introducing such a pest into your system, go to any LFS. I can assure you they will have PLENTY of aiptasia, large and small. But doing so would be like pouring gas onto a fire, you'll only be feeding a problem that will already be a disasterous one at that... keep the aiptasia OUT of the main system... good look with your nudi's Sulp...

Trav

 

[DeeZeal]

Deezeal- They ONLY eat aiptasia. Without it they will starve and die. What made you think they ate something else? Did you really think I was trying to breed something to eat Aiptasia if I wasn't sure what it ate? I'm not trying to sound cocky but that is the whole jist of this thread.

I was just curious if people actually saw the baby ones eat the aiptasia because everyone says they are too small to see. I wasn't trying to say you didn't know what you are doing and I understand the point of this thread is to look at your progress which seems to be going very well. It was just a question dude.

 

[69vette]

They ONLY eat aiptasia. Without it they will starve and die. What made you think they ate something else?

I just hope some do actually hatch and mature. These nudis are going to be laying eggs all the time now and only a fraction of these are going to possibly make it.

Given the small survival rate of the newly hatched nudi's, you've got to wonder if maybe they do require another form of food until they mature some.

 

[greenbean36191]

Nope, they have been observed in the lab from hatching to adulthood, and the juveniles go for Aiptasia just like adults. Crawling nudibranch juveniles like these almost always eat the same thing as the adults. When they are raised in the lab they are grown from egg to adult on nothing but Aiptasia and the survival rate is actually pretty good.

 

[blide]

This study could help others that have Zoo eating nudibranch's too.... I have seen nudi's destroy a zoo tank in a months time and they multiply like crazy. That's what confuses me about these nudi's dieing before becoming adults. Maybe since there are so many zoo's there is just ample amount of food.

Does anyone know the time it takes for nudi's to starve?

 

[greenbean36191]

The juveniles of the zoa eating nudis probably don't fare any better than these guys under the right conditions. It's just easier to get the right conditions for the zoa eaters. I also suspect that the lifespan of the zoa eaters is a bit shorter, so they reproduce more often than these guys. That's all speculation though since the zoa eaters don't even seem to be a species described by science yet.

The time it takes for nudis to starve will depend on what kind they are. Some of the dorids can probably last about a month without eating, but Berghia (and I would suspect the zoa eaters as well) can only go a few days.