My Berghia Nudibranch Experiement / Army

Killer Karma · Jul 20, 2017

I'm starting a Berghia aptasia eradication army and documenting the process. I purchased the berghia yesterday from, http://www.reeftown.com/. The owner is a great guy. He was extremely helpful and willing to answer all my questions. His packaging was excellent and the berghia were all very healthy. I have attached the starting pictures.

As a side note I initially put the weight (ceramic dish) to hold down the container upside down. This was a mistake as it created a cave which the berghia decided to hide in instead of going into my rock work. I corrected it in the morning and as you can see the berghia began to exit the container to hide in my rockwork. The final picture is of the infested rock I'm hoping gets cleared up. I'll use this as a reference picture for results.

Dr. Reef · Jul 20, 2017

good luck, i never had any luck with them.

Deinonych · Jul 20, 2017

I ordered 10 medium sized nudibranchs from Reeftown a few weeks ago. Mine have started to make a small, but noticeable impact on my aiptasia infestation. During the first week, I didn't notice any change whatsoever. However, in the past couple weeks I have noticed an area of the rockwork being cleared (slowly) of aiptasia polyps. I'm hopeful this will continue as more nudibranchs are spawned.

Tahoe61 · Jul 20, 2017

Following.

Excellent images for documentation.

Salty1962 · Jul 20, 2017

They helped me clear them from my sump. Definitely worth a try!

bif24701 · Jul 20, 2017

Worked great, took a few months to remove 10,000 Aiptasia after starting with only 8 nudis in a 180 lol.

jaws789832 · Jul 20, 2017

Its funny how people have different experiences. I tried them as well and had absolutely no luck with them. I bought 20 of them (for a small fortune I might add), released them into the tank and never sew them again. I waited for about 3 months to give them time to breed and tackle the problem but the aptaisia kept spreading until it was out of control and I couldn't take it anymore. So after the 3 months (and still no berghia sightings) I tried an army of peppermint. I knew if the berghia's were still in there the peppermint shrimp were going to take them out but I was at my witts end with the problem. Still no luck though. the Peppermints just waited for feeding time and ate all the frozen food I would add. I then caught all the peppermints I could, and tried aptaisia x. that really made the aptaisia spread. It would kill the one I put it on but 20 more would pop up in a few days in the same area. So I stopped doing that. Finally a I added a copperband butterfly. Spot cleared my tank in a few weeks. I trained him to eat blackworms before I put him in so I knew I could care for him if he did his job too well. I still see an aptaisia or 2 pop up now and then so I know they are still in there, but within a few days its gone and my tank looks way better for it. I wish you luck on your endeavor and hope you are one of the chosen ones that they work for.

EHerbert · Jul 21, 2017

Following...

Cessna89811 · Sep 25, 2017

My berghia from ReefTown eliminated my aiptasia. I will definitely order more when needed.

Reeftown · Oct 1, 2017

jaws789832 said:
Its funny how people have different experiences. I tried them as well and had absolutely no luck with them. I bought 20 of them (for a small fortune I might add), released them into the tank and never sew them again. I waited for about 3 months to give them time to breed and tackle the problem but the aptaisia kept spreading until it was out of control and I couldn't take it anymore. So after the 3 months (and still no berghia sightings) I tried an army of peppermint. I knew if the berghia's were still in there the peppermint shrimp were going to take them out but I was at my witts end with the problem. Still no luck though. the Peppermints just waited for feeding time and ate all the frozen food I would add. I then caught all the peppermints I could, and tried aptaisia x. that really made the aptaisia spread. It would kill the one I put it on but 20 more would pop up in a few days in the same area. So I stopped doing that. Finally a I added a copperband butterfly. Spot cleared my tank in a few weeks. I trained him to eat blackworms before I put him in so I knew I could care for him if he did his job too well. I still see an aptaisia or 2 pop up now and then so I know they are still in there, but within a few days its gone and my tank looks way better for it. I wish you luck on your endeavor and hope you are one of the chosen ones that they work for.

Such a shame you stopped at 3 months on giving the Berghia a chance. You likely killed them at their break point.
. It is more common NOT to see the Berghia again than to see them, at least until they have eliminated the aiptasia and they are out looking for food. Berghia are nocturnal, thus if you were to see them it would be at night, and very seldom during daylight hours. They are tucked away in the crevices of your rocks, because that’s where the aiptasia bases are found. The Berghia you have put in are only your Breeder’s. Aiptasia populations typically get worse before they get better, because no one has told the Aiptasia to stop reproducing since we have Berghia present. It will require 2-4 months to eradicate the Aiptasia population. It will be when the Berghia population reaches “Critical Mass” before you will notice any results. Note, the size of the Berghia at this juncture is approximately 1mm or less. Then it will happen similar to the Nitrogen Cycle’s (NO2). Typical scenario: ”I’ve never seen the Berghia since I put them in and my Aiptasia are getting worse. This was a waste of money they don’t work. Then one day you will come home and say “Hey, what happened to all the Aiptasia?” Once the Aiptasia have been eliminated, it is possible to see Berghia cruising around (even in daylight) in search of food.
If Aiptasia are stinging your corals before eradication, take a scallop shell or something similar and place it in between the two, to prevent the aiptasia from touching the coral. The Aiptasia will have to move or bend the other way to get light, do this as a temporary measure until the Berghia can do their job. You can also kill the aiptasia (however, not with any chemical or solution, as that can harm the Berghia) and even if they send out planulae larvae; no matter because the Berghia will eat them as well when the settle out.

jaws789832 · Oct 1, 2017

I comepletly agree with you but I don't think that is the case with me. I think there were other factors in my tank that wiped out the berghia. Don't know what it is but I don't think they were in anymore. I have 3 huge anemones, a six line wrasse, hammer and torch corals that are out of control, and various other stinging and eating things that I think plucked them off, including cleaner shrimp and emerald crabs and tons of hermit crabs. I just think they couldn't survive the onslaught of preds. Its all good though, the copperband now keeps the aptaisia away, I still have some in my sump but in the DT whenever I see some springing up the next day they are gone so it all works out

Cessna89811 · Oct 1, 2017

Reeftown said:
Such a shame you stopped at 3 months on giving the Berghia a chance. You likely killed them at their break point.
. It is more common NOT to see the Berghia again than to see them, at least until they have eliminated the aiptasia and they are out looking for food. Berghia are nocturnal, thus if you were to see them it would be at night, and very seldom during daylight hours. They are tucked away in the crevices of your rocks, because that’s where the aiptasia bases are found. The Berghia you have put in are only your Breeder’s. Aiptasia populations typically get worse before they get better, because no one has told the Aiptasia to stop reproducing since we have Berghia present. It will require 2-4 months to eradicate the Aiptasia population. It will be when the Berghia population reaches “Critical Mass” before you will notice any results. Note, the size of the Berghia at this juncture is approximately 1mm or less. Then it will happen similar to the Nitrogen Cycle’s (NO2). Typical scenario: ”I’ve never seen the Berghia since I put them in and my Aiptasia are getting worse. This was a waste of money they don’t work. Then one day you will come home and say “Hey, what happened to all the Aiptasia?” Once the Aiptasia have been eliminated, it is possible to see Berghia cruising around (even in daylight) in search of food.
If Aiptasia are stinging your corals before eradication, take a scallop shell or something similar and place it in between the two, to prevent the aiptasia from touching the coral. The Aiptasia will have to move or bend the other way to get light, do this as a temporary measure until the Berghia can do their job. You can also kill the aiptasia (however, not with any chemical or solution, as that can harm the Berghia) and even if they send out planulae larvae; no matter because the Berghia will eat them as well when the settle out.

I love ReefTown!! Thanks for the Berghia! They did the job!