Thoughts on Berghia Nudibranchs

[Sick_man]

So I bought 8 nudibranchs last month for my tank. My tank is a 33long (48x12x12) and has a severe aiptasia infestation. I have not really seen any changes at all but I do see only 2 of the nudibranchs sometimes at night. They are usually next to each other and have grown a lot. I have not seen any of the rest of them though. For those who have tried this method, did it work for you and how long did it take?

 

[Dav2996]

I had a massive aptasia problem this big in photos. It ended up being a nutrient issue. I oversized my skimmer a lot. I put a skimmer rate for 40 gallons high bio load on my 20 gallon tank it stripped nutrients and reduced reproduction a ton. I also used 2 and half bottles of aptasia x. To wipe them out. They are still there but not nearly as bad. I used aptasia z everyday for week to get my tank a lot better. My nitrates dropped from 25 to 10 from my skimmer. Aptasia have less nurturients to grow.

 

[Hairyteeth]

It takes a few months, usually you’ll only see a few if any, they can be cryptic… they can also be eaten by coral and wave pumps, but eventually your gonna start to see aptasia disappear here or there, then baby nudibranchs, then bam they do work super fast…enjoy this game of patience but super worth it once it pays off.

 

[Dav2996]

So I bought 8 nudibranchs last month for my tank. My tank is a 33long (48x12x12) and has a severe aiptasia infestation. I have not really seen any changes at all but I do see only 2 of the nudibranchs sometimes at night. They are usually next to each other and have grown a lot. I have not seen any of the rest of them though. For those who have tried this method, did it work for you and how long did it take?

This was after I oversized my skimmer and aptasia x. I used the x with no flow everything off except light.

 

[V A R I A N T]

I’ve used Franks F-Aiptasia, Berghia, and true Peppermints. The true Peppermints worked the best.

 

[BryznNguyen]

I bought two and they dissapeared a week ago have a feeling my pods ate all the eggs and one of my crabs got the adults sad..

 

[Dav2996]

I bought two and they dissapeared a week ago have a feeling my pods ate all the eggs and one of my crabs got the adults sad..

I never bought them but I know they get shredded in powerheads and when they get in the sump and into the pump. You would have to have foam protection on all of that. They also love low flow. High flow they can’t move well. I had a different nudibranch that ate sponges. It lasted 4 days then died. I didn’t want to attempt anymore nudibranches because I think they should be in the ocean like starfish because they have high mortality rates in reefing.

 

[SPR1968]

It takes a while for you to notice them doing there job, especially with a major infestation. And I never saw them after they were added. But the tanks big!

I had an infestation in my large tank last year, to the point I needed to act, so added 20 Berghia to the system. I was about half the recommended numbers, but they are expensive in the UK

Nothing seemed to change much for about 2-3 months, and then slowly I noticed some were disappearing and now there are still odd ones, but the problem has pretty much gone away/under control.

So just sit back and wait, would be my recommendation having done it. I do appreciate the frustration.

 

[bnord]

I’ve used Franks F-Aiptasia, Berghia, and true Peppermints. The true Peppermints worked the best.

F is the way to go over X and indeed the right peppermints are the cure - before the infestation takes hold

 

[FishOkay]

Berghia nudibranchs are good for a heavy infestation it took about 2 months for me after i introduced i never saw them again. The only problem is that they die after clearing and if there is just one aiptasia in the sump or overflow where the nudibranchs can't get to the aiptasia will spread again. That's what happened to me anyway and now I have an even bigger infestation of aiptasia lol so had to buy more nudibranchs! It can become expensive as they are definitely not the cheapest option in the uk atleast.

I would say though imo if introduced properly the risk of them getting in to a power head or sump is pretty low they don't free swim they'll stay In and around rocky areas searching for aiptasia. I feel like they'd have to stray quite far to make it to a powerhead. But I suppose size of tank and powerhead location plays a part.

 

[HBtank]

You will put them in, not see any changes for a few months, and them BAM, they start disappearing.

It really is dependent on them breeding which is the reason for the lag IMO.

 

[Hairyteeth]

Something I noticed and changed in my tank for the nudis….
I noticed mine came out the most an hour before lights on, so I extended my low flow night settings to wait unit the lights were ramping up for about 30 minutes before blasting the tank again

 

[PrangeWay]

They take time, I bought 4 for a Nano Reefer about a month ago and the infestation went from EVERYWHERE (literally over a hundred) to a handful scattered about. Just pick one Aiptasia to watch daily and a few days it'll just be gone, then go pick another to watch, etc. They are methodical.

I was amazed when they caught the ones in the overflow unexpectedly, pop'd the cover off and instead of the dozen or so Aiptasia that were in there before, zero.