The best natural defense against Aiptasia is Berghia (Berghia Nudibranchs), as their sole diet is Aiptasia anemones. Berghia Nudibranchs will mate and lay eggs once they reach maturity. While aiptasia reproduction can be frustrating, they generally don’t reproduce as dramatically as the hermaphroditic, egg-laying nudibranchs are capable of. If you have a Melanurus wrasse, six-line wrasse, Aiptasia-eating filefish, or a long-nose hawkfish, you may want to think twice about adding them to your tank, since the Berghia will be a nice little appetizer for them. Go to Muzoo.com for music and videos. See if you can figure out which is which: “The book is great…..a little long on the introduction but the following information, articles, and descriptions are great!” -Paul. They are sexually mature (and therefore able to reproduce) at about 1/2-inch in length and grow to a full adult size of about 1 1/2-inches in total length. They are sold by aquaculture facilities/breeders anywhere from 1/4-inch in length to about 3/4-inches in length. I believe this to be too few and instead recommend at least 12, preferably 20 or more. Berghia are relatively small creatures compared to most things we put in our marine aquariums. Almost all sold specimens are bred in captivity. After doing this new eggs were seen within days and the life cycle could be completed. Peppermint shrimp, added to tanks because of their taste for aiptasia flesh, also eat Berghia nudibranchs, which seems ironic to me. Reefs.com is the world's leading destination for sustainable coral reef farming and the aquarium hobby. If they survive fish the next challenge could be ornamental shrimp, or the peppermint shrimp you previously put in there to try to control the outbreak. Part 1 of the new journey. And for those who direct feed their LPS (Large Polyp Stony) corals, peppermint shrimp can be a nuisance as they love to steal the food directly from the mouths of coral. So grab the book and a cup of coffee and learn to breed the Berghia nudibranch for both fun and profit! Berghia verrucicornis, a nudibranch or Sea Slug is a natural and nontoxic predator to eradicate one of the most bothersome pest organisms in marine aquaria, Aiptasia anemones (also know as glass anemones). Candy Cane Coral: Caulastrea furcata, a great beginner LPS coral species, Lawnmower Blenny Aquarium Care: Salarias fasciatus, Yellow Tang: Caring for this saltwater fish in a reef tank. Detritus will build up over time and excess can be siphoned out. Berghia Coerulescens Por Luis Angel Diaz Alvarez Sea Slug Zodiac Tumblr Animals Berghia need each other to hunt feed breed. You can continue to keep a small culture of Berghia going with minimal work, or garner favor with your fellow clubbers or reefing friends by giving them your surplus in exchange for Berghia from them in the future. After all, how did you get the aiptasia in your tank, to begin with? The key to not going broke adding enough to your tank to control the Aiptasia is to breed them yourself. I’ve been breeding these guys for almost two years now, yet for the some of that time I was reluctant to recommend their use since I myself wasn’t sure they were a reliable means of Aiptasia control. I do have one system that one year after the elimination of Aiptasia is only now showing a very few new anemones. The Berghia nudibranch, an outstanding natural way to control the aiptasia anemoneeval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'saltwateraquariumblog_com-box-3','ezslot_17',125,'0','0'])); “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” (ancient proverb). Then breed them. SOLD OUT Berghia Eggstrand. Its 1 bergia nudibranch per 10 Gallon, average price $14-$23 Fedex overnight $55...prettiy expensive for just 5 bergia nudibranch! Berghia nudibranchs need each other–for hunting and for reproduction. $10.00. Kindly, Anthony> This allows the Berghia nudibranch to increase their colony size relatively in order to deal with large Aiptasia anemone infestations. The two sites specializing in selling Berghia nudibranchs recommend no less than 6 per tank (in any size tank) and otherwise approximately 1 for every 10-12 gallons of aquarium volume. Products to help you control aiptasia anemones, How do you pronounce the name, “Berghia nudibranch?”. This is probably due to the fact that it takes a generation or two of Berghia , to reach critical mass, and when they do, there is a lot. Ben Caruso. Species in the genus berghia include. $20.00 ©2009. So many more juvenile nudibranchs are on their way. Many times an aquarist has to go through half a dozen or so until they get one healthy enough to survive (that doesn’t count all the fish that don’t make it out of the store, or out of the wholesalers). The modular system design covers the breeding system for three levels of enthusiasts; the hobbyist, the hobbyist/entrepreneur and a light commercial system for turning your breeding operation into a full time business. They are supremely adapted to survive in our tanks and reproduce with reckless abandon, stinging our invited guests (the corals) into submission. When it comes to getting rid of the pesky and prolific Aiptasia from a reef tank the little nudibranches known as the Berghia are certainly the superheroes of the hobby, only because Aiptasia is all that they eat! Their total lifespan is about one year or less. Step 1: Equilibrate the temperature with your tank, slowly, by floating the container in your display tank or sump for ~10-20 minutes, Step 2: Using a Drip acclimator, and a gravity drip, start dripping water into the container (about 6-10 drips per second) for about an hour, in total, Step 3: Manually place the nudibranchs on a rock adjacent to aiptasia. Living among the rock was our friend the Amphipod . I wanted to order 5 of these nudibranch for my 50G custom tank. Re:Breeding Journal, Species: Berghia verrucicornis (Aiptasia eating Berghia Nudibranch / Sea Slug) Friday, February 05, 2010 10:52 PM Amphipods can be predators of eggs, juvenile nudibranchs, and even adults, so rearing should be in amphipod-free tanks. benjamin.caruso@gmail.com. Each egg coil probably contains ~50 eggs (if laid by a small slug) or 1000+ if laid by a larger adult. There are a few commercially available products to help control the spread of these pests, like Aiptasia X: Another popular product is called Joe’s Juice: But the process involves injecting the unsuspecting invertebrates with a lethal chemical injection–one, by one, by one, by one, by one. I have several tanks dedicated to Aiptasia growth to supply food for the sea slugs, I also let several systems grow some Aiptasia so I can regularly go through and collect anemones. Because Berghia nudibranch’s need a constant supply of aiptasia anemones to survive, they may not be in stock at your local fish store. His new video “Fragilicious” can be seen on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgbH04g6mXs. A better choice for many tanks might be the peppermint shrimp. OK, with a little surfing I can get them for $10 each for breeding adults. We breed Berghia Nudibranchs. Berghiabase is … There are mixed opinions about how helpful this book either is or is not. If you are seriously interested in breeding these sea slugs, there is a book you can get: Although, I do caution you to read some of the reviews. This is exactly why they are popularly added to our tanks as a natural way to control aiptasia. I feel that in aquaria Amphipods will not usually hunt down adults, since they have many other easier food sources, but this can’t be ruled out. Both sets were very healthy and very much appreciated!! Way safer than the Copperband butterflyfish or even the Peppermint shrimp, both of which are occasionally reported to be problematic towards certain coral species. That means you need to have lots of eggs and sea slug babies. 'Breeding Berghia Nudibranches' is a new book by Dene Banger that explains how to set up and maintain a system for breeding Aiptasia devouring Berghia nudibranchs, sell them for fun and profit, and scale the system based on demand. This may not seem so bad, however at recommended stocking levels this can get expensive. As the berghia start breeding and the numbers get up, move the mature adults over to the main tank. In addition to my 10g Aiptasia grow-out tank I already showed, I have started a 2.7g Berghia breeding tank with 2g water, heater, air pump, and small filter sponge for bacteria on the air line. This method has left me plenty more free time, and many less culture crashes. Berghia need each other to Hunt, Feed & Breed. Many fish, particularly wrasses, love these little morsels of sea slugs. Calfo, A 2004. So the more you start off with, the faster your population will grow. The other you can use for breeding the large numbers of Berghia needed to eat the Aiptasia in your aquarium. I will share excerpts from one good and one bad review. In my systems it took about 3 months for me to see a difference in Aiptasia levels. I breed Berghia Nudibranchs for local pickup (save you $ on the outrageous overnight shipping costs that others charge). In total there are over 20 of these tanks. Depending on the size of your tank and the density of your anemone problem, that could seriously happen, which is why the retailers will recommend you place them very gently right near a targeted prey or area with some anemones. Unlike other sea slugs, like aplysia, they will not ink up your tank. They will slowly and methodically graze on the anemones, while the anemones and nudibranchs continue to reproduce. You start off with half a dozen and move over a few rock pieces with the aptasia. This looks like Thanksgiving dinner to Berghia nudibranchs. “…little useful information. The eggs are generally laid in a spiral pattern in an ‘out-of-the-way’ location. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Also in culture I’ve had amphipods eat full grown adults. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A breeding Berghia nudibranch lays eggs once every few days (1-3 or 1-4). Please contact Ben at the email below for any requests: I sell these for very cheap since it is a hobby for me. Manual control on the part of the aquarist is another option. Coral banded shrimp may also be problematic. The Berghia Nudibranch is a specialized predator that only eats Aiptasia anemones. One would be used for Aiptasia, which you can harvest from your infested tank. I originally tried using small culture containers floated in a larger aquarium, but after two weeks 50 hours and 100 water changes I quickly changed approach. If you have one, you have a Berghia Nudibranch. This is the worst piece of hobby literature I can recall reading…” – Anthony C. If all goes well, it will probably take about 3 months, or longer, to mostly clear your tank of the pest anemones. It is very common that your Berghia nudibranchs will disappear shortly after being added to your tank. They do however enjoy eating berghia and will therefore need to be removed from the tank before you add the sea slugs. The aiptasia eating nudibranch! Peppermint shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni, are often used for control of these anemones, and work well many times, but often if well fed they prefer easy to eat aquarium food, rather than Aiptasia. Some use injections of kalkwasser, or feed them doses of the Aiptasia control product, Joe’s Juice. Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, thus have a set of reproductive organs for both sexes, but they cannot fertilize themselves. In is the most commonly kept and sold sea slug in America. So if you end up in a situation with a seemingly bare tank, save a few Aiptasia, just wait, and wait. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have! After that our friend to nutrient cycling and proper reef aquaria functioning, the tiny Amphipod will pose some problems to the survival to populations of Berghia. They often come into the trade malnourished and disease ridden. It is generally recommended to start with the 1/2 inch size, to ensure the best chance of establishing a breeding population in your tank. I've been breeding Berghia Nudibranchs for several years and have a mature and well organised program of husbandry and state of the art breeding systems in place to produce the happiest and healthiest little nudibranchs which eat aiptasia like you wouldn't believe. The eggs take about 2-weeks to hatch under normal aquarium temperatures. Breeder's Net: Easy Berghia Nudibranch Propagation - Reefs.com It usually reaches about 1″ long, with some individuals growing slightly larger. All the chambers have large populations of Berghia stephanieae #sea #slugs and a huge number of #egg -strings in total. If you have two or more, you have Nudibranchs. These wonderful little animals have their own drawbacks, however. Now the breeding of nudibranchs themselves can be something of a challenge, sometimes requiring much labor on the part of the aquarist. Check out this video:eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'saltwateraquariumblog_com-leader-3','ezslot_20',161,'0','0'])); Let’s start with the hard-hitting questions: how do you even pronounce “Berghia Nudibranch”? We breed, sell and distribute the Berghia stephanieae nudibranch; nature's answer to the pesky Aiptasia aka Glass Anemones. Here is an interesting fact–did you know that Berghia nudibranchs store up the undigested stinging cells (nematocysts) in the pouches on their back? I’ve used this approach many times in the thousands of gallons and dozens of display and aquaculture systems at the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut. We offer a free open forum and reef related news and data to better educate aquarists and further our goals of sustainable reef management. The rationale for this is that if you hope to eliminate aiptasia from your tank, the invertebrates will need to find each other to gang up on each individual anemone (that’s how they hunt and take down an anemone) and they will need to find each other to mate and reproduce. I picked up some Berghia from @Dan-sf a couple weeks ago, and from @The_Lazy_Reefer this morning. Upon recommendation from the venerable Anthony Calfo to make sure not add any live rock, I promptly removed any rock, and rubble and hunted down every Amphipod , and placed them back in the reef displays. Learn more about caring for the peppermint shrimp here. Berghia are non-toxic to corals and fish and are considered to be completely reef safe. Georgie