Berghia not worth it for Aiptasia control.

[HarryLongo]

While not hard to get, these little creatures, in my opinon only, are not worth it for Aiptasia control... and for a few good reasons.

One reason being, the heart of the aquarist is shot through whenever he sees one in his keep die. Once all the Aiptasia are consumed by berghia, they stave to death since aiptasia is said to be their only food source. The aquarist starts off knowing that the death of his nudibranchs are certain. The only hope is to try and capture them and give them to someone in need of them.

Another reason is, everything eats them.

Yet another good reason not to opt for berghia is that there is on the market a chemical control which the aiptasia quickly injest and die from in a few minutes. The residual chemical is reef and fish safe and I've treated aiptasia with it which were attached directly to pulsating xenia without any adverse consequences to the xenia, at all.

This stuff is injected onto the aiptasia as it sticks to their mantle disk... they, by and large, do not retract into their holes, but gulp the stuff down as if it were food. In a few minutes they're all gone forever... something which otherwise takes a piece of time for berghia to do before they stave to death.

I'm not a salesman for the product so I won't give it's name. In the interest of the hobby though, quick killing off of aiptasia is way better than waiting on berghia to get them, especially since the stuff is patented and reef safe. This is only my opinion drawn from my experience.

[Jeff]

You cant kill them all manually though. Even taking every single rock out of the tank and killing them wont work since you cant see them all.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Have you used to use berghia for aiptasia control? Did they not work for you?

[syrinx]

First off- this should prob be in responsible reefkeeping. If you are so sensitive to a nudibranch starving-or being eaten- you should be as worried about the aptasia being killed. The product you talk about is great for removing about 80% of the population-which allows for repeat sales and constant work and worry. I would use kalk paste or pickling lime first on what you can see, then add the nudies to clean up whats left. Get the problem solved 100% and go on with life.

[snorvich]

I have used berghia with good results. When they run out of food they hunt during the day and you can easily remove them and give them (sell them) to someone who needs them.

[Jeff]

I have gone thru 4 or 5 bergias but I never see them after I add them and my aptasia population never went down. I think that my wrasses feasted on them. I have a Copper Banded Butterfly in there now, hopefully he will eat mine. I dont have many and I kalk them every couple weeks.

[Letmegrow]

If the nudis were cheaper then it would be a fine remedy.
At and up to $7 - $25 a pop it's not cost effective.

I use Aiptasia control.
You will always get aips, there is no 100% way to get rid of them.

I agree with the OP, I don't mind going into my tank once a month and knocking some out with aiptasia control. I rarely count on a animal to control something like algae or killing something else harmful.

Lemonjuice, vinegar, and Kalk paste have never worked for me.
I have had great success with peppermint shrimp, but even they don't get every last one. They would rather eat your fish food.

[BadRoma1]

I've tried everything. with the use of chemicals for aiptasia control, with time aiptasia population got so huge it was covering everything like yellow pollyps now. i did bring in nudies next and i saw one over a month later and he was huge. however, aiptasia population appeared to be the same. then I got a peppermint who ate all aiptasia and i had him for a long time untill he went down my overflow and got traped in chaeto. then i got copperband, he ate my featherdusters first, only then he started eating aiptasia that grew back since peppermint was gone. I don't think any animal got aiptasia as well as my peppermint who was clearing huge areas overnight, however I never had 100% aiptasia erradication at any given point. without chemicals or aiptasia controling animals it always came back on me here and there. i did notice that without the use of chemicals it takes much longer for aiptasia to spread

[miwoodar]

2007 in my tank....
* 11 pep shrimp (eaten by wrasse and/or watchman goby)
* 12 berghia (eaten by wrasse and/or watchman goby)
* Copperband butterfly (didn't last long)
* Kalk paste (~50% mortality but definitely knocked them down even when it didn't kill them...have to retreat often)

I haven't tried JJ's or AipX yet - that will be next on my list. I've come to the realization that I will never completely erradicate aiptasia from my display though. There is just no possible way to find every last one of them.

[Canarygirl]

i did notice that without the use of chemicals it takes much longer for aiptasia to spread

Really? I tried AptasiaX or whatever it's called a few weeks ago and all of the atpasia and majanos came back, plus 50% more than I had originally. Do you think that the aptasiax causes them to spread more quickly? (Majanos will spread no matter what I do to them, it seems like...:( )

[liveforphysics]

http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/angelfish/asfurangelredsea/

I never had much luck with copperbands or peppermints. I got an Asfur Angel, not to eat aptasia, but just because I liked the fish. The Asfur gobbles down aptasia like a demon. Ate maybe a hundred in a day, in 3-4 days you couldn't find a majano or aptasia anywhere, and I haven't seen one again for the last year of having this fish in my reef. It's mainly an SPS reef, but it does have a few zoa, rics, and RTBAs. The Asfur has never bothered them.

Best Wishes,
-Luke

[ERB82]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13868693#post13868693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Canarygirl
Really? I tried AptasiaX or whatever it's called a few weeks ago and all of the atpasia and majanos came back, plus 50% more than I had originally. Do you think that the aptasiax causes them to spread more quickly? (Majanos will spread no matter what I do to them, it seems like...:( )

That was my experience with the product. They all came back in the same spots within a month or two and then spread like CRAZY! I recently put in some peppermints and the aips have been disappearing.

[Malenurse]

I've had pepperment shrimp that eat the aiptasia and others that don't. I tried "Chem-Marin Stop Aiptasia" which didn't work well. I've had my best luck with Joe's Juice.

[Reefbox]

I think the Berghia are well worth the money for the job they perform.

[OwenInAZ]

Hey Chris :)

I've tried the Aiptasia X stuff and it's worked well so far -- the problem I have is getting small ones. Big ones are easy to get, but dusting larger rocks for teeny anemones is a pain in the butt.

Oh, and three peppermint shrimp all died ;)

[BadRoma1]

don't you see, Owen? that's the problem, it eradicated large aiptasia that spreads baby clones before it dies, or whatever it calls. that's the thing with those chemicals. because aiptasia protects itself by releasing clones once it's stressed to continue its generation. so when you put a chemical on and don't kill the whole thing at once, it lets bunch of babies out, so later you see all the little aiptasia.

[mannyhernz]

i have added 6 brghia 2 months ago,and the population has not come down,i know the berghia is still there because i saw one of them traveing on my live rock at night....IMO if these lil guys eat aptaisia they sure take their time!....also can anyone post the peppermint shrimp that eat aptaisia is it L.wurdermani?...see peppermints at my lfs but not sure if those are the right ones...

[thecoralreefer]

I know that camel shrimp will eat aptasia too.
So many ignore this fine little guy and I wonder why ???

[Canarygirl]

I know that camel shrimp will eat aptasia too. So many ignore this fine little guy and I wonder why ???


maybe because of the fact that when they run out of pests to eat they will start on coral flesh... :lol:

[miwoodar]

They will likely begin eating corals even before your aiptasia are gone. :)