montipora eating nudibranchs help

james hank · 05/12/2007, 04:40 PM

I have a grow out tank that is seperate from main tank.That I've been growing some montipora digita and capacornis, for about 9 months.They have been growing good until about a week ago. I have noticed them bleaching out in the center of the caps,and at the base of the digitas. I assumed bacterial infection dipped in iodine and melafix.
Next day they looked ok ,about three days later it started back.I examined them they had small nudis.I need help can someone help!-----How do you kill them------?

Conky · 05/12/2007, 05:00 PM

IME...and I have quite a bit with these guys...predators and manual removal are the way to go. Most of your wrasses (particularly Halichoeres spp) will eat them. My experience is that blue legged hermits love them as well. You can use medications to "stun" them, and then siphon them off (pipettes work well)...but in the end that is just manual removal. And the medications definitely stress the coral even more.

Whorling species (like capricornis and delicatula) seem to be the hardest to combat in this manner. There's no way you can get down into the deep folds of these corals. Your best bet may be to frag off a "clean" piece of them for survival. Encrusting, plating or digitate species are much easier for fish/crabs to pick them off of.

Mitch Carl, at Henry Dorley Zoo, has come to the same conclusion. He did a lot of testing with medications. In the end nothing works well. And he has colonies that harbor them that do just fine. If growth and predation can keep up...then you are okay.

In looking at them under a stereoscope, it seemed like they had zooxanthellae in their bodies/guts. If they can utilize this for energy, they could potentially live forever in a system. In that case...you can never really get rid of them. Look for a control rather than eradication mechanism.

Just my opinion

highquality · 05/12/2007, 09:26 PM

I thought you could take out all montis two months or so and they wouyld die.
I think there are people who have had success with this method. those things lay so many eggs so quickly you cant keep up. I have gotten them from many popular online retailers. They say they look with microscope bvut the truth is nudibranches crawl up under the tiniest of crevices. I had a monti in quarintine for months , when i went to change tanks I luckily looked under a edge and noticed those yucky floppy things . Absolute nightmare.
You can always frag a clean piece and srub with toothbrush to be safe. you would have to set up a another tank of some sort.
just like the previous post I have found dips to be useless except for stressing the coral badly.

AcanLord · 05/13/2007, 01:58 AM

James
Take them out and into a quar. tank. Need to brush them every week until you don's see anymore nudi for about 6 weeks.
Good luck

jwre · 05/13/2007, 11:55 AM

My coral banded shrimps seems to love them. I have seen today that they were feeding on them.

justinzimm · 05/13/2007, 12:24 PM

jwre,

Let us know how the CB shrimp works out long term! How great would that be if they were the solution to the nudis.

Justin

jwre · 05/13/2007, 12:43 PM

Fingers crossed ! I will keep you posted.

greetz
jw

aquarius77 · 05/14/2007, 01:27 AM

Manual removal and a wrasse.

05/12/2007, 04:40 PM	#1
james hank Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In front of my reef aquariums Posts: 19	montipora eating nudibranchs help I have a grow out tank that is seperate from main tank.That I've been growing some montipora digita and capacornis, for about 9 months.They have been growing good until about a week ago. I have noticed them bleaching out in the center of the caps,and at the base of the digitas. I assumed bacterial infection dipped in iodine and melafix. Next day they looked ok ,about three days later it started back.I examined them they had small nudis.I need help can someone help!-----How do you kill them------?

05/12/2007, 09:26 PM	#3
highquality Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: n.c. Posts: 550	I thought you could take out all montis two months or so and they wouyld die. I think there are people who have had success with this method. those things lay so many eggs so quickly you cant keep up. I have gotten them from many popular online retailers. They say they look with microscope bvut the truth is nudibranches crawl up under the tiniest of crevices. I had a monti in quarintine for months , when i went to change tanks I luckily looked under a edge and noticed those yucky floppy things . Absolute nightmare. You can always frag a clean piece and srub with toothbrush to be safe. you would have to set up a another tank of some sort. just like the previous post I have found dips to be useless except for stressing the coral badly. __________________ " If you can touch people with wildlife, then they want to save it." Steve Irwin Current Tank Info: One of my tanks is a 50 gallon Mini Reef - 250 wt 20k on a PFO mag. ballast - a 250 wt krystal star 11k on a dynamic E-ballast - ASM G2 1/2 skimmer -TLF phosban reactor with 1 1/2 carbon in it -

05/12/2007, 05:00 PM	#2
Conky Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 588	IME...and I have quite a bit with these guys...predators and manual removal are the way to go. Most of your wrasses (particularly Halichoeres spp) will eat them. My experience is that blue legged hermits love them as well. You can use medications to "stun" them, and then siphon them off (pipettes work well)...but in the end that is just manual removal. And the medications definitely stress the coral even more. Whorling species (like capricornis and delicatula) seem to be the hardest to combat in this manner. There's no way you can get down into the deep folds of these corals. Your best bet may be to frag off a "clean" piece of them for survival. Encrusting, plating or digitate species are much easier for fish/crabs to pick them off of. Mitch Carl, at Henry Dorley Zoo, has come to the same conclusion. He did a lot of testing with medications. In the end nothing works well. And he has colonies that harbor them that do just fine. If growth and predation can keep up...then you are okay. In looking at them under a stereoscope, it seemed like they had zooxanthellae in their bodies/guts. If they can utilize this for energy, they could potentially live forever in a system. In that case...you can never really get rid of them. Look for a control rather than eradication mechanism. Just my opinion

05/13/2007, 01:58 AM	#4
AcanLord Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 68	James Take them out and into a quar. tank. Need to brush them every week until you don's see anymore nudi for about 6 weeks. Good luck

05/13/2007, 11:55 AM	#5
jwre Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Amsterdam, Holland Posts: 267	My coral banded shrimps seems to love them. I have seen today that they were feeding on them.

05/13/2007, 12:24 PM	#6
justinzimm Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 427	jwre, Let us know how the CB shrimp works out long term! How great would that be if they were the solution to the nudis. Justin

05/13/2007, 12:43 PM	#7
jwre Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Amsterdam, Holland Posts: 267	Fingers crossed ! I will keep you posted. greetz jw

05/14/2007, 01:27 AM	#8
aquarius77 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Highland, Il Posts: 2,198	Manual removal and a wrasse.