While I cannot equal the quality of kilnakorr's pictures, I was inspired to post a video of a juvenile Berghia swarm as they finish off an Aiptasia. The smallest grid markers are 1/16 inch, and the squares are 1/8 inch.
Beghia breeding (Aeolidiella stephanieae)
- Thread starter kilnakorr
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kilnakorr
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I dream of getting a swarm like that! Very nice.
I honestly cannot see why this wouldn't work.
The only drawback I see, is the additional work, and the chance of fouling the water of uneaten aiptasia might just rot away.
kilnakorr
Well-Known Member
I think I have 8-10 or so babies from the first batch, still munching down aiptasia.
I think I'll let them clean out the tank, then move them to DT. One of the adults seems to eat very little, so I might need to keep a few for continues breeding.
The second batch in the new tank is doing great, and although it's still hard to judge the numbers in there, it looks like a lot more than the previous batch.
Pictures are just the ones close enough to the front, to make pictures possible:
Just taken with my phone:
Same as above, with usb microscope:
Still a few left, looking for leftover aiptasia that was consumed earlier.
Another small group, getting medieval on a small aiptasia.
I can't wait until these babies gets to an easy visible size, so I can get a better idea of the numbers. My DT has plenty of food for them!
I think I'll let them clean out the tank, then move them to DT. One of the adults seems to eat very little, so I might need to keep a few for continues breeding.
The second batch in the new tank is doing great, and although it's still hard to judge the numbers in there, it looks like a lot more than the previous batch.
Pictures are just the ones close enough to the front, to make pictures possible:
Just taken with my phone:
Same as above, with usb microscope:
Still a few left, looking for leftover aiptasia that was consumed earlier.
Another small group, getting medieval on a small aiptasia.
I can't wait until these babies gets to an easy visible size, so I can get a better idea of the numbers. My DT has plenty of food for them!
kilnakorr
Well-Known Member
I just sorted the last of the first batch.
The smallest ones went together with new babies, and the rest goes into the DT tonight.
While putting the container with new ones in the sump, for a long drip climate, I spotted this juvenile in the DT:
Gotten quite big since adding them, but wondering why it is out in the daytime.
As the picture shows, no shortage of food XD
The smallest ones went together with new babies, and the rest goes into the DT tonight.
While putting the container with new ones in the sump, for a long drip climate, I spotted this juvenile in the DT:
Gotten quite big since adding them, but wondering why it is out in the daytime.
As the picture shows, no shortage of food XD
I have two 10 gallon tanks where I am growing aiptasia and experimenting. One tank has carbon on the bottom and the other tank has larger gravel. Im not sure which is better to use.
When I get a berghia breeding tank going what is the best way to harvest the aiptasia to move to the berghia tank?
When I get a berghia breeding tank going what is the best way to harvest the aiptasia to move to the berghia tank?
I just pick out gravel or carbon they growing on and plop that in the berghia tank. For larger aiptasia can take scissors and cut the head off and throw that in and then the aiptasia grows right back.
Cutting the tops off the large ones as suggested above works well if you are not harvesting too many. I bought a small plastic spatula and just scrape a 1 inch wide strip of Aiptasia off and then suck them up with a pipette, which makes it quick to harvest as many as you want.
I tried loose carbon substrate, but for me it was just messy and the Aiptasia did not seem to prefer it to plastic container walls anyway. Supposedly some have good experience with it though.
I tried loose carbon substrate, but for me it was just messy and the Aiptasia did not seem to prefer it to plastic container walls anyway. Supposedly some have good experience with it though.
kilnakorr
Well-Known Member
Just thought I'd do an update.
Everything going well, and several berghias is now living in my DT. I have noticed the aiptasia seems to dissappear in som areas, and I often see the berghias out during the day. Seems my wrasse has no interest in them.
A few pictures of the latest batch that went into the DT (already have more ready for transfer)
This is a few hours ago. Cruising on the front glass.:
Everything going well, and several berghias is now living in my DT. I have noticed the aiptasia seems to dissappear in som areas, and I often see the berghias out during the day. Seems my wrasse has no interest in them.
A few pictures of the latest batch that went into the DT (already have more ready for transfer)
This is a few hours ago. Cruising on the front glass.:
kilnakorr
Well-Known Member
Sure.
Two things to say really.
1. Something in my tank is eating the berghias, so I have none in there, and they didn't finish the job. So still a few groups of aiptasia.
2. For some reason, the breeders, are not laying eggs at the moment. Been going on for two or so weeks. I've also had very little luck getting eggs to hatch.
Bottom line, not much going on really, but I still have my setup going. Hopefully, it will bounch back with new eggs and youngsters soon.
Interesting. Very strange that they would stop laying, are you sure they haven't just found a hiding place for the eggs? Healthy adults should lay for several months at least.
I see a lot of variation from one egg batch to the next in hatch, but I usually just set up two or three at a time and one set will give me more than I can raise anyway.
Do you know what might be eating them in your display? I think nocturnally active predators (shrimp/crabs) are probably the biggest risk.
I see a lot of variation from one egg batch to the next in hatch, but I usually just set up two or three at a time and one set will give me more than I can raise anyway.
Do you know what might be eating them in your display? I think nocturnally active predators (shrimp/crabs) are probably the biggest risk.
kilnakorr
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure, it is my shrimp(s). Have had no luck catching them, and as of this moment not even sure they are still alive, or maybe in the overflow
I have to say, I haven't spend to much time on the berghias, so they could be laying eggs behind the filter.
Hopefully, I'll have more time soon, to really spend some time on it.
I'm still raising mine in cohorts. It is a little more work up front, but it allows me to control numbers in each batch which makes it easier to manage feeding ad avoid overcrowding. These are about 1-2 weeks post hatch. In a couple of weeks I will pick the 60 biggest to move into growout. Just right and below the main group (which are clustered because they just finished off a small Aiptasia), there are a couple of larvae that don't have cerata yet. There are also a bunch of tiny pods zipping around, helpful cleanup crew.
jon2norris
Community Member
Any updates? I just stumbled across this thread and it has helped me tremendously
GuppyHJD
Valuable Member
What do you mean carbon bed?
Howdy guys. How’s the grow out doing? I set up two tanks a month ago, one for aiptasia and one for the nudi. I’ve been very successful getting the aiptasia to multiply by cutting heads off and also on big one snipping the tentacles with scissors. They grow back on the mother and each tentacle becomes a new aiptasia. It only takes one single aiptasia cell to grow an entire new aiptasia. I’ve had two egg coils hatch about 3-4 weeks ago. I occasionally see new babies and I can see plenty of little “rice” on the bottom of the tank. If I’m correct from research, looking like tiny rice is part of the larvae stage.
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Good luck with your project! Do you have any pictures to share?
Yes that is correct-newly hatched larvae have no cerrata. They look like a comet with two tiny eyespots. You will often see them radially oriented around a tiny aiptasia. They tend to gather in a group around one aiptasia and polish it off before moving on. The small Berghia really like to feed as a group it seems.
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