My berghia experience - no more aiptasia

[NEFFx]

So I thought I’d share my thoughts on how I went from thousands to none.

I’ve had some aiptasia for two+ years in my 240 gallon tank and I moved everything to 210 gallon tank a year ago.

I’ve always had one or two aiptasia that I would use aiptasiaX with 80% success. But I thought I’d try an aiptasia eating filefish in order to mitigate that and see if that would actually work. One day he jumped out of the tank and shortly after I realize that there were thousands of Aiptasia in the tank and he was, I guess, just nipping at them so they weren’t visible. See green goblin anacropora for aiptasia density.

So here I am I’m left with this beautiful sps tank full of thousands of Aiptasia and they seem to be growing even faster.

I looked into Berghia Nidibranchs to control this, based on great success with harlequin shrimp and asterid sea stars, plus, what other choice did I have.

I got the Berghias from salty underground, who were very knowledgeable. The came in a cup with cut syringe so I could place them on the rocks. I got 6 x 1/2” size (1 cm) to try. I don’t have any aggressive shrimp or fish in the tank. Worst was a cleaner wrasse. (Who was caught and removed after he was eating the insides of my clams, especially my blue Squamosa).

For about 2 1/2 to 3 months I was looking at the tank for two hours a day (standard) though would never see any Berghias just more aiptasia. I left for Africa for three weeks and when I came back to look for losses I saw 2 berghias! Then realized I had aiptasia, but there wasn’t any. I looked all over the tank and there wasn’t 1 Aiptasia!! Just 3 berghias from what I could see. Magic.

I have two berghias away so they wouldn’t starve. Though would write this off as a success! Be patient. Took about 4 months.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

So I thought I’d share my thoughts on how I went from thousands to none.

I’ve had some aiptasia for two+ years in my 240 gallon tank and I moved everything to 210 gallon tank a year ago.

I’ve always had one or two aiptasia that I would use aiptasiaX with 80% success. But I thought I’d try an aiptasia eating filefish in order to mitigate that and see if that would actually work. One day he jumped out of the tank and shortly after I realize that there were thousands of Aiptasia in the tank and he was, I guess, just nipping at them so they weren’t visible. See green goblin anacropora for aiptasia density.

So here I am I’m left with this beautiful sps tank full of thousands of Aiptasia and they seem to be growing even faster.

I looked into Berghia Nidibranchs to control this, based on great success with harlequin shrimp and asterid sea stars, plus, what other choice did I have.

I got the Berghias from salty underground, who were very knowledgeable. The came in a cup with cut syringe so I could place them on the rocks. I got 6 x 1/2” size (1 cm) to try. I don’t have any aggressive shrimp or fish in the tank. Worst was a cleaner wrasse. (Who was caught and removed after he was eating the insides of my clams, especially my blue Squamosa).

For about 2 1/2 to 3 months I was looking at the tank for two hours a day (standard) though would never see any Berghias just more aiptasia. I left for Africa for three weeks and when I came back to look for losses I saw 2 berghias! Then realized I had aiptasia, but there wasn’t any. I looked all over the tank and there wasn’t 1 Aiptasia!! Just 3 berghias from what I could see. Magic.

I have two berghias away so they wouldn’t starve. Though would write this off as a success! Be patient. Took about 4 months.

Cool to see they have worked that well for you!

 

[Dburr1014]

Nice!

Just so you know, I know berghia work, but nothing is 100%.
I've used them twice, both times they rid my tank of aptaisia. The last time was 3 years ago. I'm currently at; killed three aiptasia and see two more to kill in my system since.
Though they work, check your system in about 6 months or so for more aptaisia and pick them off in a way as to not spread them. The best way is to remove a rock and kill outside the tank.

 

[NEFFx]

Nice!

Just so you know, I know berghia work, but nothing is 100%.
I've used them twice, both times they rid my tank of aptaisia. The last time was 3 years ago. I'm currently at; killed three aiptasia and see two more to kill in my system since.
Though they work, check your system in about 6 months or so for more aptaisia and pick them off in a way as to not spread them. The best way is to remove a rock and kill outside the tank.

Yea, I had a feeling this may be the case. But it’s good to know that they are controllable in all situations (assuming no berghia predators).

 

[Jmp998]

None of the aiptasia control options are 100% unfortunately. The advantage of berghia is they are of no risk to anything else in your tank. The disadvantage is that they will not persist after the aiptasia are gone.

 

[TheHarold]

Coming from someone who has spent $1000+ on nudibranches…. It’s a temporary fix.

They do eat *almost* all of your Aptasia. However, the Nudibranches then starve and a year later you have another Aptasia infestation. Some Aptasia are inaccessible (in overflow, in rocks, in sump, pumps, etc) so it is a temporary fix but not a cure.

Maybe add another poll option to reflect this outcome.

 

[RedoubtReef]

Great to hear. I order 3 from Salty Underground as well 2 weeks ago and then got another 4 last night. There are at least 2 aiptasia that I have seen go missing so far...unless they moved somehow.

 

[NEFFx]

Coming from someone who has spent $1000+ on nudibranches…. It’s a temporary fix.

They do eat *almost* all of your Aptasia. However, the Nudibranches then starve and a year later you have another Aptasia infestation. Some Aptasia are inaccessible (in overflow, in rocks, in sump, pumps, etc) so it is a temporary fix but not a cure.

Maybe add another poll option to reflect this outcome.

Curious to see. I did check the sump etc but I will be surprised if they don’t come back. That said I thought the same thing with asterid seastar. And they never came back. Will update accordingly. I think didn’t work in the poll would suffice?

 

[spectreknight]

I have done nudibranches as well and like the others it is temporary. Up to now I have done the treatment 3 times over the past 6 years in my display tank. I am going to practice coral QT as well on my next build. BRS made a good video on what they do to try to keep aptasia out of the tank when QT coral.

 

[MrGisonni]

I have a pesky peppermint shrimp that I can't catch, who doesn't eat aptasia but loves berghia nudis. I am hoping he is approaching the end of his lifespan so I can add berghia again

 

[thecitadel]

I have a pesky peppermint shrimp that I can't catch, who doesn't eat aptasia but loves berghia nudis. I am hoping he is approaching the end of his lifespan so I can add berghia again

Peppermint Shrimp eat burghia? Ugh there goes my plan.

 

[Jmp998]

Shrimp especially peppermint shrimp are the highest risk predator for Berghia. Both are active at night. Shrimp don’t seem too picky about taste.

 

[Reeferbadness]

Coming from someone who has spent $1000+ on nudibranches…. It’s a temporary fix.

They do eat *almost* all of your Aptasia. However, the Nudibranches then starve and a year later you have another Aptasia infestation. Some Aptasia are inaccessible (in overflow, in rocks, in sump, pumps, etc) so it is a temporary fix but not a cure.

Maybe add another poll option to reflect this outcome.

I've had the same experience (but didn't spend $1000's - ordered 24 Berghia from Salty Underground on sale ($6.00 each), infestation was beyond F Aiptasia level, 3 months later, all were gone (visibly anyway). Now i'm back to a controlled see and kill level of 1 or 2 a week (with F Aiptasia). The battle will never end. My tank is a 200g with large fuge btw

 

[billyocean]

That's funny..I thought mine were dead. Then all of a sudden about 3 months later...BAM...aptasia gone.

 

[LOVEROCK]

My wrasses eat all of mine I suspect , occasionally I would see one or two hugeee nudis roaming around at 3 am , around the 3rd or 4th month of introducing , I added a copper band and saw it going crazy on aiptasia , like you I had hundreds too , maybe combined team effort , I always see my golden rhomboid hunting at night so I suspect they may have been getting hunted by him.

 

[apb03]

Thank you so much for posting this, I was beginning to feel discouraged. I added 10 nudis to my 110gal tank about 3 weeks ago and really haven't seen any change, except, of course, more aptasia. Going to stick with it for 3 months.

 

[itsdarrow]

How many did you order for your 240 tank? also did you add them to different spots in the tank or all in one area?

 

[Jmp998]

How many did you order for your 240 tank? also did you add them to different spots in the tank or all in one area?

If you add berghia to your tank, it is better to place them in small groups rather than singly. They will do better in a small group (especially juveniles if you buy those, but even smaller adults like to feed together especially on larger aiptasia). It's also easier for them to find each other to mate. Once they eat the aiptasia in one area they will move along.

 

[NEFFx]

How many did you order for your 240 tank? also did you add them to different spots in the tank or all in one area?

As suggested it’s best to deploy them together. I can’t recall how dispersed they were when I introduced them but I only order 6 x 1/2” (larger size) so they were at breeding level from the start and didn’t worry about them Getting potentially eaten before breeding.

 

[GARRIGA]

I'm going to quit my day job and start a breeding operation of nudies