Nudibranches & community fish

[my2rotties]

I just received a "tank warming gift", and cannot find any relevant info on my issue. It is a beautiful pink nudibranch, and it's floating in the bag about to go back to the LFS. What is their line of defence since they are so brightly coloured?

Is it poisonous due to the bright colouration? Will my puffer eat it, which is a no brainer since it looks like a fishing angler? How long can one be bagged since I was not planning on driving into the city.

Sigh...

[Black Phantom]

Nice gift but not the most practical. There are so many different types that unless you can find out exactly what you have and how to feed it, it's probably going to starve.:sad:
A lot of the LFS will sell them but not many can tell you what they eat.

[my2rotties]

He was told they ate hair algae but I am reading they eat all sorts of stuff I don't want them to eat. I let her into the tank but will bring her to the LFS tomorrow. If she stays where she is the puffer won't see her...

Nice gift but not the most practical. There are so many different types that unless you can find out exactly what you have and how to feed it, it's probably going to starve.:sad:
A lot of the LFS will sell them but not many can tell you what they eat.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I would be amazed if the puffer doesn't find it. And when he does...

[my2rotties]

Gotcha there. I could not get back into Calgary to return the little creature and didn't know if staying in the bag until tomorrow was doable. Can I put her in a bag and float her over night, or some how store her until morning? SHe is at the top of the tank buy the overflows and Griff is staying low, but I have not gone to bed yet...

Any advise on saving this fishing angler's life?

I would be amazed if the puffer doesn't find it. And when he does...

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Gotcha there. I could not get back into Calgary to return the little creature and didn't know if staying in the bag until tomorrow was doable. Can I put her in a bag and float her over night, or some how store her until morning? SHe is at the top of the tank buy the overflows and Griff is staying low, but I have not gone to bed yet...

Any advise on saving this fishing angler's life?

Do you have a sump or refugium for it?

Im not really sure what you can do but hope Griff stays away. I guarantee he will eat it if he finds it though...if not eat it, he will bite it to figure out what it is.

[Keri]

Mmmmm...! "tastes like poison"

Yeah, I'd store her in the sump where he can't be tempted just to nibble.

[my2rotties]

I had hubby drill tons of holes in a tuperware container and she is in my sump until the LFS opens tomorrow. Can't put her in the refugium since the zebra mantis would whack her too...

Thanks guys, I knew she was a bad idea the second I saw her in the bag. It's the thought that counts right? I will trade her for a Goby or Flame Angel or something...

[Keri]

It's totally the thought that counts :) I'm sure they thought it was a fabulous addition - and I bet she's cool looking! Can you take a pic before you bring her back?

[my2rotties]

Its an awful picture of her in a bucker so be warned. I also only have an iphone to take pictures with so they are not always the best quality. She is gorgeous but I cannot believe the survive in the wild. They look like lures. That is why I thought for sure they are a deadly slug of some sorts.

It's totally the thought that counts :) I'm sure they thought it was a fabulous addition - and I bet she's cool looking! Can you take a pic before you bring her back?

[Keri]

Scroll down and check out pic "E"... I'm sure there is a toxic reason they do not get eaten!!

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=hypsbull


Thanks for the pic!!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Yup the color says POISON!!! to anything that is tempted to eat it but I still wouldn't trust a puffer to stay away :lol:

The tupperware is a great idea.

[moldrik]

Nudibranches are the most incredible thing in the wild. Specially when you actually spot one because they tend to be so small and hiding in the craziest places. And then you see it beautifully moving around and really get an appreciation for this amazing animal.

I wish I had the balls to start a tank with them. They are so awesome.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Are there many species suited to aquarium life? Any that are easily "IDable" and have easy enough care/food requirements?

[justinl]

unfortunately, I can almost guarantee that that thing will be dead in a short amount of time, regardless of where you put it. Nudibranchs are often very highly specialized predators and many feed on single species of prey. hydroids, cnidarians, sponges and bryozoans for the most part. There are a couple that *could* survive in captivity... a guy on RC had success, but it was a) ugly as sin as far as nudibranchs go, b) required the kind of tank that nudis all need (all intakes covered in sponge or something, very carefully selected cohabitants... which would definitely exclude puffers and mantids) and most importantly of all c) food. The species the guy chose was one that he knew ate a certain species of abundant sponge that he could easily collect from his doorstep by snorkeling. so if you're willing to jump through flaming hoops of TNT and wrestle a bear, you may be the kind of person who is fit to care for a nudibranch long term! long story sort, if it were me, I would just kill it now and keep it from killing your tank.

of course, then there's the always lovable zoo and monti eating aeolids which would be relatively easy (but very expensive) to keep... if you're into that kind of thing.

I agree. fascinating and mostly gorgeous animals, but really should be left where we found them: in the ocean.

[my2rotties]

Thanks for all the info... I never really see them in stores or aquariums for the most part. Then again I am new to the hobby. I watch so many documentaries and just know the colour alone must make them toxic.

My puffer dined on a large hermit crab last night instead...:lol: I have to buy crabs and snails in bulk for him, since garlic prawns are not fun to hunt down and eat. He's a bad boy... good thing he's cute all heck.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Man thats going to get expensive. Are you sure you want to keep restocking the crabs?

Make sure you try to find fresh seafoods other than just prawns to feed him. I find they get really picky quickly if you don't feed them a variety of foods and just prawns alone is not the best diet. Its better to mix it up as much as possible.

[my2rotties]

I am heading out today to get some crab legs and mussels, he already has squid and cuttlefish as well. I change it all the time, but he eats whatever he wants when he gets a chance to eat it. I will keep restocking snails since I need them in the tank.

Maybe when he gets more used to being captive perhaps he won't hunt so much. The clowns are still alive and he does not even bother with them for now. He is more then willing to take food from a feeding stick, but it never seems to be quite enough for him. He had one whole squid today and it was just an appetizer it seems. Last night he had half a prawn and half a squid, then of course the hermit crab while I was sleeping. I have no idea of how many snails he has whacked since the tank is so large I cannot keep track of them all.

He will be a good boy for a couple of days and then start hunting again. I think he enjoys the hunting aspect of eating more then being fed. I have the blowers on for him when I feed, so he can chase the food while it blows randomly around the tank. He will not take it from the feeding stick, it must be mobile for him to have interest. He will come up to me with the food, but it must be like prey. If the food touches substate he does ot even have a ten second rule. He does not want it. I have to collect it and sending it flying with a strong blast from the blower.

I saw a captive raised puffer at an LFS, and the little guy was doing tricks for food, and grabbed it from the guys hand. It was a charming little guy that outgrew his tank. That little guy was about half the size of Griff. I have only had him here a week now, so I think he just needs more time to adjust. I know when he sees potential food since he will sit fixated at a rock that has something yummy crawling out of reach. He never gets anything until I go to bed at night of course...:wink:

I'm trying to get it right, and your advise is appreciated more then you will ever know. I will make this work out in the long run. I love the guy he's a comic for sure.

Man thats going to get expensive. Are you sure you want to keep restocking the crabs?

Make sure you try to find fresh seafoods other than just prawns to feed him. I find they get really picky quickly if you don't feed them a variety of foods and just prawns alone is not the best diet. Its better to mix it up as much as possible.