Group Buy: Aiptasia Nudibranches, Berghia verrucicornis

TheReefGeek · #1 06-29-2006, 09:26 PM

I am going to be ordering Aiptasia Nudibranches, Berghia verrucicornis from http://www.saltyunderground.com/

I am in the process of checking whether or not a Cites permit is required for this, but so far it doesn't look like anything is required.

Salty Underground recommends 8 nudis per 100 gallons. This is if you are going to throw them into your display tank, and hope for the best. I would recommend setting up a little tank with fewer nudis (maybe 3-5? - depends on the tank size, and speed at which you want aiptasia eaten), and rotating your infested rock into it.

The nudis will mate, and lay eggs fairly quickly after arrival, as long as they can find each other. The 8/100g is aiming at doing this. Doing it in the display tank is a bit more risky though, they can become food for your reef inhabitants, or sucked into pumps or end up in sumps.

Eggs take 14 days of so to hatch, then they immediately feed on smaller aiptasia.

The population of your nudis will grow quickly as aiptasia are plentyfull, then as they conquer the aiptasia they will die off as the food disapears. Your aiptasia may come back slowly, and some nudis may survive on this, or all your nudis may die, and your aiptasia may come back eventually.

I am going to try and keep a stock of nudis alive by keeping some aiptasia rock and actually breeding aiptasia! Sounds ridiculous, I know, but this way if the aiptasia does manage to get a foothold in the tank again, I can always get rid of it. Plus I can supply other reefers with these critters if they need them down the road too. Maybe I will start an Aiptasia rock swap, you bring in your aiptasia rock, and get dry rock in return!

Anyhow, some people have already expressed a desire to be in on this order. They current have stock, I am just waiting for the permit confirmation, then I will be ordering.

If anyone else in Edmonton or area would like some of these nudis, please let me know a quantity. Shipping these nudis is not a problem, they are often bred in non-aerated 250ml containers.

G1GY · #2 06-30-2006, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

Maybe I will start an Aiptasia rock swap, you bring in your aiptasia rock, and get dry rock in return!

Isn't the whole idea of the nudi's to be able to get rid of the apsasia pests without getting rid of the rest of the life that is based on that rock? I mean, if someone wanted to kill the aptasia off by drying out the rock they could kill them that way. Or they could bring you a live rock and get a dry one in return?

Please help me to understand, I just don't get it.

TheReefGeek · #3 06-30-2006, 05:04 AM

True enough! Perhaps a "lending" program would work better, you lend me your aiptasia rock, I clean it for you, then you get it back. You get clean rock, I get feeder aiptasia for breeding. That is assuming breeding these suckers works, which according to my research is pretty easy if you can keep enough aiptasia to feed them.

Anyhow this thread is a group buy, no interest yet?