Hello everyone, I just recently added a beautiful Red and White Nudibranch in my 47 gallon Cube Reef Aquarium which had a limited amount of live rock. I added about 70 lbs more and within a day or two I haven't seen hide nor hair of him. Should I start to worry or is this normal behavior for a Nudibranch with alot of rockwork to hide in? When should I expect him back in the open?
Hello everyone, I just recently added a beautiful Red and White Nudibranch in my 47 gallon Cube Reef Aquarium which had a limited amount of live rock. I added about 70 lbs more and within a day or two I haven't seen hide nor hair of him. Should I start to worry or is this normal behavior for a Nudibranch with alot of rockwork to hide in? When should I expect him back in the open?
99% of Nudibranchs should be left in the ocean because they have very specific food requirements which we cannot possibly supply. Mostly because we don't know what they require for food. You added 70 lbs of LR to an established aquarium. I suspect your tank experienced a cycle and not a mini cycle. I also suspect your nudibranch died of acute ammonia poisoning due to the cycle. Nudibranchs, besides needing species specific food items are very susceptible to Toxic conditions such as experienced in a cycle, even a mini cycle. I believe your nudibranch is gone. One other thing about Nudibranchs, they often get sucked into power heads and overflows. They are simply not a good choice in our reef tanks as beautiful as they are.
Sorry, if I come across abruptly but the truth is the truth and that's how we learn.
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
Thank you guys. I figured as much but just wanted to get a confirmation from those with much more experience then me. It was a shame the little bugger was extremely beautiful.
Yes, they are extremely beautiful. That's why they are collected. If everyone stopped buying Nudibranchs maybe, just maybe, they would stop collecting them. But as long as someone buys them, they are doomed. People, listen up, stop waisting your money on Nudibranchs. Let them remain in the ocean where they will live out their life cycle!
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
I agree that Nudibranchs should be left in the ocean, 99.99% of them will not survive in our aquariums. However, if we happen to find hitchhiker nudibranchs in our tanks, we should try to find out what they eat and if they can be a useful biological control of aquarium pests (such as aiptasia or majano).
Basically they should not be purchased, unless they are captive bred ones that control pests.
What really kills me is the guy on ebay that is selling a 1 gallon or 1.5 gallon aquarium that is stocked with 3-5 BRIGHTLY colored nudibranchs and the advertisement said that the aquarium walls will provide all the food needed for these beautiful creatures. I wrote an email to ebay stating that the statements in the advertisement were false and misleading. I got an email back telling me to cease and desist! Amazing.
I agree that Nudibranchs should be left in the ocean, 99.99% of them will not survive in our aquariums. However, if we happen to find hitchhiker nudibranchs in our tanks, we should try to find out what they eat and if they can be a useful biological control of aquarium pests (such as aiptasia or majano).
Basically they should not be purchased, unless they are captive bred ones that control pests.
What really kills me is the guy on ebay that is selling a 1 gallon or 1.5 gallon aquarium that is stocked with 3-5 BRIGHTLY colored nudibranchs and the advertisement said that the aquarium walls will provide all the food needed for these beautiful creatures. I wrote an email to ebay stating that the statements in the advertisement were false and misleading. I got an email back telling me to cease and desist! Amazing.
Brian
Hitchhiking Nudibranchs are the only exception besides Berghia Nudibranchs for Aptasia control. Berghia are being propagated for that purpose and parish after their job is finished. People buying Berghia should sell or give them to another reefer and continue to pass them on so they live a longer life.
I just did a search on ebay for Nudibranchs and came up with nothing live. I, too, would have sent them an e-mail of my concerns. Maybe if enough of us complained they would not allow Nudi's to be sold there.
Dick
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
I just did a search on ebay for Nudibranchs and came up with nothing live. I, too, would have sent them an e-mail of my concerns. Maybe if enough of us complained they would not allow Nudi's to be sold there.
Dick
Dick,
He only sells them once every few months, but he has been on ebay the past couple of years. I saved his userID somewhere, but can't find it now. It also wasn't some random sale of hitchhiking nudibranchs, when the guy sells them he typically has 5-10 of the aquariums available.
There also happens to be another type of nudibranch that eats both aiptasia and majano anemones, they sometimes hitchhike in on Florida aquacultured LR. Definitely not Berghia, but still pretty cool looking.
Experience with Nudibranchs? 
V-series Productions 
Linear Mode
