Saying goodbye…

[Formulator]

Well, I tried, but I think its time to surrender this giant colony of anacropora to the aiptasia

I’ve tried everything and they just keep coming back, killing the coral colony from the inside-out. I may frag some pieces, but I think a majority of this colony will be placed outside in the sun to bleach. I figure it will make a cool desk ornament.

I suppose it will be bitter-sweet because I was running out of real-estate for new corals and this guy takes up a LOT of space.

 

[VintageReefer]

Berghia?

I’d put 6 right in the middle of that colony as close to the main trunk as I could. I’m a tight group. Lights off. Flow off. Let them establish and make a colony and start working on that form the inside out

 

[RedReefer]

RIP...

 

[Formulator]

Berghia?

Tried on 3 different occasions. Never saw them again after adding.

 

[JayM]

Berghia?

They definitely worked for me. Tank was wiped clean in a couple of weeks.

 

[VintageReefer]

Tried on 3 different occasions. Never saw them again after adding.

How / where did you add them? Do you have a large wrasse ?

 

[VintageReefer]

They definitely worked for me. Tank was wiped clean in a couple of weeks.

Same here but took about 2 months

I’ve done this twice. About 2 years apart. Both times full eradication

 

[Formulator]

I think my leopard wrasse eats them or they can’t find a good substrate for eggs because about every inch of my tank is covered in a mat of clove polyps. Can they navigate over and through corals?

 

[Formulator]

How / where did you add them? Do you have a large wrasse ?

I have a pair of leopard wrasse that I’m not motivated enough to catch…

 

[VintageReefer]

I think my leopard wrasse eats them or they can’t find a good substrate for eggs because about every inch of my tank is covered in a mat of clove polyps. Can they navigate over and through corals?

Yes and they lay egg swirls on any surface.

My berghia even went in the overflow and cleaned it out, then went down the pipes into my sump. I would find them in the return chamber, suck them out and put them back in the display (to avoid them going through the return pump)
But basically - they can navigate anything

 

[Slocke]

Well, I tried, but I think its time to surrender this giant colony of anacropora to the aiptasia

I’ve tried everything and they just keep coming back, killing the coral colony from the inside-out. I may frag some pieces, but I think a majority of this colony will be placed outside in the sun to bleach. I figure it will make a cool desk ornament.

I suppose it will be bitter-sweet because I was running out of real-estate for new corals and this guy takes up a LOT of space.

I’m having a similar but different issue

 

[Formulator]

Yes and they lay egg swirls on any surface.

My berghia even went in the overflow and cleaned it out, then went down the pipes into my sump. I would find them in the return chamber, suck them out and put them back in the display (to avoid them going through the return pump)
But basically - they can navigate anything

Must be my wrasse getting them then. I’ve done 6 at a time as you suggested and lost them

 

[Formulator]

I’m having a similar but different issue

So hard to watch!

 

[VintageReefer]

The key with understanding berghia is that they are pack hunters. When you buy them, it takes a pack of them to eat a single aiptasia. The packs will work together to eat one aiptasia and then lay eggs for more berghia. You don’t really notice at first, because the process is slow. But as they lay more eggs, you get more and more babies and generations. When they become adult, 1” solid, they can eat an aiptasia on their own. But the real way to make them work is breeding colonies. If they established breeding colonies and laid the egg swirls inside that coral, where fish csnt get to them, you would probably have better success. And as they got older they would leave to go sniff out more aiptasia

They only come out at night in the dark, unless they are starving. So typically wrass sleep at night and the berghia don’t get affected

 

[Tamberav]

butterfly?

 

[VintageReefer]

When you put the 6 in they should be grouped together. Within a 3-4” area. And lights off. If they are too far apart, they won’t find each other to start munching on aiptasia tighter. So place close together and near aiptasia. And in your case, the inner depths of that colony to protect them in the first week or two

 

[Formulator]

butterfly?

I worry for my zoas and blastos. I actually had great success a while back with an aiptasia eating file fish, but he decimated my zoa colonies and chewed on some other softies. So I’m hesitant with fish these days

 

[Stang67]

You could take it out but keep a frag and just regrow it.

 

[Formulator]

When you put the 6 in they should be grouped together. Within a 3-4” area. And lights off. If they are too far apart, they won’t find each other to start munching on aiptasia tighter. So place close together and near aiptasia. And in your case, the inner depths of that colony to protect them in the first week or two

I thought I swore them and their price tag off, but you are tempting me to give it one more shot…

I don’t think I was doing it right as I split the 6 into 2 groups of 3 and put them on each of my 2 large rock islands.

 

[VintageReefer]

I thought I swore them and their price tag off, but you are tempting me to give it one more shot…

I don’t think I was doing it right as I split the 6 into 2 groups of 3 and put them on each of my 2 large rock islands.

Tk corals on the forum has the best berghia I’ve seen.
From website companies the berghia come white. This means they haven’t fed. They do this so when they arrive they are hungry. But berghia can only go a few days without eating. And you don’t know how many days it’s been on the ones you get. They might only have 2 days of life left if they don’t eat. And they might be too shy to eat or adjusting to your water or looking for a spot to make a colony. And die in the process

The berghia i got from tck recently were dark brown. It means well fed. They have plenty of time left in them to breed and find a safe spot. Plenty of energy to explore and look for aiptasia.

I bought 14…to make two colonies of 7 in my two problem areas. Once the areas were cleared out, they left to go get all the rando’s