Berghia are not a threat. The problem with them is that the only thing they eat is aiptasia. No aiptasia, berghias starve. Some cucumbers and sea apples can be toxic though in the case of cucumbers the small ones would not be a threat except in the smallest of tanks.
What was the general consensus on the berghia? I keep hitting my aiptasia with X, but they regenerate and I have more tiny ones popping up.
I feel like that stuff just makes them spread for some reason. I had been battling them for the past year till I got my copper band
They work but are expensive and will die without more aiptasia to eat. I'd go with peppermint shrimp. They have worked just as well for me. Easier to obtain and won't die once aiptasia is eradicated. The Fish Tank usually has some in stock.
I had a big peppermint shrimp. About week 3 though, I introduced some freshly fragged acans to the tank. The shrimp went rogue. At first I thought he was cleaning. Then he moved to cup coral and went all scissor hands. Tentacles started flying everywhere. I grabbed that dude by the antennae and yanked him out.
Another possibility is Filefish. I have one coming with my new tank. Previous owner claims that as long you keep him fed with some meaty and veggie, he leaves everything in the tank alone except Aiptasias.
I've tried file fish twice both time ate coral. Ppl who came to the meeting at my house saw first hand lol
File fish eradicated both aiptasia and majonos in my tank. He also eats Xenia, clove polyps, zoas, and euphyillias. Won't touch my hated palys though! Peppermint shrimp would be ideal in small tanks, the key is to have several, 6 or more. Copperbands are amazing and beautiful but I consider them an advanced fish. For larger tanks. Berghia seem popular within the hobby. Just seems short sided to buy an animal that will starve once it's done what you want.....even if it is a nudi.
Oh my! I wonder if you got the wrong one? Seems I've read that there are 2 different ones that are referred to as peppermint. One is the kind you want and the other is not so nice. So far mine is doing fine and I have no aiptasia to be found! Crossing fingers it doesn't go rogue one day!
Yeah.. I usually see her grab a fish food pellet or when I feed the corals I usually give her a squirt. (And I think I read they can be both male and female but when I got her she was carrying babies in her swimmerettes.. ) And yeah, I only had about 3 small ones and they were gone within about a day! I wish she would eat the dang hair algae that is all over my rocks!
Babies!! Cool!! My peppermint is now clearing aiptasia in the show tank at The Fish Tank. rotten rascal.
Well I researched peppermint shrimp breeding and quickly decided it was a project for another time! Lol it seems quite intensive and I just don't currently have the time to mess with it. I believe she's dropped them now so I guess the damsel had a snack!
