Nudibranches in QT

S

Shilpan

Member
Funny story...

After Beth warning me about QTs, I decided to set one up and practise with a coral frag to see if I can keep parameters in the QT stable. Having a bit of trouble in a small tank the temperature fluxes too much.

So it's set up, I bought a zoanthid colony and...after 5 days I was inspecting it and saw a nudibranch on it! I did dip and inspect before adding the frag.

Anyway, I didn't think this far ahead, what do you guys usually do now? Throw the frag away? I assume there must've been eggs in there somewhere since I hear dip doesn't kill them.
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
I have a heater in all my QTs that is not one of the adjustable ones but more one that has a preset temp...so for my 20 gallon QT I have a 20 gallon heater...5 gallon a 5 gallon heater etc... Seems to keep pretty stable :)

Probably not the question you wanted answered but I know nothing about the other part of your question...
 
S

Shilpan

Member
Awesome thanks! I'm using a budget heater so I'll try get a better one. Ammonia seems stable so far, I left a canister filter in the refugium for 4 weeks before hand.

I hear An inexperienced person is More likely to kill the fish in QT which would otherwise survive if it had been added to the DT so I'm practising

Well I'll wait a while just to see what nudibranchs do to the zoa, think I'll be binning this frag. Man the guy I bought this frag off kept saying "oh no no I've never had any pest problems"
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
image.jpeg

In my opinion doesn't have to be anything fancy...these are what I buy according to the size tank your QT is...if it's 20 buy a 20 gallon heater
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
My .02 I would remove the Nudibranch while they are spectacular marine snails without shells they do poses danger. They in all likelihood will die of starvation unless you have the type that will eat soft corals and have the ones to their liking . The danger then is .They have skin glands that produce strong poisons. Some even able to produce sulfuric acid. If one were to die in your DT their bad stuff will end up in your tank. At the very least If I have one in my tank I would be running major activated carbon. They are as I said spectacular BUT IMO should be kept in a species specific tank.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Not all of them are poisonous. But if it's crawling around on your zoas I agree better to be safe than sorry.

Lettuce nudi's are good for GHA and Berghia's are good for aptaisia control. But the odds of catching one of those species as a hitchhiker are probably pretty not very good.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudibranch

Nudibranchs that feed on hydrozoids can store the hydrozoids' nematocysts (stinging cells) in the dorsal body wall, the cerata.[16]These stolen nematocysts, called kleptocnidae, wander through the alimentary tract without harming the nudibranch. Once further into the organ, the cells are assimilated by intestinal protuberances and brought to specific placements on the creature's hind body. Nudibranchs can protect themselves from the hydrozoids and their nematocysts; the specific mechanism is yet unknown, but special cells with large vacuoles probably play an important role. Similarly, some nudibranchs can also take in plant cells (symbiotic algae from soft corals) and reuse these to make food for themselves. The related group of sacoglossan sea slugs feed on algae and retain just the chloroplasts for their own photosynthetic use, a process known as kleptoplasty.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
I can remember something about nudibranch invading bogs in Back bay Va. brackish water... invasive species some said maybe but.... bass population declined along with water fowl Happy to say things are better due to conservation efforts ...Cheers !!!
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Did they have a large red tide that year?

They put a lot of regulation on these things when it comes to the hobby but very little is discussed about how things like this are transported accross oceans in the ballast tanks of ships.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Really think it was a trickle effect of the pollution of the Chesapeake Bay all things are effected in some way no way around it.. Glad to say things have improved oysters are up crabs last year was awesome fishing good Hoping it continues
 
S

Shilpan

Member
Ok now I'm just using a CFL bulb and the zoa is opening. Can't see anymore nudis or eggs after I removed that nudi.

What lights are good for a QT? I assume some corals need better than cfl
 
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