Questions and Answers about
Berghia Nudibranchs

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This Berghia nudibranchs was newly introduced into the saltwater tank. It immediately begins to kill an aiptasia anemone.

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Do Berghia eat anything besides aiptasia anemones?

Berghia nudibranchs eat ONLY aiptasia anemones.

Do Berghia eat majano anemones?

Majanos on left - Aiptasia on right

No. Berghia nudibranchs eat ONLY aiptasia anemones.

Are Berghia reef safe?

Yes.

How big are your adult Berghia?

Our adult Berghia are at least 1/2" up to about 1" in length at the time they are shipped. They are laying eggs at this size. Berghia can reach a total length of about 1 1/2" - 2".

We ship the largest Berghia we have available. Berghia are relatively small creatures compared to most things we put in our tanks. It's common for them to lose some size in shipping as well. So they may look small when they arrive at your door, especially if they are balled up rather than stretched out. They will regain their normal size after they eat once in your care.

Are there any predators to Berghia nudibranchs?

Peppermint shrimp are a frequent addition to a saltwater tank to control aiptasia. Unfortunately, they frequently fail to eat aiptasia. They are an aggressive predator to Berghia nudibranchs.

Please keep in mind there are times when creatures considered "reef safe" do not act as expected. But, generally speaking, the creatures below are those you should be most concerned about when adding Berghia.

Any fish that aggressively hunts the rock at night for food other than algae, including some wrasses, butterflyfish and some dottybacks.

Shrimp that scavenge at night: Peppermint shrimp, coral banded shrimp, camel shrimp (does not include cleaner or fire shrimp).

Aggressive crabs that scavenge for food: Sally lightfoot crabs, arrow crabs, pom pom crabs, rock crab hitchhikers and emerald crabs that have no algae to eat (does not include emerald crabs with algae available to eat or any hermit crabs).

It's hard to predict fish behavior. As a general rule if your fish spends a lot of time "hunting" your reef on a regular basis, especially at night, it is suspect for hunting berghia.

Also, larger aiptasia may eat a Berghia if it is accidentally dropped directly into the aiptasia’s mouth area. So be careful when adding them to your tank.

Are Berghia 100% effective all of the time?

Berghia are invertebrates. This means they require good aquarium conditions to thrive, including good water quality, a lack of predators and water current that allows them to cling to the rockwork while moving from one aiptasia to another.

Berghia Verrucicornis eats only aiptasia anemones and they are completely reef safe.

You want to have enough Berghia in your tank so they can find each other to mate and lay eggs. The eggs may hatch and continue to populate the tank until the aiptasia are gone.

There is a chance that the Berghia will not find all of the aiptasia before they die off. They usually eat the smallest aiptasia first and move on from there.

Berghia are nocturnal eaters. If you find a Berghia in the tank during the day, chances are it is having a hard time finding an aiptasia to eat. If possible, use a pipette or other small suction device to move the Berghia close to an aiptasia.

If you only have a few aiptasia, we do not recommend using Berghia to eradicate them. The Berghia may starve before they can find all of the aiptasia in your tank. We recommend using Berghia for a moderate to heavy aiptasia problem only.

How many Berghia do I need?

Berghia nudibranchs begin laying eggs at 4-6 weeks of age. They can eat one or more medium aiptasia anemones a day.

We recommend at least 8 Berghia per 100 gallons of water for a moderate to heavy aiptasia problem (50-100 aiptasia per 100 gallons). Getting the right number is important. You want to have enough Berghia in your tank so they can find each other to mate and lay eggs. The eggs may hatch and continue to populate the tank until the aiptasia are gone.

If you only have a few aiptasia, we do not recommend using Berghia. They may starve before they can find all of the aiptasia in your tank. We recommend using Berghia for a moderate to heavy aiptasia problems only.

What happens to the Berghia when the aiptasia are gone?

Berghia nudibranchs will starve to death if they have not eaten in around 5-7 days.

Berghia are nocturnal animals. If you see one during the day, chances are it is having a hard time finding an aiptasia to eat.

You can see the eggs beginning to form inside it's body in this Berghia nudibranch.

Their coloring will also indicate if they have not eaten in the previous 48 hours. They will look a completely white or off-white in color if they have not eaten. (If they have eaten they will have a darker brownish color.) If possible, use a pipette or other small suction device to move the Berghia close to any remaining aiptasia. If all of the aiptasia is gone, suction them up and pass them on to a friend. Otherwise, they will starve.

Will the Berghia eat any size aiptasia?

Berghia Verrucicornis gang up on large aiptasia anemones at the base of the anemone to eat.

Yes, they can eat all aiptasia. But, especially large aiptasia may require multiple Berghia to attack it at the same time. If one Berghia tries to eat a large aiptasia by itself, the aiptasia may use its long tentacles to sting the Berghia in defense. If the Berghia attack as a group, they can disable the aiptasia at its base before the aiptasia can fight back. We have seen a group of Berghia attack a large aiptasia in our own tanks, and it’s very interesting to watch.

Will I see the Berghia in my tank after they have been introduced?

Berghia are nocturnal animals. The best time to spot them is at night using a flashlight. They are hard to find, so don't be surprised if you don't see them.

They usually eat the smallest, easiest to access aiptasia first and move on from there. If you find a Berghia in the tank during the day, chances are it is having a hard time finding an aiptasia to eat. If possible, use a pipette or other small suction device to move the Berghia closer to an aiptasia.

Note that Berghia are not aquarium pets that you buy for the enjoyment of their company like you do with fish or some other inverts. Chances are you will not see much of your Berghia once introduced into the tank.

How do I acclimate my Berghia?

We include a transfer pipette to move your Berghia nudibranch from bag to tank in every order.

Please click here to go to the Acclimation Instructions page.

Can I handle the Berghia using my hands?

Berghia nudibranchs are small and fragile. We do not recommend handling them with anything other than a pipette or other small suction device, like a turkey baster that has been used only in your tank.

How much do your adult Berghia cost?

Berghia Quantity	Price Each	Shipping	Box Charge*
1-7	$15	standard rate	$4
8-11	$15	standard rate	FREE
12-19	$15	Free upgrade to Priority overnight shipping**	FREE
20-29	$14	Free upgrade to Priority overnight shipping**	FREE
30-44	$14	FREE	FREE
45-74	$13	FREE	FREE
75-100	$12	FREE	FREE
* Box charge covers packaging, transfer pipette and a heat pack if needed. ** Choose FedEx's Standard Overnight Shipping during the check out process and Salty will upgrade the shipping to FedEx's Priority Overnight Shipping.

What are my shipping options?

Berghia Shipping Options (U.S. only*)	Cost Range	Live Arrival Guarantee**	Notes
FedEx Standard Overnight	$22-34	Yes***	Available to all addresses where FedEx offers standard service. Standard home/business delivery not recommended during extreme cold/hot weather due to extended time in delivery truck.
FedEx Priority Overnight	$25-37	Yes	Available to all addresses all year. Priority overnight encouraged during extreme weather.
FedEx Saturday Delivery to a FedEx office	$25-37	Yes	Available to all addresses all year. Same cost as Priority overnight weekday delivery.
FedEx 2-Day Guaranteed Delivery	$14-24	No	High live arrival success rate. Recommended only during warm-weather months.
FedEx Ground or U.S.P.S. Priority Mail	$8-12	No	High live arrival success rate. Available to several delivery zones with an estimated 2-day delivery. Recommended only during warm-weather months. Delivery time is not guaranteed.
* Canada and other countries please contact us for shipping options and estimates. Live arrival guarantee covers the value of the berghia. * Shipping to daytime temps under 35 degrees or over 90 degrees can void live arrival guarantee. Please contact us for details.

Do you guarantee live arrival?

We guarantee live arrive on overnight shipments only. The guarantee covers the value of the Berghia. The shipping and box charges are not included in the guarantee.

Is there a box charge and what does it cover?

There is a box charge of $4 for orders of 7 Berghia or less. It covers the box and packing materials. If a heat pack is needed, that is included as well. We also include a transfer pipette in each shipment. This is a very handy tool for moving the Berghia from bag to tank. The box charge is waived on orders of 8 or more Berghia.

To what size do the Berghia grow?

Place Berghia nudibranchs in your tank near aiptasia anemones, but not right on them or they may be eaten.

Berghia typically grow to 1 ½” to 2” in size.

The adult Berghia are usually about ½”-1” in size when we ship them and are laying eggs. They may appear a smaller when they arrive after shipping. They will regain size after acclimation and eating.

How long do Berghia live?

We believe they live 8-12 months as long as they have aiptasia to eat. Usually they die of starvation, not of old age though.

Are these nudibranchs a different species from the zoanthid eating nudibranchs?

Berghia nudibranchs are not the same species as those that eat zooanthid corals. They look a lot a like each other though. Since Berghia eat only aiptasia, it would be a true miracle to get one as a hitchhiker as you might the zoa eating variety.

How often do Berghia eat?

Berghia will eat everyday or two. They can go up to 5-7 days without eating before they die. But we don’t recommend testing this with your Berghia.

How long will it take for the Berghia to clean my tank of aiptasia?

Aiptasia anemones will quickly multiply on live rock and kill saltwater corals.

It depends on the number of Berghia in the tank, the size of your tank and degree of the aiptasia problem. We recommend at least 8 Berghia per 100 gallons of water for a moderate to heavy aiptasia problem (50-100 aiptasia per 100 gallons). Plan on it taking about 2 months for the Berghia to clean the tank depending on how bad the problem is if you use this formula. It may take a few weeks before you begin to see a difference in the aiptasia population.

Berghia nudibranchs can mate and lay eggs almost everyday in your saltwater tank.

If my Berghia lay eggs, will they hatch?

Yes, assuming conditions are right in your tank, they should hatch. It takes about 4-6 weeks from the time the eggs are laid to the time you will be able to see the new Berghia well with the naked eye.

Questions and Answers aboutBerghia Nudibranchs