How to get rid of nudibranchs

[maphew]

Had a customer losing multiple soft corals in his tank so i told him to bring in a rock where one of the corals used to be. I found small and large nudibranchs all over the rock. I was asking how to get rid of these little worthless parasites. Does anyone have any suggestions? He has a 4-line wrasse, will he eat them eventually?

[dark horge]

I'm thinking a 6-line will not, nor will most other fish

Many Aeolid and Dendronotid nudibranchs that prey on soft corals are usually shunned by fishes (their frilly forms both look and taste unsavory).

You may have to remove by hand.







Interestingly, a significant predator of these slugs in the wild is certain other, larger nudibranchs, which can track their prey (following the slime trail) for days in a slo-mo death chase.
Just some interesting, if largely worthless trivia.
Sorry.

[dark horge]

That would work to free the coral being treated, MuchoReef.
--and I mean the coral itself and by itself.

However, I think maphew was looking for a way to treat the rocks as well (where many of these corallivores can wander off to at odd parts of the day), and other refuges in the tank.

Subjecting LR to a FW dip would severely impact beneficial fauna and flora on the rock.

[dark horge]

Again, and in more direct terms, muchoreef:

The osmotic shock involved in the FW dip you are propounding on
(the very same osmotic shock that impacts unwanted nudibranchs)--

that osmotic shock will damage and even kill outright much beneficial flora and fauna (on/in the LR) ---most of such are more delicate than the target slugs.

If the rock is small and fairly devoid of such beneficial hitchhikers, except (of course) maybe nitrifying bacteria, then the collateral damage will be low. A stable enough, and large enough reef system can cover for both the loss of nitrifying/denitrifying potential, and any nutrient spike ensuing from the death of the aforementioned flora and fauna.

Again, there is a need to screen the soft corals, substrate, rock superstructure and practically every other surface that the unwanted nudibranchs may frequent or have left their effects (egg strands, progeny, etc) on. Should we then flush the whole tank with FW?


Just having fun --the point I guess, is to select all the most infested rock and dip, as well as dipping the affected corals. This is done repeatedly until the infestation disappears.

Just be aware of the impact on the rock being exposed to FW.



horge

[SouthernReefer]

mucho reef, thanks for the tip. i also heard that you can kill nudibranches with a shot of high salinity water using a baster. i perfer to either squash them when i find them, or use a wet/dry shop vac and vacuum my liverock. i have had them 3 times in the past, and each time i thought i won. but they come back after a time. i will try a fresh water dip if they reappear anytime soon. i've posted a pic of the species of nudibranch i am dealing with, tritonpsilla alba.

[Rick O]

I have heard FW dips suggested to kill many reef pests from nudibranches to flatworms. I'm not a scientist but it only stands to reason that if it will kill the pests then it will kill some of the life we want and need in our tanks. Otherwise why would we put salt in in the first place?

[Alice]

MUCHO REEF;

I don't think you should pull the thread. You are only stating what has worked for you and Horge is only stating the cautions associated with your course of action.

I've used the FW dip method myself on selected rocks/affected corals.

Alice

[MUCHO REEF]

Best of luck to you Maphew.

Thanks Alice.