lettuce nudibranch

[Kittikity]

I saw one of those on ebay and am really interested in getting one.. The auction says it's hardy and reef safe.. But I wanted to get your opinions..

 

[Kittikity]

Nevermind, think I found my own answer.. That would be a negative on the reef safe.. If anybody can tell me differently then I'd like to know..

 

[caryliss]

Algae eaters, though they don't seem to eat large quantities (one won't clear a tank of hair algae IME). They will reproduce in your tank if happy, though I've never managed to "raise" very many at a time. For me they seem to live ~ 6 months, but I always seem to have a couple of juveniles growing up to replace the older ones.

Will be shredded by powerheads. I found my first two in chunks the next morning. Now I keep them in my sea horse tank that doesn't need much flow so I put foam guards over the intakes.

Despite the common name they are slugs, not nudibranchs.

 

[caryliss]

They are reef safe.

 

[Kittikity]

Thanks for the info.. I'd read on another site that they'll eat soft corals..

 

[Kittikity]

Is that why I'm getting conflicting info? Because they're a sea slug and not really a nudibranch.. i.e.-sea slugs eat algae and nudibranch eat corals?

 

[caryliss]

There are lots of different nudibranchs--some are beneficial (Berghia nudis eat aiptasia, for example) and some are are very nasty (such as the zoanthid-eating nudis).

Some slugs are bad.

The lettuce "nudibranchs" are harmless, somewhat beneficial, relatively hardy with proper precautions.

 

[Kittikity]

Proper precautions? You mean the powerheads? I have aquaglobe powerheads which are really small and have a small cage around the intake..

 

[caryliss]

Depending upon the size of the cage they can still get sucked in. Their bodies are mostly water and are "flexible."

 

[Kittikity]

The cage is about the size of my thumb.. These are really small powerheads..

 

[caryliss]

Sorry, I was referring to the size of the openings on the cage--the size of the grillwork. Unless they are a fine mesh there is the risk of the nudi's getting sucked in. The size of the powerhead (flow rate) will also affect the amount of suction.

 

[Kittikity]

Here's a pic of the powerheads.. They're supposed to 200 gph.. Not sure how much flow that is supposed to be since these are my first powerheads and I don't have anything to compare them to.. I do know that if I put them too low in my 20 gal, the flow actually hits the other side of the tank and blows my oolite sand around a bit..

 

[Anonymous]

The nudi will be a bad choice for several reasons. First, it has no way to grasp the reef when it's being buffeted by current. It will quickly become fodder for a powerhead or go down an overflow.

Second, it will only eat bryopsis algae, perhaps other long filamentous algae. Once it's gone, the nudi will die.

Did you want it just cause it's nice looking or did you have a bryopsis problem?

 

[Kittikity]

Nice looking..

 

[Anonymous]

Ah, then best to let it go. It's a very specialized feeder and it won't do well in your tank in the long run regardless of your husbandry skills.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah, then best to let it go. It's a very specialized feeder and it won't do well in your tank in the long run regardless of your husbandry skills.

I agree with this comment. The nudibranch does leave a slug like trail though. It cleans but it also leaves a mess

 

[Kittikity]

Ok, so the lettuce sea slug is out of the question.. Definitely don't want to get one just for it to die.. I only have a 20 gal tank.. What else similar can I have that might be colorful, hardy, and reef safe?

 

[Anonymous]

you mean for a cleaner? Check out the crabs. I have an Emerald, but there were others that are lot more colorful.

 

[Kittikity]

No, I mean just something else for decoration.. Doesn't necessarily need to have a purpose.. Although that would be even better..