Velvet Nudibranch - Chelidonura varians

[RandyFolds]

I just picked up two of these guys for $5 each to take care of the flatworm problem in my tank. The sixline is wearing the population down considerably, but is never going to finish the job. Now I need to line someone up to take them when I run out of flatworms, assuming they don't get shredded in a pump, which is quite likely.

Anyone have flatworm issues or know anyone who does?

[psykokid]

Put a feeler up on reef central and see if you cant line someone up. I assume you have managed to acclimate them and drop them in the tank. Lets hope they get down and put in work.

[RandyFolds]

Lights went out before I could snap a pic, but there was a nudibranch surrounded by flatworms with a bare swath behind it. The fellas have begun to work.

[psykokid]

LOL, thats awsome to hear.. Glad you found a natural way to take care of it rather than dosing a poo poo load of FW exit and having a massive die off crash the tank. Make sure you post a good before and after showing the density of the FW's you have in there. I've never seen a tank that infested.

[RandyFolds]

Before



Lower left corner: All red planaria

I checked on the nudis after lights out. They are still going strong. It is a huge relief. There are also a ton of planaria flopping around in the water column because they are running away. Try and hide be nice!...they are coming for you.

[Just_Greg]

velvet nudies are evil when it comes to FW's...i had never seen FW's flee in terror until i put one in my reef back awhile (QUITE awhile...).

we have a few in one of our tanx, and i need to get after them with the siphon.

[Bergy]

LOL, thats awsome to hear.. Glad you found a natural way to take care of it rather than dosing a poo poo load of FW exit and having a massive die off crash the tank.

im sure there will be a little more detritus from all teh food source being consumed, but definately better then a ton of death, but that is a lot of FW to be that concerned????

Make sure you post a good before and after showing the density of the FW's you have in there. I've never seen a tank that infested.

I guess that is why you made the comment above???

Greg has a ton of FW too, but it is funny, cause he has that tank split into two.. he has a devider down the middle, and on one side it is choking full of FW, but the other is nothing.. totally clear..

[RandyFolds]

Bill, I am not sure what you are saying? The tank can definitely handle the input of the two nudis. It is a bit much to add the tang and pipefish at the same time, but there shouldn't be too much issue unless I feed really heavy.

Greg, you can have one or both of these guys if they make it long enough...LMK. I am a bit worried about them getting shredded in a pump, but we'll see.

[Just_Greg]

it's very weird, Bill...also that side has tons of isopods in it as well.  i halfway wonder if the ghoul eats them...i know they're too small for the Rhino to even bother with.

[Bergy]

Lanny,

I was commenting on jakes message where he said that using fw exit would create a lot of death and die off..

I was saying that if they didnt die and decompose, they will get eaten by the nudi and pooped out..

either way, they are in your system unless physically removed


and yea greg, not sure what is eating or preventing them 'crossing' the line... certainly if something is eating them then they can get in the corners...

Im thinking something is frightening them...so they stay on thier side

[RandyFolds]

Yeah, but flatworm eXit leaves them in your tank as poison to all fish and coral, whereas the nudis leave them in your tank as bioavailable nutrients for your CUC, thus neutralizing the death aspect.

[Bergy]

that is whgat i said, or what i meant to say...

either way is not good, but it is better to be pooped out then decayed carcasses

[Just_Greg]

i've never used FW exit, and likely never will.  my weapons have always been natural predation and siphoning them out.

oddly enuff, about the pods...we did see the ghoul eating them, so that mystery is solved.  we knew that the smaller scorps in the 60 gal went nuts on them (the volitans never even blinked at them, as you can imagine).