need advice/ must get rid of nudibranch

[Guest cooliegirl17]

ok, so since i have never posted and am a relatively new member to wamas, I will provide a little information about myself. My name is Lyndsay, I am 19 years old and currently a freshman at James Madison University. I'm a bio major (not a surprise). I also worked in the fish dept. of a petstore for 2 years in highschool so I have a pretty good backround on the fish world. I had always had freshwater fish but now i am experimenting with the marine world. I started my first salt water fish tank this august. In my dorm room, I have a 10 gal tank that runs on a basic millenium filter, and nano fission protein skimmer. I have a percula clownfish, royal gramma, and 2 yellow clown gobies and a cleaner shrimp. And then there's a couple snails and hermit crabs. As for invertebrates I have a flower anemone, and sebae anemone. Everyone lives together happily.

 

In Harrisonburg there is a friendly lfs that I often go to called Sylvia's pets. Now I will explain my problem. I went there last thursday and saw a really beautiful sea slug looking thing. They told me it was a nudibranch and of coarse thinking it would eat normal fish foods like mysis shrimp I bought him and took him home. When I got back I did research on the critter and basically found out that I was in trouble. The nudibranch I had bought was a Hypselodoris bullockii and is only known to eat TWO types of sponges which are the Dysidea and Aplysilla. So once I learned this I was like oh that's ok, I'll just buy him one of these sponges, but unfortunetly as I researched more, these types of sponges are hard to keep alive in captivity and so after calling all the lfs in the area, no one had these sponges. So bascially i have this beautiful purple nudibranch who is slowly starving to death in my tank. :( I need find someone who wants the little guy but i doubt I will. I cannot keep him because if he dies in my tank, he will release his toxins and potentially kill my other fish! I think I'm going to take him to the petstore I used to work at, but inevitably he will probably die there! So I am basically posting this to ask if anyone would like a free purple nudibranch!? I am leaving for NYC on wednesday, so if no one can take him then i'm bringing him into the petstore. I can't risk him living with my other fish while I'm gone for a couple days.

 

I wish I hadn't bought him.

 

-Lyndsay

[traveller7]

Welcome to WAMAS Lyndsay.

 

I am not aware of too many local folks with sponge systems. The most likely candidates would be those following a Tyree advocated skimmerless cryptic sponge/sea squirt system.

 

Either way, I am unaware of a good solution, but in my experience the little nudi's you describe do not turn out to be system crashers. A 10gal is on the small side though, so be safe.

 

Best chance may be to get it into a very high volume, high end LFS. I think this is the closest one to you:

 

Atlantis Aquariums (Richmond, VA)

10619 Patterson Ave.

Richmond, VA 23238

(804) 377-0243

Current Hours

Mon - Fri 11-8, Sat 10-8, Sun 12-5

http://www.atlantisva.com/

WAMAS Screenname: Atlantis Aquariums

 

Best of luck and travel safe.

[rottloverr]

You could also call Fish World. He moves alot of volume. They are about 10 minutes from Atlantis.

 

Ask for Joe. 804-379-2466

 

Welcome to WAMAS!

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[Lee Stearns]

welcome aboard Lyndsay!

Told you there were great folks here that could answer about any question.

PM me if you want to stop by the tanks over Christmas break.

Regards,

Edited December 17, 2007 by Lee Stearns

[gastone]

Lyndsay, check to see if they will take it back at the store you purchased the nudi from. Try appealing to the owner/manager. Explain your predicament (leaving out any blame on their part of course).

 

If that doesn't work out you may want to just toss it. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it is highly unlikely that any hobbyist will be able to provide for it.

 

GL

 

Garrett.

[Guest cooliegirl17]

thank you so much for all the great helpful advice, however when i woke up this morning, i found the nudibranch shriveled up, he didnt make it through the night. i am extremely thankful that someone pointed out they are not the "system crasher" types. it's unfortunate that he died and more importantly that they are sold in petstores w/o much chance of survival!

[lanman]

thank you so much for all the great helpful advice, however when i woke up this morning, i found the nudibranch shriveled up, he didnt make it through the night. i am extremely thankful that someone pointed out they are not the "system crasher" types. it's unfortunate that he died and more importantly that they are sold in petstores w/o much chance of survival!

I reckon he was already starving at the pet store... If they couldn't supply you with any sponges - they couldn't supply the nudi with any, either.

 

bob