Jan February 14, 2012 Share February 14, 2012 I'm baffled. No ammonia spike. No signs of anything. Where the heck did it go? It's been lost for 3 days. It wiped out all of the flatworms before it vanished. All that's in that tank are 4 sexy shrimp, 10 maxi minis, a few snails, trumpet coral and some bristle worms. Do you think the bristle worms could have eaten it that fast? There's no signs of it anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowsingle February 15, 2012 Share February 15, 2012 what about the maxi minis? Any look unusually large? Darren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan February 15, 2012 Author Share February 15, 2012 Yes, a wine colored one is huge and in the front. I thouhgt about this too but the nudibranch crawled all over them with no problem. Do anemones eat nudibranch? what about the maxi minis? Any look unusually large? Darren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecoldoutline February 16, 2012 Share February 16, 2012 My first suspect would be the maxi-mini. You mentioned that the nudi ate all the flatworms and disappeared...maybe it starved out and was consumed by the other inhabitants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowsingle February 16, 2012 Share February 16, 2012 I've never had maxi mins......so I am not to familiar with their diet, but in general, nems can be rough on tankmates...... Darren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan February 17, 2012 Author Share February 17, 2012 It had to be one of the maxi minis. It didn't have time to starve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic February 17, 2012 Share February 17, 2012 Jan, where did you get the velvet nudi from? I want one as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan February 17, 2012 Author Share February 17, 2012 (edited) Congressional in Rockville MD. Jan, where did you get the velvet nudi from? I want one as well. Edited February 17, 2012 by Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecoldoutline February 17, 2012 Share February 17, 2012 I'd think 3 day's is plenty of time for a fragile critter like that to starve out. I have a yellow watchmen goby that I forgot to feed one day. The next morning I woke up and he was working on swallowing a hermit crab. He left the pistol shrimp alone...but went after the hermit while it was trying to exchange its shell. There is a very good/obvious reason why nudi's are not commonly available... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan February 17, 2012 Author Share February 17, 2012 It didn't starve. I was very aware and made sure this nudi had plenty to eat. It ate constantly. It was eating one day and gone the next. The three days is how long I was looking for it. There aren't too many places for a 2" fat nudibranch to go in a 3 gallon pico filled with 10 maxi minis and 4 sexy shrimp. Most likely scenario is that the big red maxi that is now in the front of my tank wide open ate it. The nudibrnach would work it's way up and down the walls of the tank and rockwork. It would get full, huge, then drop. Several times it dropped onto anemones and the nems never did a thing. I had no reason to believe the anemones was interested in the nudibranch. Nudibranches also secret toxins. After observing this behavior for a few days I was comfortable that they were ok. I'm guessing I missed one. I'd think 3 day's is plenty of time for a fragile critter like that to starve out. I have a yellow watchmen goby that I forgot to feed one day. The next morning I woke up and he was working on swallowing a hermit crab. He left the pistol shrimp alone...but went after the hermit while it was trying to exchange its shell. There is a very good/obvious reason why nudi's are not commonly available... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecoldoutline February 17, 2012 Share February 17, 2012 Oh, I'm sorry...I misread your original post. Good Luck with the Nudibranchs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan February 17, 2012 Author Share February 17, 2012 No need for an apology. I didn't take anything you said the wrong way or anything. Blue velvet nudibranch aren't available because people buy them very quickly. They are the only nudibranch that eats planaria(sp). They are highly sought after for this very reason. I have a huge red spot goby that snatches snails and crabs all the time. Not because it's hungry, I tend to feed too much. It brings it to it's lair. I think it's for the pistol shrimp because there's a pile of empty shells next to it's lair. I'd observe that goby a little closer and maybe look for a lil pile of empty shells. Oh, I'm sorry...I misread your original post. Good Luck with the Nudibranchs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecoldoutline February 20, 2012 Share February 20, 2012 No need for an apology. I didn't take anything you said the wrong way or anything. Blue velvet nudibranch aren't available because people buy them very quickly. They are the only nudibranch that eats planaria(sp). They are highly sought after for this very reason. I have a huge red spot goby that snatches snails and crabs all the time. Not because it's hungry, I tend to feed too much. It brings it to it's lair. I think it's for the pistol shrimp because there's a pile of empty shells next to it's lair. I'd observe that goby a little closer and maybe look for a lil pile of empty shells. My pistol shrimp does move pieces of crushed coral from my sand bed to cover it's lair. But has yet to move any empty snail shells. I had three Cortez Hermits in the tank and one outgrew his shell and evacuated which is when the goby sucked him up. I wish I had taken a picture. My little yellow watchman had a mouth full of crab legs. Anyhow since then I've added a couple larger shells and the remaining hermits have successfully swapped out. I was previously under the impression that nudibranchs were very difficult to care for. It's amazing how much technology has come about over the years to make this hobby more interesting. I don't plan on getting into the sea slugs but I think it's very cool that people are successfully keeping them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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