Who Uses Berghia References, Market Price, Estimating How Many You Need

Originally posted in 2006

Updated in 2025

Our young adult Berghia nudibranchs are the perfect natural predator! No Mystery Chemicals or hot pockets of kalkwasser will go into your highly prized reef when you use the Berghia nudibranch and they are non-toxic to corals or fish. They are perfect because they only eat Aiptasia and have no negative side effects at all to anything! Live rock is preserved with Berghia as all other methods do harm the valuable life in and on the rocks and that harms your system. Berghia will save the rocks and the corals, preserving the life in AND on the rocks that makes your tank work so well. Berghia nudibranchs come out to be the most cost effective method to use and are in use by large public aquariums because of their efficiency and lack of side effects. Look for a complete cost analysis breakdown in the “Learn About Aiptasia To Kill Them” link on the menu bar of this site. No more climbing into the reef week after week to knock down the persistent Aiptasia. Let our adult Berghia do the work while you’re enjoying a vacation and your tank. Our special breeding techniques and detailed documentation means effective adult Berghia for your system.

“Aiptasia anemones are dealt with by Berghia sp. nudibranchs” according to a 2002 Husbandry In Public Aquaria Manual published by the Partnership for Marine Conservation, Project Seahorse, the John G. Shedd Aquarium and Stirling University, Institute of Aquaculture, Fisheries Foundation.

If you read Anthony Calfo’s books, articles and columns and Bob Fenner’s Wet Web Media, Berghia nudibranchs are their method of choice for Aiptasia control. We also recommend Dr. Eric Borneman’s articles about Berghia nudibranchs.

Are you familiar with the market price history of Berghia? In years past (1970’s to 1990’s) they used to be referred to as expensive at $25 each or more for them. After the year 2000 we saw sales prices fluctuate from $16 to $39 each. Even at these prices, they were often so small that a small colony could fit on the tip of the average pencil eraser. They were also sold by some people as poorly developed or underdeveloped slugs. Today, with the very strict breeding techniques here at INSTAR, our nudibranchs are well developed, genetically strong and the cost is lower. We raise a premium and useful, reasonably priced natural Aiptasia (Glass Anemone) predator.

We pack the Adults up starting at $15.99, depending on the size or line ordered and they have to be starting to lay eggs. Berghia are colonial so we recommend using them as packaged in our Trio-Pak specials, depending on your system. We track the age of all our nudibranchs and inspect the development of each of their organs. All of our Berghia cultures and culture tanks are monitored by our biologist to be sure they are in excellent condition so you are sure to get healthy young adults to help in the removal of Aiptasia. (For Specials and Discounts – Read all the way to the end!) That means they are at least 6 weeks old. Berghia work together as a group or colony. They do their most effective work in colonies, so that’s part of the reason for the 3 paks but adult Berghia will also work as individuals or pairs in smaller tanks.

Large Berghia verrucicornis (Scientific Name Changed to Aeolidiella berghia stephanieae) Nudibranchs – The more Aiptasia and in larger tanks, add more Berghia to suit. To obtain starting colony size and to figure out cost effective start colonies for larger tanks, continue reading. Our young adult Berghia are very, very effective in groups! How heavy is your Aiptasia problem? 2 trio paks would probably be best (or more) if there are a lot of the Aiptasia.

Colonies will provide a solution when following our instructions. We used 3 in the 20 gallon refugium and 8 in the 125 gallon tank pictured on this website. This SPS tank was really bad – little Aiptasia got under the coral and started killing it. We don’t even have any Aiptasia left in the sump now either! And no effort on our part since introducing the Berghia in there. Later, after the tank was clear and the refugium was cleared of all the Aiptasia, we put a Trio-Pak of the juveniles into the sump to clear that area. We were at the point we would have paid hundreds for such relief! Reminds us of that ad that ends in “priceless”. Berghia are the best investment in pest control we ever made and have no side effects. They take a little while to establish the colony and start to work but little by little your Aiptasia worries will be over. (In some tanks, you cannot expect these to fare well if there are any peppermint shrimp or camel shrimp in the tank. Email us for instructions before trying to use either of these shrimp with Berghia.) Photograph is magnified approximately 2 to 3 times for easier viewing. Look real close at the hole in the center of the rock. There are little Aiptasia down in the holes and our nudibranchs go in to get them out for good. A 100% reef-safe natural Aiptasia predator, all-natural solution for Aiptasia anemone pests! Unique to our nudibranch solution over other predators and methods; No dying remnants are left behind to foul the holes in the rocks or regrow and the Aiptasia in these holes are completely removed once and for all!

Approximate Adult Size is 10 mm to 12 mm and they are young adults, carrying eggs at this size. Our size measure does not include the tail or sensory organs. This is their actual body size when they are not sleeping. The adult nudibranchs we ship are completely reef-ready and we track their age so you can be sure of getting healthy young adults with robust growth and excellent Aiptasia targeting ability. Our nudibranchs are very capable of handling the high current in SPS coral reef tanks. These exceptional qualities in all of our nudibranchs are results of our strict selective breeding process. Even as adults, they are really very small little creatures for what they do and they are the coolest things we have seen crawling around.

“If you haven’t had the pleasure of buying some of these little Berghia nudibranch ‘pets’, you are really missing out! Berghia Farms care in packaging, handling, and acclimation & placement instructions make you feel like you just bought a litter of adorable little puppies, not an Aiptasia SWAT team.”
…senior IT of renowned research center

We have many unique pictures and documentation of our Berghia on this website for enjoying and education. Berghia begin life as microscopic size larvae and after hatching soon begin to consume Aiptasia. In a short time they put on weight and exhibit rapid growth. Anthony Calfo recommends these not be shipped until they reach 10–12 mm of length; however, great benefit may be gained from those that are younger in a few special applications. Some theories maintain that small young Berghia do not fare well in reef systems. Even though Berghia correctly inserted into the system where they belong are very capable members of the underwater realm, putting tiny baby, often referred to as “pre-adult”, Berghia directly into a full-blown reef system is not normally recommended. There is some difficulty for reef keepers in regard to handling Berghia when they are too small. Auction sites and hobbyists often do not describe the sizes or age correctly. In addition to this, shipping stress is difficult for most “pre-adults” or juveniles to handle and this stress can cause serious consequences. These consequences are often fatal soon after insertion into the reef when they are shipped before reaching full sexual maturity.

We recommend “pre-adults”, “subadult” or juvenile Berghia be kept in a separate container until they grow to the recommended size. But keeping them in a separate container or jar is fatal 99% of the time because the water quality is so difficult to maintain in a small container or jar. In order to see results in your reef, the best Berghia to buy for most applications are our adults. Even though Berghia as a species is very small, we ship adult Berghia that are ready to insert directly into the reef environment. Normally we do not ship until they are starting to lay eggs with over 25 eggs in a strand. (It’s very hard to determine the size due to the variations they go through.) Our Berghia are over 6 weeks old and egg-bearing as these are the only 2 things that can easily be determined. Often they appear over 12 mm and later they appear smaller. We try to meet as close to the 12 mm size or larger as possible when they are shipped but they will curl up in the bags. Please allow time for them to recover from shipping. This is the best age because they adapt to shipping easily and recover quickly.

If your order consists of smaller sized juvenile nudibranchs, they could be less than 10 millimeters but in many cases may be mature enough for direct insertion into your reef system providing you are careful with them. When in doubt, it is best to either purchase the young adults or keep the juveniles in a separate tank until they are large enough. This young adult age is a very active time in their lives. They consume more Aiptasia at the sizes we ship and at this age and are a little easier to handle than smaller or very large nudibranchs. Calfo recommends this size because they are not quite as delicate to handle. They are still delicate little animals, shedding their cerata in defense if necessary. The cerata, considered to be an extension of the digestive system, help provide oxygen exchange (their lungs), a sensitivity to light and stinging defense to protect them from fish and other things. Still, care must be taken so please see the Acclimation Instructions page on this website for instructions on getting them into your tank. Once in a stable tank, they may not be seen again because they are nocturnal and masters at hiding.

Hibernation and Dormancy: Packed in our special packing, Berghia are very easy shippers and often our Berghia will eat a couple of Aiptasia after first getting inserted into your tank. After the first day or two, they can go dormant for a while. Reef keepers often automatically assume they have died because the nudibranchs are not seen during this time and no Aiptasia will disappear. When the Berghia resume activity, they will continue with their main purpose of consuming Aiptasia. Providing instructions are followed and the nudibranchs are of the appropriate size, their normal patterns should resume in your reef.

If your tank crashes, has medications that are not removed or has a serious issue with water chemistry or equipment, it is possible to harm the nudibranchs as well as the fish and corals. To some extent the Berghia can protect themselves with a period of dormancy but in serious cases of nudibranch predators, medication treatments, water chemistry issues or equipment malfunctions, they can be affected. There are invertebrates that either inhibit or sometimes harm Berghia. With this in mind, please read the articles on this website. There is a strategy to use for difficult tanks that is always effective in difficult situations so please ask if your tank proves to be difficult.

Berghia do absolutely work so it is very important to have the correct species, correct size and use them correctly. When used with knowledge and thought, Berghia work and are a sure way of controlling even the largest Aiptasia problem without any side effects to your reef inhabitants. Our licensed professional keeps only the correct species of Berghia for Aiptasia control, guaranteed.

Estimating Needs: People have been seeing the best success with 6 (2 trio paks or more) in a 75 gallon tank that is 4 feet long and 9 in a 125 that is approximately 6 feet in length. You will have to estimate the number you need.

Aiptasia Picture Perfect Bloom After Years Of Releasing Larval Planula Caused By Aiptasia Remedies, Indiscrete Predators.

If you have a very thick growth of Aiptasia or larger sized Aiptasia that is out of control, you can always add more to speed the process up as they take some time to work and for you to see visible results in tanks that are out of control with Aiptasia growth. It can take as much as 1/2 to 3/4 of a year to see results. Patience is a must as well as adding enough nudibranchs for an effective solution. Some people add as many as 18 to 24 to their 150’s and 180’s because their systems and corals are worth it and they simply want to be done with the Aiptasia issue.

There is much controversy raised over the number needed and many theories. The Berghia take a couple of months to establish their colony. During this time they will lay a lot of eggs in your tank. The more frequently they find each other for mating, the more quickly the colony gets established in your reef. Often it’s not until the young hatch that people start to see results. This can take several months and depends on how heavy the Aiptasia are in your system. It’s best to start a little before the Aiptasia take over your entire tank.

One opinion on the internet is that one Berghia will eat 10 or more anemones a day. That is only true if the anemones are very small. Larger ones can take an entire day for one Berghia to eat and still larger ones can feed one for several days. The Berghia always work, providing you don’t significantly injure them inserting them into your system. After a study of the sources mentioned at the beginning of this page, combined with the input of 3 separate Berghia breeders and our experiments and experience, we’ve developed this algorithm for reefs with an average to above average live rock content per gallon. (Lightly rocked reefs with bare bottoms may need a few less, coral farms with complex systems may want more to establish colonies in several different raceways.)

Use one Berghia for every 12.5 gallons to one for every 10 gallons. Add a few for faster results or in cases where there are simply thousands of Aiptasia. But, how many do you really need? Because colonies develop a synergistic effect, this comes to a point where you can cut this number back a lot in very large systems and still achieve great results. (See the discussion “When the Algorithm is Wrong” in the Berghia Point of View, linked below). Allow for an appropriate time for the colony to work. This takes more than a few days or a few weeks. It will be more like several months to a year.

We see approximately a 98% success rate of total complete Aiptasia eradication when following these guidelines. Times when they are not completely successful are when there are just not enough Berghia for the size and complexity of the system they are used in and/or the Acclimation Instructions were not carefully followed. We believe there are rare cases where Berghia verrucicornis (Aeolidiella berghia stephanieae) nudibranchs – the best Aiptasia killers – encounter an animal in the reef that will simply protect the rocks near its lair and not permit any other animals on those rocks. If such a thing happens and those places have Aiptasia on them, the Berghia will not be permitted into the territory of that animal’s lair to do their work. In this case Berghia would be completely successful where they were permitted to work but not near that particular lair.

We realize the fact that Aiptasia can get very large in individual mass in some reefs and we want you to be successful in eliminating them so please follow the instructions on the Acclimation Instructions page. We don’t support mystery chemicals (Aiptasia left to die and decay in the tank) or in-tank killing methods that add nutrients to the water or foul your tank, killing life in and on the live rocks, so Berghia Farm will try to advise you the best we can to be helpful.

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Are Berghia Really The Answer This Time?

Check it out in The Berghia’s Point Of View…
Berghia are outstanding tools in the fight against Aiptasia when used correctly!
Berghia also make outstanding pets for nudibranch lovers. Read the link and learn more. (Contains discussion: When the Algorithm is Wrong)

Nano Reefs: In the case of a 0.5 gallon to perhaps even as large as a 5 gallon nano reef you may only need or want 1 Berghia. In this case, we will pack one up for $15 each. The only issue with this is that shipping is likely to cost more than the nudibranch. In this case you should get together with all your nano reef friends and split a trio.

These Berghia nudibranchs are really the only thing we recommend in a nano because it’s just too small a water volume to handle unknown chemicals. And of course, natural predators like these nudibranchs are always the safest and best method for all reef life and water chemistry when you do not want to disturb your beautiful reef life again to clear out the Aiptasia. These nudibranchs are the final solution and will end the Aiptasia once and for all.