Breeding Journal, Species: Berghia verrucicornis (most likely Aeolidiella stephanieae)

General
Species:  Berghia verrucicornis (most likely Aeolidiella stephanieae)
Social Structure:  Started as a group of three.. can only find two currently.
Size of Individuals:   1/4" to 1/2"
Age of Individuals:  Unknown (Maybe ~6mths)
Date added to Tank:  8/28/12

Broodstock Tank Details
Size of Tank:  5.5G
Substrate Details: None
Filtration Details:  None, air stone
Water Changes:  None, don't plan to do any, just top off's.
Water Temperature:  78
Lighting:  Ambient, 220W T5HO
Lighting Cycle:  8am-11pm
Other Tank Inhabitants:  Couple bristle worms that ride next to nems I scoop up.

Broodstock Feeding Details
Food Types:  Aiptasia
Feeding Schedule:  Whenever they are hungry; they hunt at night.

Spawning Details
Date of First Spawn:  Unknown, approx 3rd or 4th week in August.
Spawn Time of Day:  Unknown on first -- Two found spawning at around 7:00pm on 10/3.
Dates of Consecutive Spawns:   Two more spirals found on 10/3. 10/7,10/9,  (Missed a couple),  11/5, 11/15,11/25
Courtship Details:  Unknown as I didnt witness but I copied this from JimWelsh's journal. ---- Two berghia approach each other, and form a "Yin-Yang" kind of formation, side by side, and stay that way for anywhere from a few hours to a day or more.
Egg Size:  Tiny.
Egg Color:  White
Egg Count:  So small, they are hard to count, maybe around 100-200.

Hatch Details
Hatch Date:  Unknown on original hatch (Video of Juvi posted on 10/13/12) but 10/11/12 on egg spirals pictured below.
Hatch Time of Day:  Between 10a-6p
# Days after Spawn:  Unknown, but the avg is 16-20 days.
Larvae Description:  Tiny tiny tiny "blobs".


Larval Tank Details
Temperature:  78F
Size of Larval Tank:  5.5G (Same tank as parents for now. I dont plan to remove the eggs.)
Substrate Details:  None
Other Tank Decor:  PVC 90's
Filtration Details:  None
Lighting:  Ambient from 220W T5HO
Lighting Cycle:  8am-11pm
Water Changes:  None, just top off

Larval Feeding Details
Food Types:  Aiptasia
Feeding Schedule:  Whenever hungry, food is always available

Metamorphosis/Settlement
Date of Settlement Start:  9/21/12
Days after Hatch:  1
Date of Settlement End:  9/22/12
Description of Fry:  Tiny white blob/slug looking things. More oblonged than round, and kind of pointed at one end. Can't get a close enough pic to tell which end.

Grow-Out Tank Details
Temperature:  78F
Size of Grow-Out Tank:  5.5G (Same tank as parents for now. I dont plan to remove the eggs or the juvi's.)
Substrate Details:  None
Other Tank Decor:  PVC 90's
Filtration Details:  None
Lighting:  Ambient from 220W T5HO
Lighting Cycle:  8am-11pm
Water Changes:  None, just top off
Size at Transfer:  Not moved
Age at Transfer:  Not moved

Grow-Out Feeding Details
Food Types:  Aiptasia
Feeding Schedule:  Anytime

Additional Information
(No Pictures or Videos in the Section Please)
Miscellaneous Information: 



You will be required to provide photographic evidence in this thread of each event submitted for the MBI Program.
If your thread does not contain these photos the MBI Committee will not be able to approve your reports.

-Adam

 
 
 
An adult nudi with GREAT color and the egg clutch directly above him on the side of the clear tupperware.

-Adam

-Adam

Its on a CLEAR surface, and I don't want to disturb the nudis in the tank along with the egg clutch so its hard to get a picture clearer than the ones above.

-Adam

After studying JimW's journal and taking a peek at others... I'm 99% sure I have nudi's post meta.  I will know in a week or two when they get bigger.
 
I've seen what JimW described at "blobs" around a chewed up aiptasia but I thought they were mini nems that were breaking off in a attempt to stay alive... but after reading JimW's journal I now think they were baby nudi's. I didn't take pictures as I didnt know, but I dont currently have the lens setup to do something like that anyway.
 
 
 
 
And a movie so you dont think it is just a piece of salt or dirt...
 

-Adam

Where did you get them from?

Another local reefer got them from either eBay or ReefCentral... I dont remember.

-Adam

Looks like mine were busy last weekend too.
 

(Test)

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

How do I know when to submit a hatch event?
 
The eggs that were there this morning when I woke up are no longer there, but I have no proof?
 
 

-Adam

Good question. Need pics to prove a hatch as opposed to them being eaten or failing.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

So how do we do that? Do we assume hatch once we have babies or what?

-Adam

Need pics of hatchlings.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

And how do we do that?

-Adam

We have juvi's!
 
I'll be getting better pics when they get a little bigger and I can remove one of them.
 

 

 

 
 

-Adam

Woot!

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Good shot of one of the Juvi's!
 

-Adam

Just found this guy today...
 

 
 
And this guy along with one other in the tank are over 60DPS.
 

-Adam

My originals died about 4 months ago.  They spawned 3, and then they kept spawning but pods kept eating the eggs. I removed a clutch of eggs, and got 3 more to adult hood. They are now making egg clutches like crazy (4 that I can see) and there are no pods in that tank so I'm hoping to get more off spring this time around.
 
Its really cool watching these guys eat anemones.

-Adam

Two of the three from the last generation have died and I only have one adult left. They have laid numerous clutches in their current tank but I don't see any babies yet. Hoping some pop up soon. There are still 3 or 4 clutches that haven't hatched yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed as it can take up to a month for you to easily see them with the naked eye.
 
The average lifespan that I've experienced is about 5-6 months. About 3-4 month of usable aiptasia eating, as if they are too small they can't / won't attack the larger nems.
 
Hopefully will have an update in a month or so, if not I guess I'll need to get busy with the Joe's juice as I've neglected killing them as I wanted to raise enough of these guys to take care of my problem.
 

-Adam