It is important to remove the container lid as soon as possible to allow the Berghia to get oxygen. We are not able to ship with air in the container because it would beat them up in shipping. Inspect the lid VERY WELL for Berghia. If some are on the lid take the enclosed pipette, suck up some water and “blow” it off the top and back into the container.
It is normal for them to be shriveled up and lethargic on arrival. Check all the seams and lid, as Berghia are small and difficult to see. After acclimating and feeding they will “perk up.” These animals tolerate shipping very well, and it’s exceedingly rare for them to die in shipping. Please contact us immediately if you have concerns about the Berghia on arrival. Even if they appear to be DOA, please acclimate them, as it’s normal for them to be lethargic during shipping.
To acclimate Berghia to your tank’s temperature, Empty about 1/3 of the water out of container (be very careful not to remove any berghia) replace about 1/4 of what you took out with your aquarium water. There is a pipette included to flush any “sticky” berghia and add water. Slowly add aquarium water over the next hour. (Faster if arrived cold/hot due to weather) until container equals tank parameters.They are cultured at 1.024. You may want to feed your fish & turn off lights to distract them just prior to transferring the Berghia into tank. Turn off pumps & powerheads. There are 2 ways to introduce the Berghia
1. Slowly submerge then wedge the open shipping cup into the rockwork in a very low flow area and allow them to crawl out naturally.
2. Use the pipette placing the Berghia on live rock close to some Aiptasia but not too close (about 2-3 inches the Aiptasia can sting & eat the Berghia’s if too close) in groups not spread out. Allow the Berghia to get a firm hold on the rock work before turning pumps back on. There may be some eggs in your container (small white circular) see In-Depth Berghia info. Suck these out & place them in a very low flow area on live rock. If luck is with you they hatch!!
Ideally, you’d have at least one trio of Berghia for each 30 gallons of a heavily infested tank. They’re most active at night, so it’s unlikely you’ll see them after you place them in your tank. After 2 – 3 months, you’ll start to notice the Aiptasia are dwindling in numbers.
Adult Berghia can succumb to starvation in a matter of days once they’re no longer able to find Aiptasia, so if you wish to keep your culture going, you can culture Aiptasia and Berghia in separate aquariums. Or see if there is a fellow reefer looking to save some $$$.
