Reefs.org Forums

[MaryHM]

Well, now that the obligate feeding fish list is almost nailed down, we need to think about inverts. The main one that comes to my mind is nudibranchs. Many of them are obligate sponge/coral/tunicate/etc... feeders. Here's a catch 22 for you- our best pest predators for Aiptasia and Flatworms are obligate feeding nudibranchs. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] So all in all, how should we handle the nudibranch category, and can you guys think of any other obligate inverts?

[Bill2]

But nudibranchs are easily bred at least berghias are

[Rich-n-poor]

so if somehing is easily bred It's o.k. to let it starve ? [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]
_________________
Mercedes O305

[Bill2]

Bergia are a farmed animal and if they are bred in captivity should be viewed as that. They are there to serve a purpose. Kinda like putting lady bugs on your rose bush. I know it's not a very good analogy but it's as close as i could come at 10:30 at night.

[Chucker]

Crinoids come to mind quite readily. Although not nearly as difficult to feed, thorny oysters and flame scallops also might make the list.

[JeremyR]

Being an obligate feeder isn't a reason to ban something.. it's what that one thing it eats that matters. An obligate algae eater wouldn't be a bad thing for instance..some types of nudies ought to be ok.. like the lettuce nudies from the carib, and the similar ones from the eastern pacific.

[MaryHM]

Remember: The criteria for obligate feeder is that the food is either impossible or too expensive to provide on a regular basis.

[Big_fish]

In line with that criteria, I would recommend adding Aeolidoidea Aeolidiidae. They are FAR too expensive to feed. On a good note, these nudibranchs are not purposely imported, but can easily hitchhike in on a wild colony. On a bad note, they are hard to detect until they are in a captive system.
Regards,
Scott

[ December 27, 2001: Message edited by: Big_fish ]</p>

[MaryHM]

Let's not freak out, Rich [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

No one said "Hey, we can starve the captive bred stuff". What Bill was saying is that because they are an important species in the trade, and because they are captive bred, that it shouldn't be a "catch 22" by adding them to the USL.

[MaryHM]

If they aren't purposefully imported, it's kind of a mute point. It's IMPOSSIBLE to regulate the import of hitchhikers.

[Big_fish]

I agree. I think that nudi would have more meaning to you once you read this article:

http://www.reeffarmers.com/tracygraynudi01.htm

[img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Phillyboy]

my list:

Nudis - most
Dendronepthea - haven't seen much success
Crinoids
Harlequin shrimp?
Flame scallops
certain sea fans and low-light non-photosynthetic specimens?
Sand sifting starfish(only purpose is to deplete sandbed infauna, and will starve)

just tossin in my thoughts. feel free to correct me. I know some of these inverts may not be obligate feeders

[vitz]

what about goniopora? seems to be obligate to something we don't even know about!