Group Buy: SaltyUnderground (the guys that sell Berghia Nudibranch)

Alright guys. Got a couple emails here. Going to paste them for you all. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

Bela,

Tonight your 24 1/4"+ Berghia and clam are on their way. We recommend acclimating clams using a slow drip for at least 1.5 hours.

We will be using at least one heat pack in your shipment. If you will not be acclimating your Berghia upon arrival please take the heat pack(s) out of the box to prevent overheating.

This is shipping to:

Bela Sziklassy
FedEx Express Ship Center
238 Alexander Ave
Ames, IA 50010

515-708-6298

FedEx Overnight Tracking Numbers: 798014717374

You can track your shipment beginning tonight by going to FedEx.com. Or, you can call 800-go-fedex.

Please Note the Following: If you have any concerns about the health of the livestock please contact us via e-mail or by phone the day they arrive to qualify for a livestock value refund or credit.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Berghia Acclimation



Tools needed:

1) Vinyl airline tubing – 3/8 inch or smaller

2) Pipette (included with your Berghia)

3) Clean plastic pitcher or container of similar size and shape.

4) Bucket



When your Berghia arrive, look for any Berghia that may have crawled into creases of the plastic bag. They will crawl all over the bag, and they can get into the creases and be smashed as the bag is moved. They can be hard to see in the plastic bag too, especially if they are balled up, so be careful when moving and opening the bag.



Sometimes the Berghia are sluggish when they arrive. This does not mean they are dead. When they die there is no movement even after drip acclimation or they turn into a little pile of shapeless goo.

All Berghia are measured prior to shipping to insure they are the size your purchased. It is common for Berghia to lose some size in shipping. They will regain their size after they are acclimated to your tank and have eaten.



Begin Drip Acclimation Process

This method is geared toward sensitive reef inhabitants. You will need airline tubing and must be willing to monitor the entire process. You may also use a similar technique that does not require dripping. The basic technique involves adding very small amounts (an ounce or two) of your tank water to the Berghia bag every 5-10 minutes for 1-2 hours.

Gather a clean, 3 or 5-gallon bucket designated for aquarium use only and a clean plastic pitcher (clean of soaps and residues).

1. Start by floating the closed bag to acclimate water temperature for about 15 minutes.

2. Carefully open the bag.

3. Carefully place the Berghia bag in to a tall container like a plastic pitcher. Try to extend the sides of the bag up the inside of the pitcher. The water may in the end drip over the sides of the pitcher so you may want to put the pitcher in a bucket as well.

4. Using airline tubing, set up and run a siphon drip line from the main aquarium to the pitcher sitting in the bucket. Tie several loose knots in the airline tubing, or use a plastic or other non-metal airline control valve, to regulate flow from the aquarium. It is also a good idea to secure the airline tubing in place.

5. Begin a siphon by sucking on the end of the airline tubing you'll be placing into the bag in the pitcher. When water begins flowing through the tubing, adjust the drip by tightening one of the knots or adjusting the control valve to a rate of about 4 drips per second.

6. Watch the over the process carefully. Do not let the Berghia spill or float over the edge of the bag. The Berghia will sometimes float on the surface tension of the water while they are in small containers and they could float over the edge of the pitcher. They may also actively crawl around the bag during acclimation.

Since the Berghia have not eaten for close to 24 hours, you may try feeding them while they drip acclimate. Scrape a small or medium sized aiptasia off the glass or other smooth surface with a razor blade (or similar tool) and drop it into the bag with the Berghia. They may or may not eat. It’s a good idea (but not mandatory) to try this so they are fed before they go in your tank.



At the end of at least 1 hour and better yet 2 hours of acclimation, feed your fish and then turn off your lights, powerheads and pumps. You want no water movement in the tank during the time you place the Berghia in the tank. This will create the best environment for the Berghia to go in your tank and successfully grab onto the rockwork.



Don't try to handle the Berghia, they are very fragile. Use the pipette provided to suction the Berghia out of the bag one at a time. If they are attached to the bag dislodge them by gently blowing some water at them with the pipette.



Do your best to place the Berghia together on the rock work in your tank in an area that might be protected from your highest flow and near some aiptasia. Be careful not to drop the Berghia into the aiptasia mouth or so close to an aiptasia that is could lean over and grab the Berghia. Most of the time the Berghia will move into crevices and disappear from view within 5-10 minutes. Occasionally they stay out and begin eating an aiptasia. Either way, turn all of the pumps, powerheads and lights back on after 10 minutes.



You may notice a small, white, circular stand of eggs in your bag. Suck the eggs out of the bag using the pipette and place them in the rock work where the current is very low. If you are lucky, they will hatch for you.



Some Berghia are laying eggs at 1/4". All are laying them by the time they reach 1/2". They will typically grow to 1"-1 1/4" in size. You may or may not see them again once they are in your tank. They usually eat at night. The best time to spot your Berghia (using a flashlight) is about 2 hours after your lights have been off at night or in the morning before your lights come on.



Thanks again for your business. If you have any questions let us know.

Lisa Brown

Phone: 314-779-7408

www.saltyunderground.com

 

By the way, I will be home tomorrow until about 3pm. Fiance will be home all day. I do not plan on acclimating the nudis to my tank unless we arrange for that. Otherwise I will split the order into plastic baggies based on each individual order. I have two people who ordered from DSM area. If you guys want to orchestrate, with one another, to have one person bring all the nudis to your area that would be fine with me. I do need an additional $5 (shipping fees) from each of you. PayPal or cash work equally well for me! Also, assuming we received one extra nudi per five we ordered, you will get one free per multiple of five in your order. hopefully we have no deaths. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Just picked up the order. Everything was phenomenally well packaged. The nudis really are tiny little things though! Working on counting them now. I still have not heard anything regarding anyone's intended pickup time. Please get at me via pm or email!

 

Alright guys. We ordered 20 under the buy 5 get 1 free deal, so essentially paid for 24. We were shipped 26 and all of them are alive and crawling around. There was one person who did not get in on the order. I have offered this person the 2 extras at normal price. This should cover shipping, so nobody will owe me shipping money. I want to make sure this is cool with everyone. I haven't really heard from you guys since you all paid me, so if I don't hear back by noon today I will assume everyone is ok with that. You all end up spending $5 less than you thought!

 

Yes sir.

 

Well, the person who was looking to buy the nudis sort of responded but didn't lock in a definite yes or no. As such, please just pay for your part of the shipping. I will refund you if I get these guys sold. I will list them here when I hop in to work tonight to see if anyone else local can get them. I hope I am not sounding cheap but I sort of got the shaft on the last group buy I did and ended up with credit to a store I didn't necessarily want credit with. Just don't want to end up paying for all the shipping since that was the point of the group buy to begin with. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

 

So, all of you should have received your orders at minimum 24 hours ago. Have any of you seen your nudis in action? I acclimated mine, stuck them in the tank, and they were lost in the rockwork within minutes! The only thing I have in there that might bother them is an emerald crab. Anyone think there is any risk of that? Was hoping to catch one or two of them in the act of chowing down on an aiptasia.