Hydra spp. - Shrimp & other Invertebrates

davemonkey · 09-12-2008, 06:03 AM

Anyone have experience with these? I found a website about them while looking for info:

http://www.northern.edu/natsource/INVERT1/Hydra1.htm

I found a couple on my tank glass after collecting some local plants and not dis-infecting them.

(I can see Tex Gal shaking her finger at me and saying "I told you so!" )

I don't see them being a problem since I'm pretty certain there is nothing in my aquarium they can eat (the two I saw were 2mm in length and looked like algae until I put a 15X magnifying glass on them).

-Dave

krisw · 09-12-2008, 10:04 AM

I just got rid of a batch of Hydras myself after getting them in a fry tank that I was feeding heavily to encourage growth. Apparently, it's fairly common for that to happen. I got rid of mine using Aquari-sol and H2O2, although, I'd just try H202 by itself first.

Here's a picture of ones in my tank:

Here's my experience:
http://www.guitarfish.org/2008/09/06...k-of-the-hydra

davemonkey · 09-12-2008, 10:29 AM

Cool photo, and thanks for sharing th eexperience!

I think I'm going to let them be for now. From what I'm reading they will die off, or at least not grow/multiply, if they don't have a reliable food source (and they don't have that in this aquarium...that I know of). I don't have any fry or fry-sized foods for them to eat.

krisw · 09-12-2008, 10:39 AM

I'd take 'em out just so you don't inadvertently transfer them to some other hobbyist when you give out plants, etc... I imagine they might survive on infursoria or the like. Just squirt some hydrogen peroxide (or maybe even Seachem Excel) on them, and watch them shrivel up.

davemonkey · 09-12-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisw

I'd take 'em out just so you don't inadvertently transfer them to some other hobbyist when you give out plants, etc... I imagine they might survive on infursoria or the like. Just squirt some hydrogen peroxide (or maybe even Seachem Excel) on them, and watch them shrivel up.

Ahh...VERY good point!

Then, "peroxide to the rescue!" .

-Dave

Cavan Allen · 09-12-2008, 10:55 AM

Do you have any other inverts in the tank?

davemonkey · 09-12-2008, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cavan Allen

Do you have any other inverts in the tank?

No, unless you count the snails (pond snails, ramshorn, trumpet...all "magically" appeared when I set the tank up).

Are you thinking the peroxide will kill these as well and create a bio-load issue?

Cavan Allen · 09-12-2008, 12:36 PM

I was thinking you could use fluke tabs. That will get rid of them quickly. The snails should be OK if you do water changes afterward.

OK with shrimp? Ehhh..... That would be risky, but you don't have any, so don't sweat it.

Sunstar · 09-17-2008, 03:34 PM

I found it on this site. that and the plant finder thingy attracted me here.

The panacur method thingy

it's been a couple hours and they're dying in the small tank. they're letting go of the side and drifting with barely a twitch. So far, so good.

Sunstar · 09-18-2008, 04:16 AM

I thought I would update the progress with my de-hydra-ation experement.

So far the small tank, which is my 5.5 gallon, and prolly got a bit more than 0.05 grams of the medication is free of living hydra. The Macrobrachium Pilimanus in there is doing well.

The Main tank, 25 gallon, I used 0.15 grams of panacur. Planaria are upset for sure, I've seen them moving around for the first time in months. There are still hydra but they don't look very happy.

All other animals seem quite happy.