Hydra.. What to do?

mikeb210

mikeb210

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Oct 14, 2008
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I found some interesting new inhabitants in my 5g. I noticed one and then almost instantly found 10 or so more. I recently added java moss and a java fern, each from different owners, so I'm guessing they hitched a ride on one or the other.

How would I go about removing them? They are not that unsightly and I really don't mind them unless they will harm my fish or shrimp. I'm also worried about how quickly they reproduce. I don't want any more, and I could see them being a problem if I grow hundreds all over the tank.

I have 2 white clouds and 3 amano shrimp in the tank. The white clouds are doing their breeding dance, so I might have fry soon. Will the hydras harm the fry?

I would like to introduce something natural to remove them. Either to eat or out compete them for food. Any suggestions?

I posted a few pics too, so double check and make sure I've id'd them correctly. I've never actually had them before so I could be mistaken.

They kind of remind me of craptasia in reef tanks. I put one under my microscope and they are pretty interesting creatures, just not my cup of tea if they are going to make my tank unsightly or if they will harm my fish.

Thanks for the look.

-Mike

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Your White Cloud fry will be food for the hydra. The only fish I know of that eats them are Blue Gouramis in all their various forms, but your tank iis way too small for one. A dose of copper suitable for ich should eradicate them.
 
HYDRA is what you have. They will eat your fry and sting the crap out of your shrimp. I wouldn't suggest adding anything with copper since you have the shrimp in the tank. Just feed VERY sparingly and keep the lights on for only a short period and you should see their demise.
 
Doh! Forgot about your shrimp! The light trick may or may not help. They aren't all photosynthetic. Starving them is good in theory, but there re no doubt plenty of other little critter that were in your tank or came in with the hydra on the moss. I'd remove the shrimp and copper them.
 
I would remove the shrimp and add coppersafe to it and then after a few days and you not seeing them I would do a large water change and add shrimp back in (not sure if you would be able to do this or not so ask one of the experts). I have never dealt with hydra so this is the only advice I can give.
 
I'm definitely not trying to kill my shrimp. Is there no other fish or invert that will eat them? They must have a natural predator of some sort.
 
thank you for the thread mikeb as i am also having a problem with hydra in my 20 long. will the copper hurt my kuhli if i use it?
 
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