I have Hydras...how do I get rid of them?

[Pamiam]

I have a 20 gallon fresh water tank with a true red eyed puffer, a rubberlip pleco, a raphael catfish and a few golden panchax killifish.

Half my tank is sand the other rocks.

I became contaminated with hydras when I purchased live plants which have since been thrown away.

After the first outbreak of hydras, I purchased new sand, rocks, decorations....no live plants, then a few weeks later more hydras appeared. The second time I removed everything and boiled it. I cleaned out the tank before putting everything back.

A month has gone by now and the hydras are coming back.

How do I get rid of them and maintain the health of my fish? All my fish in this tank are at least 3 yrs. old and so far very healthy.

 

[KcMopar]

You must let the substrate and everything in the tank, filters, plus the tank dry out 100%!!!! This is the only sure fire way. Other ways as you have experienced just don't cut it.

 

[Pamiam]

Thank you for your advice....I will do that this weekend.

 

[se7en2686]

i know this sounds Wildly absurd. But i read on several disreputable webpages that if you take a 9v Battery and put
two wires on it, One on each terminal. then place the wires into the water on either side from one another it will kill them. however i cant stress this enough. I HAVE NEVER tried this i dont think i would try this unless ive seen proof of it working or something lol.

 

[KcMopar]

Rub your tummy and head at the same time to be sure its effective. LOL!!!! Even if you used wire plugged into your house outlet you are not going to get any accomplished besides foolishness.

 

[Pamiam]

I am not stupid enough to use electricity for anything....however...I can walk and chew gum at the same time...*laughingc

 

[KcMopar]

These things are awful and hard to get rid of so the best thing is to kill them by removing the environment they live in. I dried mine out for two weeks, I left it on my deck in the direct sun (on its side because top down caused condensation). I put every thing out there that was part of the tank. If the forecast called for rain I put it in the garage. The first attempt I kept it down for about 48 hours and they still returned!!!!! I was so mad!!!!! Anyway, at the end of the two weeks I cleaned it with straight bleach, everything even my garage floor LOL, it was oil drip stained anyway. After that I cleaned it with vinegar and then rinsed it very well with the hose sprayer.

 

[Thyra]

Is there anyway you can avoid this problem? Like can you see these things on plants before putting them in your tank or somehow treat all plants - without killing them? This is the first time on this forum I have heard about them. I am thinking about buying some java moss on-line, but now I am concerned. Emptying a 30g tank that's fully stocked for two weeks is pretty nigh unto impossible for me. Sounds like you would have to dried out everything including the heater and filter.

 

[Lotus]

I got rid of mine by squirting them individually with hydrogen peroxide, using a pipette, then sucking them out with a turkey baster when they balled up and lost their footing. Hydrogen peroxide is generally safe in a tank (within reason), so it's not too drastic or dangerous a measure. My infestation was relatively minor, but it was in a shrimp tank, so I couldn't use fish or other chemicals.

 

[Thyra]

Are you saying fish eat them??

 

[Pamiam]

Hydras are extremely small and you can see them, especially when they infest your tank because you will have thousands in a few weeks time. (I assume I got mine from a plant I purchased) Here is the problem with hydras...they have the ability to regenerate, do not age or die naturally and they have cnidocyte...meaning stinging cells that release neurotoxins that can kill fish when hundreds are released into the fish by mere touch.

Fish do not eat them....if a fish bites one they usually spit it out, then it forms many more hydras from the pieces the fish spit out.

My concern with any chemical addition to the tank is my Puffer ...she is scaleless and very delicate.

 

[Lotus]

The thing with hydrogen peroxide is that it's generally safe with all fish, as long as you're not throwing a whole bottle in. As I said, I used it in a shrimp tank. Shrimp are extremely sensitive to most chemicals. Mine was a small infestation, so it was feasible. I actually still have the same tank running probably four or five years later -- no hydra. I think I also did water changes after the H2O2, simply because I was worried, even though I was adding maybe 10 ml of hydrogen peroxide at a time with the pipette. It's really a case of using your best judgement. If you do need to break down the tank, you should start cycling a new tank now and make sure it's all 100 percent safe before you move the fish over.

 

[Pamiam]

I went on other fish forums and many advised not adding food to the tank after a water change. They said after 4 days without food, hydras start to degenerate; I might try this first along with your advice of adding H2O2. I have other, small breeder tanks I can put the fish in until I try this. I also have larger tanks I withdraw water from to re-start a tank.

Thanks for your input

 

[Thyra]

Lotus, what I understood you to say is you couldn't use fish or other chemicals, that was where I got the idea that fish ate them. If a tank has thousands of them it would be pretty difficult to squirt them with a pipette individually and just pouring H2O2 is probably not feasible - unless you removed the fish and knew how much a gallon would be effective.

 

[Lotus]

Some gouramis reportedly eat hydra. I always feel the "this fish will help" solutions are hit and miss, and you may end up with a fish you don't want.

 

[poppatello]

Back to the original question someone posted. Can you see them on plants before you put them in the tank? I also plan to get a plant or too for my cold water tank...

 

[OrangeCones]

I have always used a QT tank for both plants and fish. After two weeks with no food, hydra will die.

 

[Kallen]

I found this info...dunno if you'd be interested in these tho:

A non-intrusive way to eliminate Hydra is to add fish that eat them. Three Spot (Blue) Gouramis are particularly voracious consumers of Hydra. Paradisefish and Mollies are also very fond of Hydra. Pond Snails will also gobble up Hydra.

If adding fish or snails isn't an option for you, heat can be used. However, you will have to remove your fish or they will be cooked. Once the fish have been relocated, turn the temperature of the water up to at least 104F (40C) for about two hours. Turn the heat back down, vacuum the gravel lightly and perform a large water change (approx 50%). Make sure the temperature has dropped to the previous level before reintroducing the fish.