sharkmad sharkmad
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  • Joined: 3/6/2009 18:25
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  • Posts: 80
  • Posted on: 14/9/2010 16:51
Hydra in Cherry tank #1
Hi all, I've just discovered two or three hydra in my cherry shrimp tank. Will they harm the little guys? Some say they'll attack shrimplets. Can anyone in here tell me if they will harm my shrimps or not?
I've read that they're to do with over-feeding (guilty!) I have been trying very hard of late, to cut back feeding (missing days at a time!!) There are !!!!! snails in the tank too.
I saw the hydra & panicked, so I squashed them...THEN read that this makes them mulitply.
<fraught!>
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Violet Violet
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  • Joined: 22/11/2008 17:42
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  • Posted on: 14/9/2010 18:41
Re: Hydra in Cherry tank #2
Ah, Hydra Another FK member had these recently. Like little stalks with tentacles at the end, yes?

They are an aquarium pest and will catch and devour baby fish and shrimp as far as I'm aware. Best way to get rid is to cut back feeding and good tank cleans. Cutting back the food will remove the excess organic waste and they should die back naturally. Personally, if they are attached to the plant stems I'd be tempted to get the scissors out and get snipping too
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sharkmad sharkmad
  • Just can't stay away
  • Just can't stay away
  • Joined: 3/6/2009 18:25
  • From Devon
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  • Posts: 80
  • Posted on: 14/9/2010 20:23
Re: Hydra in Cherry tank #3
Yeah, that's the little darlings! I stripped my filter down. Took out all the plants & shook them vigourously in tank water. I did wonder about removing all plants & bogwood?? Drastic? It would mean no greenery in there for the shrimp, but I don't have the kind of plants that I can hack back to nothing. (anubias, java fern & java moss.) I could remove the alodea. I have lots of terracotta bits in there, I read that it's good for holding friendly bacteria. I also have a couple of shrimp terraces all of which has algae on it. So maybe they wouldn't starve? Would you start from scratch in this way?
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Violet Violet
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  • Posted on: 14/9/2010 20:54
Re: Hydra in Cherry tank #4
Hi sharkmad

Whilst they can regrow limbs after trauma, that's true, I would doubt a fully, thoroughly 'squished' one would be able to. Given you have shrimp though and perhaps fry, who need food and cover, if it was me, I'd do a two pronged attack

Firstly, remove the majority of the bog wood and terracotta, not all of it though and give a good scrub in old tank water, rinse thoroughly with pre conditioned tap water in a bucket and replace. Chuck the elodea in full (cheap and easy to replace). Trim the remaining slow growers (anubias etc) where you see any infection of the critters.

Secondly, reduced feeding and good tank cleaning (hoovering etc) should deal with any that remain over the next few weeks. The last ones should just die away after that
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sharkmad sharkmad
  • Just can't stay away
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  • Joined: 3/6/2009 18:25
  • From Devon
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  • Posts: 80
  • Posted on: 14/9/2010 21:06
Re: Hydra in Cherry tank #5
ThanQ "aunty" V (aunty 'cos you almost always answer me first!) When you say trim back the slow growers with signs of infection, what are the signs?
I really hope you're right about the "fully, thoroughly squihsed" thing LOL
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