How do you Battle Hydroids?

[rykna]

Approximately two weeks ago I helped Beth set up a 29g tank. Three days ago Beth and I came home from the LFS. Beth purchased 10lbs LR and a big bunch of plants. The next day we found two aiptasia anemones, one button polyp, and several feather duster worms attached to the plants. Two days ago you could see pods swimming and crawling all over her tank. Yesterday we saw a ghost shrimp nibbling on a shrimp pellet. There is a 100% chance that unwanted hydroids are now in her tank.

I find myself at a impasse. My 55g sump tank has been cycling for almost two months now with little progress. I am using the LS(80lbs) and DR(35lbs) that many months ago I sterilized to make sure that no more ponies would succumb to hydroids. The LS I'm using, I reseeded after sterilizing it, and has been in storage for approximately four months before putting it into the sump. Without adding LR and plants I don't think the sump will ever completely cycle. So do I leave the entire Pony 15g and 55sump set up sterile, and just use the 55s as extra water capacity? Or do I risk infestation for the benefits that a cycled tank offers for seahorses?

I may have answered my own question. If I were setting up a "Horse" tank I would definitely want a sump tank that was so cycled that the LR looked like it was moving do to the huge population of pods. If I were setting a "Pony" tank; my past experiences has shown a huge bonus when setting up a sterile tank for ponies. Seeding the tank with pods is extremely expensive. Is there a way to remove most hydroids from live marine plants? I tried a fresh water dip, and it resulted in a dead plant. I've considered panacure, but do not trust this medicine because it had no effect on previous sick horses.

Currently, there is five dominoes in the tank. Yesterday I purchased a 5lb bag of LS , but I think what I really need to get the tank to cycle and the "cleanup crew" population growing is plants and additional LR.
Do I cycle?
Keep sterile?
Or can plants and LR be cleansed of hydroids?

 

[zeke92]

There is some chemicals you can use (i can get names if you want to try chemicals) but the main way i think is to wait and let them filter out of the tank and die off.

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by zeke92
http:///forum/post/2758371
There is some chemicals you can use (i can get names if you want to try chemicals) but the main way i think is to wait and let them filter out of the tank and die off.
So if I understand, go ahead and add LR, plants, etc., and wait 2 months for the hydroids to die of starvation.

 

[zeke92]

Starvation works.
I can't find my book at the moment..i'll post again as soon as i do.

 

[lulabulla]

Some types of hydroids can be eradicated from the aquarium by raising the water temperature to 92°F or above for period of 3-5 days (Liisa Coit, pers. com.). Keep all of the filters and equipment operating so that the hot water circulates throughout them and destroys any hydroids or hydromedusae that may be present in the filtration system. (Seahorses and their tankmates, including snails and the cleanup crew, must be removed to a temporary holding tank while the heat treatment is carried out.) Maintaining the water temperature at 92° for this period does not harm the beneficial nitrifying bacteria in your biofilter, injure marine plants or macroalgae, or kill off copepods and other beneficial microfauna (Liisa Coit, pers.com.).
After the treatment period, perform a large water change to assure that the die off of hydroids does not degrade your water quality, and adjust the water temperature back to normal, and all the animals can be returned to the aquarium. The tank will not undergo a "mini cycle" and there will be no ammonia or nitrite spikes (Liisa Coit, pers. com.).
However, not all types of hydroids respond to the heat treatment method of eradication. The snowflake type of hydroids that are all too common seem to have no difficulty surviving the heat treatment. So generally speaking, then Panacur is a more reliable way to eliminate them. Some folks might describe the snowflake type of hydroids as "fuzzy starfish," in which case the heat treatment may not be effective. If you're fuzzy hydroids do not resemble snowflakes, then there is an decent chance that the heat treatment will be effective.

 

[reefnutpa]

If the tank is for the larger species of seahorses, hydroids are not a concern. Hydroids are an issue with dwarf seahorses and all types of seahorse fry. When setting up new tanks for Erectus, Kuda, Reidi, etc and using LR, I see hydroids on the glass all the time the first few weeks. They will die out on their own from lack of food just as they do over time in any newly set up marine aquarium using live rock.
If the tank is for dwarf seahorses, which it's rather large for that, the best way to deal with the issue is panacur. Unfortunately, not all types of snails, macro algae and other flora in the tank can survive a panacur treatment. Additionally, it will leave the tank uninhabitable for certain snails, macro's, etc indefinitely.
Tom

 

[poniegirl]

Thanks for bringing up the subject, Rykna. I have been wondering, myself, how a seahorse will deal with a variety of hitchhikers.
I still have my aptasia. Not to the degree that it had been as I have removed all but minimal live rock. I'll re-cure that later and return it hopefully aptasia-free.
Does anyone have experience with a seahorse tank that also housed aptasia?

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by ReefNutPA
http:///forum/post/2759229
If the tank is for the larger species of seahorses, hydroids are not a concern. Hydroids are an issue with dwarf seahorses and all types of seahorse fry. When setting up new tanks for Erectus, Kuda, Reidi, etc and using LR, I see hydroids on the glass all the time the first few weeks. They will die out on their own from lack of food just as they do over time in any newly set up marine aquarium using live rock.
If the tank is for dwarf seahorses, which it's rather large for that, the best way to deal with the issue is panacur. Unfortunately, not all types of snails, macro algae and other flora in the tank can survive a panacur treatment. Additionally, it will leave the tank uninhabitable for certain snails, macro's, etc indefinitely.
Tom
My 15g tank will have ponies(dwarf seahorses) in it. The 55g is the sump for the 15g display tank. I'm not a big fan of panacur either. Aiptasia took 25 of my ponies, hence my concern. I want to use the 55 sump to grow a huge population of pods. But the hydroids have become a stumbling block in the cycling process.

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by PonieGirl
http:///forum/post/2760025
Thanks for bringing up the subject, Rykna. I have been wondering, myself, how a seahorse will deal with a variety of hitchhikers.
I still have my aptasia. Not to the degree that it had been as I have removed all but minimal live rock. I'll re-cure that later and return it hopefully aptasia-free.
Does anyone have experience with a seahorse tank that also housed aptasia?

Yes..they ate all but five of my ponies. That's why I sterilized all my LR and LS. Hydroids are annoying all around, but much more threatening to ponies than horses.