My Turbo Has Hair!

mollyinmiami

mollyinmiami

Member
Hey can anyone ID whats on my turbo snail? (I know its not hair)
There are a bunch of them. They have little stalks that kind of look like feather dusters, but i don't think they are? It's only on this one turbo.

 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
dusters.... turbos especially seem to get random things growin on there shells... mine had some marine plant forever, (plus some hair algae) but in the last 3 months all of it has gone away (everyone said it would cause hair algae outbreak...haha, showed them)
 
mollyinmiami

mollyinmiami

Member
Hey JooJoo thanks they are hydroids. I googled it and found the ones that I have. They are called Hydractinia echinata. Pretty Cool. It didn't say if they were bad or anything, do you know if they are ok to keep in there?
 
mollyinmiami

mollyinmiami

Member
Why are hydroids bad? That's what I haven't been able to find out. Are they going to spread and take over? Doctor give it to me straight.....I can take it.
 
georgev845

georgev845

Member
lol thts cool my turbos have that too but they look more like peices of skinny twigs. turbos backs are made of petrified coral and so they grow material on their backs
 
jimmy 4

jimmy 4

Member
Originally Posted by georgev845
lol thts cool my turbos have that too but they look more like peices of skinny twigs. turbos backs are made of petrified coral and so they grow material on their backs
What are you talking about? I thought that back of snails were made of old snail shell.
Do turbos live for hundreds of years burried under sediment and then emerge once they have collected enough petrified coral on thier backs?
 
sharkboy13

sharkboy13

Active Member
Originally Posted by Jimmy 4
What are you talking about? I thought that back of snails were made of old snail shell.
Do turbos live for hundreds of years burried under sediment and then emerge once they have collected enough petrified coral on thier backs?
no they grow their own shells, becuz snails r slow they gather stuff, as for hydroids being bad im not sure either
 
petjunkie

petjunkie

Active Member
They do look like the hydroids I have, nasty little things that sting the crap out of everything they touch. Hard to get rid of and can spread quickly, mine don't thankfully but I pull them out with tweezers. I've heard strong kalk paste can kill them if you cover them with it.
 
joojoo

joojoo

Member
Good job identifying them. They are pest because they can sting anything they touch, like petjunkie said. They are related to jellyfish.
 
mollyinmiami

mollyinmiami

Member
Thanks To Everyone For Their Help!!!
ok, so the Hydroids need to go....instead of tossing out the turbo, can I scrape them off with a sharp knife? Will they sting me? I'll use gloves just to be sure. Does that mean my tank is infested?
 
joojoo

joojoo

Member
It's gonna be hard to completely remove them from the snail without harming it. I'm not sure how they reproduce, but I would treat them as Aiptasia, so don't cut them, that might make them spread. I would never suggest this, but for the sake of your tank in this situation, I'd say toss the snail... crush it with a brick outside or something, make it quick... As for stinging you, I doubt it. Good luck.
 
mollyinmiami

mollyinmiami

Member
crap...I hate the idea of killing it, could I throw it in the bay, or acclimate it to the bay water and then release it? (My Apt is right on the bay) Bad idea? Would the hydroids kill the eco system in the bay? Is this too risky? I'll wait for a reply, if I don't hear anything by tonight, I'll smash him.
 
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