EMERGENCY: explosion of Fw hydra

[bettarescue]

I got 2 nerite snails about a week ago, they cleaned all the diatoms off my aquarium. Today I look into the tank and see HUNDREDS of Fw hydra attached to the walls!!! I am 100% sure that's what they are as I watch them sting Orchid! It's green with a long, skinny foot attached to the wall with 4 long tentacle looking arms on the free end that reach for whatever comes close!!!

I am freaking out I can't leave her in there with those things stinging her... what to do?!?! I can't leave her to be stressed and made uncomfortable, and then also risking her catching something opportunistic! I don't know if putting her in any of my other tanks would risk transferring them with her, or on the sponge filter that I would use in a hospital tank? I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight... I'm so grossed out!, and feel so awful for my baby girl Orchid.

Edit: I did a large water change (70%) and gravel vac. After I got the water down pretty low I did a thorough wipe down of the tank walls to remove the attached hydra without letting them back into the water. Finding these hydras explains the clamped fins Orchid's been displaying. I'm trying to decide if I should just 1) remove my plants (and let them stay in the shrimp tank during treatment ) and treat the tank with copper. Or 2) take out Orchid and raise the temp to 103* for 2-3 hours (is what I found online)? I don't think that temp will hurt my plants too much for just a few hours, right? The second option is more natural but also seems like it has a larger margin for error..?

I'm going to do another PWC in the a.m. To try and manually remove as many of these terrible polyps as I can.

[Carl]

some fish will eat these as well as large snails (maybe assassin snails, have not tried these myself)

Gouramis and sometimes mollies will eat these.

Copper treatments such as Coppersafe or Potassium Permanganate (a couple does though). Clout will work too, although a large die off can be somewhat toxic.

Resources:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/FritzMardelKordon.html#copper
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/TetraJungleHikari.html#permanganate

Bleaching the tank and starting over is another option

Carl

[bettarescue]

I removed the snails and dosed coppersafe. I plan on doing many pwc's daily to keep polution down. So far no change, but it's only been a few hours and holy cow these things populate fast... there's as many today as I removed yesterday. I'm so stunned these made it into the tank, but it explains the clamping and eating issues (I have watched her wince and flop around after eating one, so I'm guessing her mouths been stung more then once). I feel like a terrible fish parent

[Carl]

Feb 22, 2017 2:37:54 GMT -5 bettarescue said:

I removed the snails and dosed coppersafe. I plan on doing many pwc's daily to keep polution down. So far no change, but it's only been a few hours and holy cow these things populate fast... there's as many today as I removed yesterday. I'm so stunned these made it into the tank, but it explains the clamping and eating issues (I have watched her wince and flop around after eating one, so I'm guessing her mouths been stung more then once). I feel like a terrible fish parent

You're certainly not a bad fish parent just for having snails!

Often even with treatment, it takes time and multiple treatments too.

Sometimes just removing as many organics that allow the snails to breed keeps the numbers under control.
Snails will often breed t fit the available food source, so if food is scarce, there will be less snails.

Carl

[bettarescue]

Lol thanks Carl, remember its Hydra I have, I moved my nerites over to my invert tank to treat with copper for the FW hydra.

Wich I also just found one hydra in my invert tank, going to have to use the dog dewormer panacur-c (Active ingredient Fenbendazole) on that tank (I have read many places that this has been chronicled, and used with much success killing both FW Hydra and Planaria in shrimp tanks with fry and shrimplettes present). Have you heard of or tried this Carl or devonjohnsgard?

[Carl]

Feb 22, 2017 17:15:21 GMT -5 bettarescue said:

Lol thanks Carl, remember its Hydra I have, I moved my nerites over to my invert tank to treat with copper for the FW hydra.

Wich I also just found one hydra in my invert tank, going to have to use the dog dewormer panacur-c (Active ingredient Fenbendazole) on that tank (I have read many places that this has been chronicled, and used with much success killing both FW Hydra and Planaria in shrimp tanks with fry and shrimplettes present). Have you heard of or tried this Carl or devonjohnsgard?

I have read this many times, but I have to admit I have never used this particular product, nor can I vouch for its safety with Shrimp

Here is some information as to its use:
www.planetinverts.com/killing_planaria_and_hydra.html

Carl