Are hydra harmless or harmful?

[missmonday]

Not sure if this is the right forum or not! Sorry if this needs to be moved.

Sooo a day or two ago I noticed what looked like very tiny, funny looking "green grass" in my substrate and after a quick google search, found out I have green hydra in my tank! ...at least it's the prettier looking kind haha.

From the links I found online, most people seem to only be concerned about hydra when they're raising fry or shrimplets, of which I'm doing neither.

I'm not sure how it got in my tank as I always leave new plants in a 24hr alum/water dip. Maybe from some hitchhiking pest snails? :/

It does seem to be spreading slowly,but "killing" them seems easier said than done, so I plan on siphoning out as much as I can with a gravel vac when I do my PWC tomorrow.

Should I be concerned? Or eh?

 

[henningc]

They should not harm anything but at some point you will want them gone.

 

[missmonday]

Yeah, I plan on siphoning out as much as I can, and feed sparingly to help prevent them from spreading

 

[coralbandit]

Hope this link helps;

Killing Planaria and Hydra .:. Information on killing Planaria & Hydra with Fenbendazole

 

[joeychizzle]

When I first set up my tank I experienced a similar scenario, except my entire tank was layered in the stuff. I starved the tank for almost a week (microbrachium nipponense, hardy and ultra cheap at a dollar for dozens where I live, so easily replacable.) and it cleared right up. The shrimps also helped polish off these ugly flat worms and another type of worm which could horrifyingly grow to several inches in length.

Cut down on feeding drastically for a week or two and it'll clear up.

 

[evil Nick]

lol kind of looks like a freshwater coral.

Will your fish eat them?

 

[missmonday]

I'm kind of hesitant to use dewormer as I have amano shrimp and assassin snails in my tank and I'm pretty attached to them, I'd hate for anything to happen to them. :s

They don't seem to be spreading dramatically, only minimally? I'll see about cleaning on of the decorations they're mainly on (a plastic plant) in vinegar with my next pwc.

My platys seem interested in picking at them but not sure if they're eating them. Also heard gouramis eat them? Planning on getting 2 honey gouramis.