Algae or Hydra?

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Osomini

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Messages
27
I'm really hoping this is Algae and not Hydra.

Either way it's all over the glass in killing me to see it all over the tank, how can I get rid of this?
 

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They do not look like any hydra I have seen before though I have only seen a few of them. Those I have seen have a distinct white body that is very like a microworm, with the tentacles sprouting at the top, but when I can see the body clearly, I can also see the 'fingers' clearly. Needed a digital camera pic to see anything other than a worm like critter though. But the way they are standing up is a bit creepy for sure.

Might be fungal. Algae is usually green, can be brown, black or reddish, or blue green, but not white, unless it is stone dead. Fungus is often whitish.

Do they move at all ? Have you seen any of them close up the top part and move away, like a worm ? If not, try moving some of them. Swish them and see if you can get some to close up and move on. If so, they're likely hydra. You'd need a fish that eats them, gouramis are known to eat them, or drugs, I think it's a dog wormer that's used. I'd have to look up the one that kills them. Do not crush them, they can regenerate from even a single cell, if they are hydra.
 
They do move but with tue water current, I touched them with my hand and scraper and they don't curl up or anything. It might be fungus like you mentioned.

Its just unsightly to see it everywhere on the glass and decor.
 
Hi there - I have a very similar infestation in my axolotl tank and am wondering if you ever found out what this was and how you got rid of it? Axolotl seems happy, water quality is fine.
 
Thanks for the advice! Is this safe for axolotls though? I've read mixed things about whether it can be used safely for amphibians so would love to hear a personal experience! and would I just put it in the tank with the axolotl in there?
 
I have no experience with axolotls but know that dose is shrimp safe ?
You only need to treat tank with one dose usually for only 2-3 days .
I would think about moving the rept. out for that short time ..
Change water on tank after treatment [large water change as % changed is % med will be removed ] and then add the rept. back .
 
I took another look at the images that were posted. I've a much better computer now and while I can't ID them, I can say with confidence they are NOT hydra.

They are either a sessile or semi-sessile life form that is somewhat similar to Stentor or perhaps Vorticella or something along those lines. There are so many tiny aquatic species and not enough reference data online to help ID them.

Fenben' really works great to wipe out Hydra but it won't kill vorticella and may not work on other similar life either. A friend of mine had a huge infestation of vorticella and nothing she tried that her fish could handle would kill the things, not even Clout, which you can't get anymore anyway.

Chlorine works, assuming you can use it. So will enough heat, again, if it's possible to use it.

Almost any fish should be willing to eat them but would probably not wipe them out.

I would not expect them to be a danger to an axolotl, but I'd want to keep an eye out that they don't end up establishing populations in filters or on filter media just in case.

A total tank teardown might be the only way to be rid of things like this. If they're like vorticella and there are no fish to keep their numbers in check the numbers may well increase.
 
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