FW Hydroids....

[icebear]

i think i have a colony of hydroids on one of my marimo, any ideas on getting rid of them without destroying the marimo?

[jeepjon]

Maybe I'm totally off on this...but don't hydroids usually not bother anything? Or is a Marimo something that can be bothered by hydroids. Small fish usually eat hydroids...at least I thought.

Jeepjon starts scratching his head...pondering the intricacies of the hydroid.

[icebear]

its possible that maybe they don't harm anyone (hydroids) i just remember looking into SW hydroids and knowing that they can be stingers... and i didn't want my FW tank to be overtaken by stinging hydroids.

Marimo are algae balls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marimo

and i don't know if its possible to pick out the hydroids with tweezers or something (and bits that are left will just regenerate?)... and since the algae balls cannot be scrubbed clean like LR, and dipping them in something to kill the hydroids might kill the algae.... luckily they are not destroyed by air exposure like sea sponges.... but that won't kill the hydroids either...

[Twitterbait]

They can be bad and yes, i would kill them. you might start by treating them like aptasia and shooting them with some lemon juice.

[icebear]

....problem is that they are almost microscopic. even an insulin needle is too small to poke into them they are about the size of the hole inside an insulin needle....


i have been trying to kill them by putting pebbles on them or covering them with gravel to try to just smother tham out. i think it may be working....

[Siberman]

If you have room try a gourami (especially the dwarf).

FW hydroids can kill small fry.