# Does anyone know what type of gourami is best for hydra?



## laurahmm

Hi there everyone, 


This is slightly off topic but still in the invertebrae section because I have some hydra in my CRS tank and I dont want to treat them with any meds. I heard that gourami's eat hydra. I was wondering if any type of gourami eats them or a specific type is better than others? Thanks!


Laura


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## iBetta

wouldn't gouramis also eat your shrimps..?
hydra could be controlled (and completely eradicated) with more frequent water changes and reduced feeding . they usually come out following an explosion of copepods of some sorts .

Ive had hydra in my shrimp tank before, ive just scraped them off each time i did my water change and reduced my feeding and now they're completely gone . good luck!


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## zfarsh

Captain America!!!!


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## BillD

The gouramis usually recommended for hydra eradication are the blue.


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## matti2uude

I've read that spixi snails will eat hydra too. 


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk


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## Cypher

BillD said:


> The gouramis usually recommended for hydra eradication are the blue.


You don't want to place a blue gourami in a dwarf shrimp tank. Not unless you're looking to eradicate both hyrda and dwarf shrimp in that tank lol.


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## Cypher

Most gouramis will eat hydra, some better than others - yes. But the limiting factor in your tank's situation is that you have crs shrimp too and most fish find shrimps a very tasty snack or meal. So chose a type of gourami that is small in size and has a small mouth.

You might want to try sparkling gouramis. They're one of the smallest species around. BUT, like most other fish, they'll eat what ever fits in their mouth (small hydra and baby crs possibly) and possibly ignore the really large hydra that won't fit in their mouths.



laurahmm said:


> Hi there everyone,
> 
> This is slightly off topic but still in the invertebrae section because I have some hydra in my CRS tank and I dont want to treat them with any meds. I heard that gourami's eat hydra. I was wondering if any type of gourami eats them or a specific type is better than others? Thanks!
> 
> Laura


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## Pamelajo

matti2uude said:


> I've read that spixi snails will eat hydra too.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk


Yes they will and they can coexist with shrimp.


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## laurahmm

Anyone know where I can get some spixi snails  Are spixi snails the same thing as apple snails?


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## Pamelajo

Spixi snails are one species of apple snails. I currently do not have any to spare and they are not usually sold in stores. http://applesnail.net/


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## Ciddian

I have one, very very old spixi if it really becomes a desperate situation. lol.

They used to be everywhere for a little while among breeders but I dont see them anymore myself :/


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## Bwhiskered

Honey and Dwarf Gouramis are the ones recommended for eating hydra. I think sparkling gouramis would be too small. My spixi snail population is a little low at the moment and I should move a few into one of my infested tanks to try them out.


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## Pamelajo

Charlie a guy in Calgary did an experiment using the spixis to get rid of hydra. I send him out some for this:
Here is one of his posts on them
http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9025&highlight=spixi

http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9062&highlight=spixi


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## Bwhiskered

Pamelajo said:


> Charlie a guy in Calgary did an experiment using the spixis to get rid of hydra. I send him out some for this:
> Here is one of his posts on them
> http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9025&highlight=spixi
> 
> http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9062&highlight=spixi


That may explain why I have never had trouble with hydra in some of my tanks. I just threw a couple of large ones in a trouble tank and will watch the results.


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## laurahmm

Thanks everyone for the great advice! None of my CRS were pregnant so I was willing to try a gourami. I hate hydra so much! But now one of them is pregnant so I'm going to go the snail route. If anyone knows of anyone selling spixi snails please let me know. Thanks!


Also one more question if anyone has the expertise to answer this. I dont know much about apple snails so I'm wondering if any apple snail with stripes on them are asolene spixi snails? I see them occasionally in stores mixed up with all the other types of apple snails. Or do they have to specifically be a particular type and it requires more than just stripes? 
Laura


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## Pamelajo

Hi Laura,
The little yellow and burgundy striped ones are spixis. 
http://pamelajo.webs.com/critterpics.htm


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