# Hydra



## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

I've seen a few what looks like hydra in my shrimp tank. How can I safely remove these so they don't kill my shrimp babies ?


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## Bwhiskered (Oct 2, 2008)

Spixi Snails and Mystery Snails eat Hydra.


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## Splak (May 1, 2013)

anyone have any spixi or apple snails?? I have hydra in all my tanks lol


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

No planaria works as well.


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## Splak (May 1, 2013)

razoredge said:


> No planaria works as well.


Does it?? I was wondering this, have a bag from like 4 years ago kicking around.


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## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

Is it safe for shrimp ?


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

Yes it is. I made a very small batch and used a syringe and blast the buggers for maximum effect and two days later they are all dead. Once they are gone, I do a 10% water change every week.



Aceman21 said:


> Is it safe for shrimp ?


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## Splak (May 1, 2013)

razoredge said:


> Yes it is. I made a very small batch and used a syringe and blast the buggers for maximum effect and two days later they are all dead. Once they are gone, I do a 10% water change every week.


confirmed, thank you 

Threw a scoop in each tank lastnight and I cant see a single hydra anywhere today!


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## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

Splak said:


> confirmed, thank you
> 
> Threw a scoop in each tank lastnight and I cant see a single hydra anywhere today!


And all your shrimp and babies are ok ?


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## Splak (May 1, 2013)

Aceman21 said:


> And all your shrimp and babies are ok ?


As of right now not a single death, all shrimp are actively grazing


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## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

Good to hear. I'll have to pick some up.


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

Alternatively, I use a dollar store turkey baster and gently remove the hydra off the glass and then suck them into the baster. Only works when it's on the glass though. The baster works well in removing old food bits from the bowls or gravel too.


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## xenos369 (May 18, 2014)

I had a similar problem with hydra in my shrimp tank 8 months ago, and it just stopped my RCS population from growing. Simply picking them out may not be the best option, as hydras have an incredible capacity for regeneration. A small fragment can regrow into a functioning hydra. I solved my problem by adding pond snails, as they love devouring these little buggers! Pond snails can easily be obtained from your LFS, just look in the leaves of plants, you may get some for free! 

Since then i never saw a single hydra, but i am very sure there are some small individuals surviving in my tank. Doesn't really impact my RCS population though.


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## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

I think I'm just going to try an find some no planaria. It's safe for shrimp an their babies.


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

The only snail worst than pond snails are Malaysian Trumpet snails (MTS). Once they start breeding it's next to impossible to get rid off in a planted tank. You basically have to start the tank over if you want pest free. I would rather have Hydra or planaria in my tank than pond snails. Personally, I would avoid pond snails and look for something a bit larger like spixi snail



xenos369 said:


> I had a similar problem with hydra in my shrimp tank 8 months ago, and it just stopped my RCS population from growing. Simply picking them out may not be the best option, as hydras have an incredible capacity for regeneration. A small fragment can regrow into a functioning hydra. I solved my problem by adding pond snails, as they love devouring these little buggers! Pond snails can easily be obtained from your LFS, just look in the leaves of plants, you may get some for free!
> 
> Since then i never saw a single hydra, but i am very sure there are some small individuals surviving in my tank. Doesn't really impact my RCS population though.


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## EverydaySoCloudy (Nov 24, 2015)

razoredge said:


> Alternatively, I use a dollar store turkey baster and gently remove the hydra off the glass and then suck them into the baster. Only works when it's on the glass though. The baster works well in removing old food bits from the bowls or gravel too.


THIS IS INGENIOUS. I'm about to run to a dollar store to find one now, thanks


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## EverydaySoCloudy (Nov 24, 2015)

razoredge said:


> The only snail worst than pond snails are Malaysian Trumpet snails (MTS). Once they start breeding it's next to impossible to get rid off in a planted tank. You basically have to start the tank over if you want pest free. I would rather have Hydra or planaria in my tank than pond snails. Personally, I would avoid pond snails and look for something a bit larger like spixi snail


Does MTS really breed that crazily? I always thought it was:
pond snail --> ramhorn --> MTS

Then again I'm probably wrong since I haven't checked my tanks for snails in a while, I usually only see 1 or 2 on the glass which isn't too bad.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I setup my CRS tank a couple of months ago, and a ton of hydra showed up during cycling. Overtime though, their population slowly decreased. I'm seeing plenty of shrimplets and very few hydra left.

My hypothesis is that high nutrient water feeds microorgaisms that in turn feeds hydra, resulting in a high population when the tank is first setup. As the tank matures and nutrient levels in the water column becomes minimal, the hydra population naturally dies out.

As an aside, I don't get the snail hate. They're a healthy, interesting part of an aquatic ecosystem. I have tiny ramshorns, MTS, and those half-shell limpets. Occasionally I catch sight of tiny critters too small to identify scurrying around.


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

MTS are one of the most useful snails IMO. They will not eat live plants only dying or dead leaves, aerate the substrate and are normally only seen when food is available and at night. These snail can self reproduce. However, if you tend to overfeed a tank like I used to do, you will have literally hundreds under the substrate. There will be no way to eliminate once you have them in your tank.



EverydaySoCloudy said:


> Does MTS really breed that crazily? I always thought it was:
> pond snail --> ramhorn --> MTS
> 
> Then again I'm probably wrong since I haven't checked my tanks for snails in a while, I usually only see 1 or 2 on the glass which isn't too bad.


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## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

I just did my first dose of no planaira, I took my MTS out of the day while I do the treatment


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## xenos369 (May 18, 2014)

Honestly, I think snails are a great addition to any tank. I have pond snails, MTS, and nerites going around keeping everything in check. I also have assassin snails to control the population, and to sell once they breed. 

Snail problems usually arise when you overfeed your tank, something easily remedied.


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## qualityshrimpz (Dec 15, 2009)

razoredge said:


> MTS are one of the most useful snails IMO. They will not eat live plants only dying or dead leaves, aerate the substrate and are normally only seen when food is available and at night. These snail can self reproduce. However, if you tend to overfeed a tank like I used to do, you will have literally hundreds under the substrate. There will be no way to eliminate once you have them in your tank.


so you have them in your shrimp tanks and they dont eat babies?


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

qualityhitz said:


> so you have them in your shrimp tanks and they dont eat babies?


Malaysian trumpet snails would not eat shrimplets. They are detrivores, not predators.


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## xenos369 (May 18, 2014)

You can add assassin snails if your MT/Pond snail population gets out of control. These guys are fairly slow breeders (and breed sexually, so M & F required) and they don't touch fish/shrimp babies! 

I just like to have a little ecosystem going on in my tank


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## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

I dont know if you have tried this already but i had a HUGE hydra infestation in my dwarf puffer tank. My options of putting hydra eating snails in there were not possible. I tried no planaria but it didnt seem to work. What did work was 50% water changes and CONSTANT scraping of the glass. I'm sure i still have residual hydra in my tank but its not visible at all and my weekly scraping and water changes doesnt allow for them to grow. Seems simple but hey man, it worked for me when all else failed


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## Aceman21 (Nov 4, 2015)

Kimchi24 said:


> I dont know if you have tried this already but i had a HUGE hydra infestation in my dwarf puffer tank. My options of putting hydra eating snails in there were not possible. I tried no planaria but it didnt seem to work. What did work was 50% water changes and CONSTANT scraping of the glass. I'm sure i still have residual hydra in my tank but its not visible at all and my weekly scraping and water changes doesnt allow for them to grow. Seems simple but hey man, it worked for me when all else failed


I did the no planaira treatment and it has seemed to work. I haven't seen any hydra since and all my shrimp an babies all seem fine.


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