Hydra-how to get rid of it?

[Bling]

Has anyone been able to get rid of hydra without using chemicals? I understand copper-based medicine will work, but I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with a fish eating it.

 

[Synirr]

When I had some hydra in my fry tank, I'd go through during my daily cleaning and manually remove them.... obviously, this isn't the best method in the world
After my betta fry got bigger they apparently started eating them because I haven't seen a hydra in there in ages.

 

[Colin_BC]

When I had some hydra in my fry tank, I'd go through during my daily cleaning and manually remove them.... obviously, this isn't the best method in the world
After my betta fry got bigger they apparently started eating them because I haven't seen a hydra in there in ages.

Use Fluke Tabs at 1/4 strength. I used half of one Fluke Tab in a 20G long full of apisto cacatuoides fry that were less than 2 weeks old, left the med in for 3 days before doing water change, hydra are completely dead and fry are completely alive. Largets Hydra infestation I've ever had. Snails don't seem to like treatment that long though. i thin 1 or 2 days would be ok for snails. Plants were all fine.

EDIT: FYI, Hydra populations usually appear to vanish after BBS is no longer the main food going into the tank

Colin

 

[soritan]

http/www.xenotoca.clara.net/hydra.htm

In the end, for me, 2 pond snails ate away my hydra infestation in about 2 weeks or so. I had lots of tiny hydra, and now I have no more.

 

[BigC]

Flubendozole 5%. Kills Hydra stone dead. Quite difficult to get hold of but is amazing. I watched the little buggers dissolve before my very eyes with my magnifying glass. I have heard that Blue Gouramies, Trichogaster trichopterus eat the stuff.

 

[Colin_BC]

Flubendozole 5%. Kills Hydra stone dead. Quite difficult to get hold of but is amazing. I watched the little buggers dissolve before my very eyes with my magnifying glass. I have heard that Blue Gouramies, Trichogaster trichopterus eat the stuff.

i read tat before in another post of yours. i tried finding some, which lead to finding out that Flubenol, Flubendazole, Fenbendazole, & Panacur are all quite similar (if not the same), but equally difficult to find without going through veterinary supply. Charles Harrison has an article on Flubendazole and it's uses. I tried to get some through him and he suggested I try Fluke Tabs, as they're available almost anywhere (Big Al's for me). Apparently it common in the AKA. I dosed at 1/4 tab and left it for 3 days (while still heavily feeding BBS) before doing a water change and all the hydra are dead. the two week old apisto fry came out of it without a scratch. Good enough for me. A 10 pack should last forever....

Colin

 

[BigC]

Yeah Colin,
I Got my Flubendazole from a killifish colleague otherwise I would have had difficulty finding it also.
I did some research and ended up with the same conclusion as yourself "Fluke Tabs". I cannot comment on their sucess rate as I personally have not used them but other aquarists in the states confirm that they do work in the eradication of Hydra.

 

[Colin_BC]

...and I can confirm in Canada.... Some hydra were visibly effected within minutes of adding the fluke tabs. The arms retracted, and the stalk-like bodies seemed to get shorter and fatter. They were all like that by 24hr. By the third day I was positive the hydra were all dead. They weren't even recognizable as hydra anymore.

I think how you administer them is important. Anytime I'm using any dry meds for fish, I always mix it first in an old water bottle until the solid is totally dissolved, then add the solution to the tank.

Colin