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Hydroids

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Reefified, Sep 27, 2010.

  1. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I have these small little things growing throughout the my entire tank, sump and overflow. THey don't seem to bother anyone. Occasionally a zoey will seem irritated but it is hard to say there wasn't a snail or crab causing it. One of my buds says they look like a form of hydroid but I can't find a matching photo. I noticed these guys shortly after I started running NP pellets in a TLF reactor. Any ideas? Thanks.

    [​IMG]
    here is a link too that has some that look close
    http://www.zoaid.com/index.php?modu...temId=6194
     
  2. FishBrain Expert Reefkeeper

    New London
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    Hard to say without seeing a pic.
     
  3. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    cant look at your photobucket
     
  4. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

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    Are they just little feather dusters? If so, they are harmless. See if this is helpful.

    http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/invert.htm

    --AJ
     
  5. Don

    Don

    77
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    Not sure have seen these in a few spots in my tank as well.
    Hope you don't mind I posted a bigger copy of your picture.
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    No problem Don, thanks. AJ, I am not sure but they dont have the tubes like feather duster. They look just like the link I pasted in my post but I can't find much about this type, only the colony forms. They are literally everywhere. I am not too conserned at this point and will see what happens as time goes on. THey adhere failry well and you have to pull them off to get rid of them. I have tried to siphon with 1/4" tubing and their grip is too strong. Like I stated in the original post, they appeared within a week of running the NP pellets. If anyone has ideas or experience, let me know. Thanks everyone!
     
  7. rc1214b

    rc1214b

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    They look like Hydroids to me, nothing to worry about IMO.... more diversity. They may have taken advantage of the carbon you are adding, whether directly, or inderectly feeding on other organisms that have used the extra fuel.
     
  8. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    So there is nothing to worry about with them? Can they be destroyed some how?
     
  9. rc1214b

    rc1214b

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    To me they look like hydroids, there should be polyps on branches. A couple of them look to have them in the pic although it's hard to see well.

    Most people will say get em outta there but I feel too many times we are saying pluck it, kalk it, nuke it, cook it, etc. I've got colonial hydroids and they have never caused any problems, I've got coral right next to them. IMO it adds more character to the rock and makes it look more natural to see small life and not just purple rock...space...coral

    If you are worried they could cause problems though I would agree better to take care of it sooner than later. I'd say manual removal would be the first thing I would try, then probably kalk. It would be interesting to see if they thinned out with no carbon pellets. May or may not be something you have the ability to try. If your system is heavily reliant on it I'd hate for you to lose something just for an experiment.

    Good Luck with whatever route you choose and keep us updated
     
  10. Reefified

    Reefified Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    RC

    They are everywhere and probably not likely to eradicate. I will try to get a nice camera soon so I can take awesome photos. Like I said, they dont seem to be bothering anyone or causing an issue. I also think they may be slowly dying in some places. Maye eventually they will run out of some nutrient that caused the bloom and will naturally go away. Who knows. I am not sure if shutting down the NP pellets would create an issue with the tank anyway. I could give it a whirl. If anyone has input on that, please chime in. Does cutting off the carbon source cause any significant issues to the corals?
     

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