Free floating hydroids

[pacificdiver]

I have these little guys all of my tank - thousands. Most threads on hydroids focus on colonial species, but my issue is the free-floating variety. Some say you need to tear down the tank, others say they will go away on their own. My question is, which is it? My 130G system is about 4 months old. Am I better off tearing it down and starting over, or should I just wait it out?



All parameters are well within normal range:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5ppm
Ca: 400
Mg: 1300
pH: 8.2
Alk: 4.5 meq/L

The DT is running fallow for the next 7 weeks, as the same ball of chaeto that brought in they hydroids, also gifted me with ich. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[ginpang]

Free floating hydroids

I had those invade rotifer and pod cultures last month. Don't really know where they came from.
I was told sometimes they came from brine shrimp eggs.
I think I bought a pint of rotifer a that were already harbouring these hitch hikers.
Anywho they were eating all the zooplankton so I emptied , javeled and everything now is drying out a few weeks .

Wouldn't know if they go away on their own.
Though I have seen appear some digitate hydroids in one of my DT. Perhaps in a few months I'll be able to tell you wether they go away on their own.

Going fallow should help ... Water changes without adding any food should make for less nutrients rich water and therefore should starve out the hydroids.


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[eastlake]

A LFS near me put a copper banded butterfly in his display tank that had them and it was seen eating them, though I assume this is an exception not a rule.

 

[pacificdiver]

A LFS near me put a copper banded butterfly in his display tank that had them and it was seen eating them, though I assume this is an exception not a rule.

I guess my main question is, though, will they go away on their own, or do I need to tear down my system and start over. I would hoping someone on here might have had an experience with them either way.

 

[ginpang]

I guess my main question is, though, will they go away on their own, or do I need to tear down my system and start over. I would hoping someone on here might have had an experience with them either way.

Give it some time , maybe someone else will chime in. Though I don't think medusa hydroids are all that common.
First time I had some in 20 years ( on and off) in this hobby.


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[pacificdiver]

Give it some time , maybe someone else will chime in. Though I don't think medusa hydroids are all that common.
First time I had some in 20 years ( on and off) in this hobby.


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Thanks, ginpang. I think I will let them run their course for a few weeks and see what happens. I will keep the thread posted on the results. Seems like I can't really find a definitive end result anywhere on what ends up happening over time. Some say they should disappear, and others say not. We'll see.

 

[rsepiphyte]

I had them in my first 20 gallon that i purchased 2nd hand off Craigs list. After two weeks they disappeared. Odd to look at but didn't damage anything.