Is this a hydroid?

[Runner]

Take the rock out of the water and spread kalk paste on them. Rinse with tank water after about a minute. I've wiped out colonies of these guys doing that. Of couse, it kills everything else on the rock and turns it totally white, but at least you can start over.

 

[jgreen1025]

Originally posted by Runner
Take the rock out of the water and spread kalk paste on them. Rinse with tank water after about a minute. I've wiped out colonies of these guys doing that. Of couse, it kills everything else on the rock and turns it totally white, but at least you can start over.

I don't understand - why is it necessary to kill them? I haven't seen them harm anything in my tank. Isn't having lots of diverse critters in a reef tank a "good" thing?

EDIT: Oops, sorry, I just read your post above where you said they were bothering your SPS corals.

John

 

[Runner]

Not only that, but they take over areas that prevent me from planting zoanthids (which are doing great now). They hydroids cover rocks and make them look like big, fuzzy balls if they are not contained. A few I wouldn't mind -- I'd enjoy them like I do my feather dusters. But I tried ignoring them for a long time and have lost control of a few rocks. War has been declared.

One of my latest passive controls tried is that I have put a galaxea "upstream" from a clump of hydroids. Once it gets big enough to put out some long sweepers, we'll see who wins that battle.