Tiny Branching Clear Hydroids; aggressive micro-pests

[HerbanShaman]

I have a plague of tiny, clear, branching hydroids 5-10mm. They really like shady areas and sting the heck out of anything sensitive like montipora until it bleaches. They really irritate zoa and paly, but don't kill them right away. They're so small that they're difficult to even pick off with tweezers. I brush the large colonies off with a toothbrush but some always seem to return. I'm sorry that they are too tiny to photgraph. I usually dont' notice thier presence until they are stinging something they're so small.

My mandarin doesn't seem to have a taste for them. Do any other fish? Any sort of wrasse, or butterfly fish (Something reefsafe). Any other suggestions? I don't want my mandarin to starve if I introduce cometition, so it'd be cool if there was fish whose diet didn't overlap, but picked at pests. I think I've seen my peppermint shrimp pick them off once in a while, but maybe not.

 

[Dr. X]

Do they look like this?

Do they look like this?

I was just looking to find out what these were - just noticed some in my tank today.

 

[lurchw00t]

I was just looking to find out what these were - just noticed some in my tank today.

I could be wrong but that looks more like a pineapple sponge.

 

[Dr. X]

You're right!

You're right!

The WWM Crew tell me it's a syconoid sponge. Cool! Thanks!

 

[HerbanShaman]

I managed to snag a picture of them, with zoom and closeup.




Note how small they are, and how they root into the rock, and branch. That's why I believe them to be hydroids and not worms. So far a toothbrush is my only treatment. I'm hoping some sort of fish or shrimp might enjoy them (but not my other corals). My dragonet doesn't seem to care for them that I've noticed, neither do peppermint shrimp, or hermits.

I've noticed that zoa can live with them in close proximity, but montipora and others are killed when they run into one another.


BTW I think I see they hydroids, in your picture now (the sponge is too obvious lol).

 

[HerbanShaman]

So my picture doesn't help ID? I might try a six line wrasse just b/c I like them for other reasons.

 

[LeslieH]

I agree - hydroids. The best predator would be whatever nudibranchs has evolved to eat that particular species. Unfortunately, even if you could find someone to id the hydroid to species it's probably unknown which nudibranch eats it.

 

[camlov2]

I have those as well, they seem to spread quickly. If anyone has an success with reduction or eridication please post.

 

[HerbanShaman]

Ah, so now we're going someplace, a potential nudi predator. I'll look into it more, but without a better genus species ID I'm not sure how to proceed.
I'm sorry to hear that others have the same problem. I'm concerned that eventually they'll overrun things and cause a 'monoculture crash.' To make matters worse, I spotted another hydroid today. >_<

What happens if it maintenance of the problem gets out of control? Right now I can scrub down critcal areas in about 15 min, but they're everywhere and creeping slowly towards my babies.

 

[Fibinotchi]

I would try putting aptasia x on them, I put it on some mystery type hydroids in my tank and it destroyed them, it also completely bleaches the coralline where you put it so try not to get to much all over. Good stuff, destroys aptasia real good too.