Treating Digitate Hydroids

[89Delta]

Try liveaquaria oscarinw.

 

[oscarinw]

@ 89Delta. Thanks. I also noticed they have a page for them but have never actually seen them in-stock. If someone does, please let me know.

 

[Cbsailor11]

@oscarinw- I'm still going through my notes/bookmarks. I should have organized better!
@ormet- I don't have any acros but planning to in my next tank. Thanks for the heads up

 

[FullBoreReefer]

I too am plagued by these. Im mentally at a loss right now. I honestly had no idea what they were or even where to begin on how to search for them via internet. Now i see what they are from your picture. I thought benefical filter feeders, didnt know they sting...fml

 

[dread240]

I've had a select few of the over the years but nothing outrageous. I have seen them bother corals though...

Now those pesky little tubesnails, gawd i wish i could nuke them from orbit

 

[Crush Coral]

I would try the laser technique. Could even be fun. Careful with your eyes though.

 

[oscarinw]

@ Crush Coral. Thanks for the idea. I was actually pondering on it too. However, I think I have decided for a nuke and restart approach. I will have to relocate temporarily for some construction at home over the summer, so my plan as of today is to acid bath the rock piece by piece and keep it separate.

 

[oscarinw]

UPDATE:
I realized that the presence of my wrasses in the tank has slowed down their growth significantly. I believe they represent a fierce competition for food. However, They are far from gone. In fact I have started a new system and will be bathing all my rock in acid and passing it into the new system in stages.

D. Hydroids 1 - Me 0

 

[katherinemac]

After weeks of fruitless googling I've finally found you! Digitate hydroids! Or as I was trying to say, "white string with tiny balls on it that retracts into zoa." Zoa will go into QT tank tomorrow while more research is conducted.

There is almost nothing known about these things (that I can find!). If anyone can tell me what Ron Shimek says about them in A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates I'd be grateful. Were they really named after the hydra? Do more grow back if you pluck them out? Have any of you been stung by them?

Good luck everyone!

 

[ohioreef71]

Update on my battle, I've added a copper band butterfly and melanurus wrasse over the past month. I have not seen either fish eating the hydroids but the are just about all gone now. My CBB will only eat worm like food such as blackworms and bloodworms. The hydroids resemble worms and CBB seems to have done the trick. He is very active at night when the hydroids are out. This is just my experience but seems to have worked. I now just have a few in the sump that can be manually removed.

 

[oscarinw]

Ohioreef, what I think you are seeing is that the CBB as well as the wrasse have brought your microfauna to a minimum. What happens in those cases is that since food is scarce, then the DHs dwindle in numbers. Same thing happened to me when I reintroduced my fish after a fallow period I had back in November/December. The numbers of the DH just exploded in the fallow system and when I brought the fish back, their numbers fell. However, I have noticed that they are 'cyclical' meaning the number diminish and then they bounce back up.
Currently I am moving systems a few rocks at a time. I have a 30 gallon system and I have restarted (acid bath) rock, and used new sand and have been picking inverts one by one and bringing them over. So far, the pod population in the new tank is amazing. However, it's still an ugly, algae covered white rock... I am planning a Saturday in April for moving all the fish over there, Give my DT a good clean, and bring back everything that's in the 30gal.
@ Katherine, I was stung, it feels like getting the area pricked with fiber glass barbs. It is uncomfortable although not terrible. My hand was sensitive for a few days.

 

[cubiclewarrior]

just wondering were you ever able to get rid of them?

 

[blitz49]

Just saw this thread while searching on how to get rid of hydroids, and saw the OP's picture. I had something similar, I got rid of it while dipping my zoas in hydrogen peroxide. So hope this info helps with getting rid of Digitate Hydroids.