hydras and pH

[cootwarm]

I've had a hydra break out in a few of my fry tanks. I happens after I been feeding them BBS for a while. Because I keep them in good size tanks (30 gallon long) with other fish like other apisos, cardinal & glowlight tetras, and beckfordi pencilfish, when they spreadout in the tank I have to feed them more heavily to ensure the fry get enough to eat.

Anyhow, to get to the point of my post...

My borellii tanks with neutral pH are most heavliy infested, however my viejita tank with 4.8 pH has no hydra at all. Is this because of the pH is too low for hydra. I've been feeding my viejita fry BBS for a few months now. Lately I've been feeding them BBS heavily because they are now living independantly in the tank with the parents (1m & 2f) and tetras and pencilfish.

Is the lack of hydra in this tank due to the extremely low pH?

I'm planning to move the borellii to another tank so I can put some new apistos in that require very low pH. Perhaps after I remove the borellii, but before I clean the tank, I could lower the pH and see if that kills the hydra.

(I haven't been able to find any Panacur in powder form anywhere in my area. I guess I'll have to order some over the internet.)

Michael

 

[tjnelson44]

I just recently had a hydra outbreak in my planted 29 gallon. I used one ounce of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 5 gallons. It wiped out the hydra within about 4 hours. Most my plants are fine but its only been 3 days. One species that i had in my tank turned to mush and died. I do not know what effect it would have on fish since I moved them from the tank before the treatment. I did have four cacatuoides fry that stayed in the tank for the first hour of the treatment because they went unoticed. I eventually did notice them and move them. They seem to be doing alright. The good thing about the peroxide is thats its alot cheaper than most medicine. I hope this helps a little.
Trevor

 

[fishgeek]

I though hydra came in on plants , so perhaps the pH isnt the only aspect, although you are seeing some in the acidic tanks? right?

panacur should be available in sachets of dog wormer , probably at the vets
as a paste for worming horse's possibly also a powder , these equine products maybe available at a farm store with less restrictions

I think the german aquarist's prefer flubendazol rather than the fenendazol of panacur, i have no experience with either in aquariums and have a friend who has suggested that i dont use panacur as it can damage the fish, not exactly sure how? just a precautionary tale though the active ingredient is sound for aquatic use possibly it has to do with other base's stabilisers in the medications? not sure it may all just be false rumour

I have a dose of 2mg/l as a permanet bath for nematodes suggests 3 treatments

Andrew

 

[Randall]

Hydra Infestation

Hello Michael,

Terry Fairfield and others have discussed Hydra here in the Forum before (thank goodness). Please have a look...

To control Hydra, you can add several nickel-sized mystery snails to the tank. These will eat the hydra

Add 2 mls of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to the water. The free oxygen will kill the hydra, not the fish.

Or the gouramis will work also.

Terry Fairfield

http://forum.apistogramma.com/viewt...xide&sid=20bceceb939c54e0f4761bca22b31e26

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[cootwarm]

Hi Randall,

I see that someone wrote that it is also good for killing algae.
Is this method safe for plants?

Is this effective for (BBA and BGA) or just simple algae?

How would I measure mL? With a metric measure spoon?

Was the dose 2 mL per gallon?

It would be great to find a simple cure for hydra! 8)
Hydra are a problem for me from time to time. Usually happens when I have many tiny fry mouths to feed. Because I keep my fry with the parents in a 30 gallon with a few other adult fish (in a semi community tank setting), I like to over feed a little because the BBS quickly spreads throughout the tank and out of reach of the fry.

I found that squirting the BBS into a piece of nearby Java Moss, the BBS become sort of entangled for a spell before drifting into the water column. This gives the fry time to fill their bellies, the fry usually like to hang out in the Java Moss anyhow. Over feeding doesn't cause a water quality problem with this set up because the excess BBS are quickly consumed by the adult fish in the tank.

Usually by the time the hydra become a problem, the fry are large enough to accept (vitamin enriched) flake food. After feeding dry food for almost a week, the hydra are gone and I can add BBS to the mix again.

Often the parent apistos chew the flakes and blow the pieces amoung the fry. I've read where some people claim apistos will not accept flakes, but I haven't found that to be a problem. In this set up, the fry learn to accept flakes from the parents. I've put a few flakes in tanks where the apistos were feeding on white worms, grindal worms and BBS (different occasions & different tanks of course :wink: ) and the apistos would abandon the live food to munch flakes on the surface.
(Perhaps the apistos are afraid the tetras are getting something they aren't!)

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Randall]

Eradicating Hydra

I see that someone wrote that it is also good for killing algae.
Is this method safe for plants?

Is this effective for (BBA and BGA) or just simple algae?

How would I measure mL? With a metric measure spoon?

Was the dose 2 mL per gallon?

Hello Michael,

The hydrogen peroxide suggestion comes from Terry Fairfield, aka the fish doctor. Checking his book, he specifies adding "2 ml of 3 percent hydogen peroxide to the water. The free oxygen kills the hydra, but will not harm the fish." No mention of plants is made.

As for a the measurement, one teaspoon = 5 ml, or you can pick up a metric dropper (pipette) at your LFR or drug store.

If you like, Terry's web site is http://home.xta.com/fishdoctor/default.html.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[cootwarm]

Hi Randall,

I guess that means I add 2 mL to the water no matter how much.

I'll post a query on the planted tank forum with the plants question.

Michael

 

[cootwarm]

Randall,

I forgot to mention that tomorrow, I'll probably be removing all the occupants from the tank with the biggest infestation. I plan to drain all the water and refill it with straight peat water (pH 4.3) and see if that has any effect on the existing hydra.

It might just be a coincidence that I've never had a hydra infestation in my viejita & trifascatia tanks (very low pH).

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Randall]

I forgot to mention that tomorrow, I'll probably be removing all the occupants from the tank with the biggest infestation. I plan to drain all the water and refill it with straight peat water (pH 4.3) and see if that has any effect on the existing hydra.

It might just be a coincidence that I've never had a hydra infestation in my viejita & trifascatia tanks (very low pH).

Hello Michael,

Please let us know how it goes.

Thanks!

Randall Kohn

 

[ARWoodi]

Re: Hydra Infestation

Or the gouramis will work also.
Randall Kohn

Randall,

May I know which gouramis will that be, I have a few croaking/dwarf gouramis will that work?

 

[Randall]

Gouramis and Hydra

Hello ARWoodi,

From what I understand, your Gouramis should do the trick. Another option is Hydrogen peroxide. Please refer to the information posted earlier in this thread.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn