# omg :(



## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

In my room i have my 20 gallon community tank. There is only 5 hatchets in it tho. But anyways I was doing inventory and looking around and their are like these really small white bug crawling all over in my tank. All over the glalss and plants. I have NO IDEA what this is and im getting nervous.... My ignorance of buying a fish at Maijer made everyone get ich....but i clearned it up about a month ago....Does anyone know what this is?!!??!


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

I've read some posts about this and if it is the same thing Im thinking of it really nothing to worry about. I could be wrong so wait for other replies but just thought i would replt to ease your mind.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Whoo thank that gives me a little more hope


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## Beerleader (May 31, 2005)

I think I had this exact same thing. They are almost so tiny you can't see them??? reminds me of spider looking creatures if you get really close..right?..well something like that. Anyway I did a water change and they went away. They look kind of like a hydra. We never could come up w/ exactly what they were, but they didn't cause any probs and they went away after a tank clean. They were clung all over my glass and scared me to death, but shortly went away. I just scrubbed my walls and did a change and they haven't been back since.


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## Alisha (Aug 5, 2005)

I have the same thing, except, I have done a 100% water change, and then today when I did the second water change, they were still there, there are MILLIONS of them crawling all over my tank, and it really gives me the creeps since it is only one of my tanks that has them...


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## Doodles (Oct 2, 2005)

> They look kind of like a hydra.


That's the name. That was bugging me, I couldn't think of the name. I did read that someone had to use medication to get rid of it. I've never had it so I can't recommend giving medication but that was the only thing that made it go away. It's not harmful, just not exactly pretty look at. 



> I have the same thing, except, I have done a 100% water change, and then today when I did the second water change, they were still there, there are MILLIONS of them crawling all over my tank, and it really gives me the creeps since it is only one of my tanks that has them...


It would give me the creeps too. 
Do you have any pics of it?


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Thats exactly what it is. Ekkkk!! Im doing a water change today so maybe they'll go away. Water "bugs" creep me out.


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## amelia (Aug 11, 2005)

Hydra aren't really anything to worry about. They anchor themselves to anything they can and have little leg like buds that protrude from a "stalk." I had a tank full of them once, too. My mosquito fish (which they were in there with) seemed to like them, though. They'd nibble at the little hydra. They're pretty fun to play with, too.. reach in the water with a toothpick and poke one.. it'll recluse.. ^_____^ I think mine just died off eventually, but you might try a parasite killer or an algae killer of some sort if they're really bothering you that badly.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Do they have a purpose?


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Amelia do you know what kind of parasite or algea killer i could use. i did a water change yesterday and now today there is liek 50 times more!!! I dont like looking at them. Or is there some kind of fish I could use that would eat it??!!?


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## amelia (Aug 11, 2005)

I don't think that there is much that you can do. You could try draining the whole tank, scrubbing under hot water, rinsing repeatedly, and doing the same to every bit of decor and equipment (including filters, nets, heaters, etc) that you use for the tank. I don't know if you can really kill them with any sort of parasite or algae killer--just don't think it could hurt anything to try.


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

hydra are cnidarians their closest relatives being jellyfish, aneomones, and corals. Their tentecles contian the same type of poison as their counsins(i don't know the poision's name off the top of my head). A sting from these tentacles is strong enough to stung a water flea to a small fish fry. Good luck trying to kill them though, they have very few nerves and all the nerves they do have are arranged in a checkerboard pattern so they feal pain on very few spots yet they stay stationary so if you do a water change you can try to scrap the buggers off. Quick note if they are severed you get 2 exactly the same genticly cloned hydras, and they will reproduce by laying eggs in the substrate


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

i hear removing fish and raising tank to 106 degrees kills them and that gouramis/paradise fish will eat them. Just Google: Whats eats hydra


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

i read all that on google before. I just have no place to put my hatchets if i raise the temp.I know if i rasie the temp then it will take a good 3 days to come down because water is uhhh idk what its called...has a high specific heat?! Not ot mention I have and UG filter :chair: uhh this is making me so mad now its goton to a point where idk if i can look in the tank anymore


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## amelia (Aug 11, 2005)

After you raise the temperature to kill the hydra, you could always do a water change and dump in cold tap water with a bit of conditioner to cool down the water. You're not limited to keeping the same tank water..


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

well there's always the option of moving your hatchets to another tank or get a cheap empty 10 gallon from walmart/petsmart for around $8 shoving your hachets in there with a cheap lid, a sponge filter, and gravel from a established tank leave them there then work on ridding your tank of the hydra. It'll cost you round 30 bucks though but you get a new tank in the process . And what about adding a fish that eats hydra?


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## amelia (Aug 11, 2005)

There is no reason to go through unnecessary measures to get rid of the hydra. When you buy the new fish, you're stuck with it, even if you don't want it. Very few pet shops (with the exception of privately owned ones) take fish off of peoples' hands. You could get a bucket and an air pump for much less than a whole tank setup while you get rid of the hydra..


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## drosera (Feb 2, 2005)

*Hydra? Maybe not.*

Looking through the posts here, I have some doubt as to whether this is truly what you are seeing. Hydra do not crawl, but remain stationary (more or less). They can grow to almost 1/2 inch, which put them well into the visible range. And in my experience anyway, they tend not to do well in quaria over long periods of time. Current, lack of food, and occasional nibbles from the fish weaken the population eventually, to the point where they no longer can survive in the tank.

Whatever the case, I invite you to check out my web page which describes several of the common aquarium tag-alongs. (On the home page menu, click on "The Worms!") There aren't as many pics on the page as I'd like, but there are a few that may help. Descriptions are given, along their effects on a tank if there are any, and possible ways to reduce/eliminate them. As a general rule, if the organisms are so small that you really can't make out the details, they are usually harmless, and IMO, can sometimes even be beneficial.

I have a sneaking suspicion that you are actually seeing Cyclops. Let me know if I'm right.  

Good luck!


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

a good copper medicaton will kill em just like every other invert. If you don't mind your silicone being blue then go ahead and do that (as well as not thinking of putting snails or shrimp in there anytime soon)


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

From looking at the pics drosera provided  they are def. NOT hydra. They are little white balls that swim around. More like Ostracods (seed shrimp, clam shrimp). uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh )


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

like I said, copper can be used to kill any invert, and is fairly safe on fish if its only used for a few days.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Do you have any recomendations of what to get??


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

alot of fin rot and other meds have copper.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

ich medications have copper... not fin rot, fin rot meds have a antibiotic which copper is not. Coppersafe from mardel is pretty good, you may have blue silicone for a few months but I think i'd be worth it.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

ewww, hope you get rid of'em


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

There also in the HOB filter....so im guessing in the filter pads...should i just replace them to?


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

well i'd cut the back of the carteidge off, remove the carbon so it wouldn't strain the copper out, then just add the coppersafe and kill the hydra, adding a new filter pad will be a waste because if you hav alot of hydra die off then the dead hydra may clogg the new filter pad so it would just be a waste of a filter pad


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## drosera (Feb 2, 2005)

*Copper effectiveness*

Ashley, as you might have noticed on my web page, I'm not the biggest fan of copper preparations. They can harm your plants, sometimes your fish, and upset the biological system itself. That being said sometimes it's use seems unavoidable.

Copper is effective for Hydra. But if you are right and you have Ostracods in your tank, this will only solve the problem for a short time. Same goes with Cyclops, in case that's what you have. These last 2 are crustaceans, and have developped very effective ways of dealing with toxins and other harmful (though sometimes natural) biological effects. The Ostracods you have in your tank right now would probably all die, but within their bodies they will be sheltering their young, who will repopulate your tank. Cyclops eggs are also very resilient and long lasting.

In effect, will Copper kill Ostracods and Cyclops. Yes. Will it solve your problem. Not at all. Within a month or 2, 3 at the most, you will find yourself right back where you started. In my experience, it is pretty rare, *especially* for Ostracods, to be so numerous in a well kept aquarium. When I have seen them, they tended to be in the gravel, where they were safe from the fish and the current. Cyclops are a little more adventuresome, but even with them, you will usually find the greatest concentration near or in the gravel.

If you really want to minimize/maybe eradicate them, it might help me if you told me what the general setup for your tank is. How big is the tank? What kind of filter do you use? How planted/decorated is the tank? Are your plants generally healthy? Do you have a lot of algae in the tank? Could you be overfeeding the fish? Something is clearly enabling these crustacea to do overly well in your tank, and we have to try to find the cause.

I remember you stating you had hatchet fish, right? Any others? Not that that makes much difference, few fish can really have a major impact on these small creatures. Not that I know this to be true, but perhaps some ghost/amano/etc shrimp may help your situation. They are very good at sifting for small food such as these. Freshwater clams *may* also be a benefit.

I'll be willing to give you whatever advice I can to help. But I would like to repeat that having such benign microfauna in a tank is quite natural and harmless. The only problem here is that you obviously have WAY too many.

Take care!


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

i think its hard to confuse hydra with cyclops


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## drosera (Feb 2, 2005)

*Confusion*

I agree, but by Ashley's own post, she herself now says she thinks she has Ostracods. And from her descriptions, it really doesn't sound like Hydra at least. From what I'm reading, it's everyone else who is continuing to say Hydra. 

TAke care!


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

eggs surviving through a copper treatment? Now thats news to me. Maybe someone more experianced could jump in like TOS???


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Its a 20 gal tank. All fake plants. I have 6 hatchtes and thats it. I have a HOB filter and an UG filter. I used to have a dwarf puffer and i fed him brine shrimp...but he died about 2 months ago.


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## drosera (Feb 2, 2005)

*Nice tank!*

That is a very beautiful tank Ashley. Looks well kept to me to. FWIW, here are my final suggestions. It seems to me that you don't have much current throughout the tank. I may be wrong about this, since it's simply my perception of your picture. I couldn't quite make out the filters exactly, but I'm guessing at least the UGF has a power head. If so, and if the other filter is powered as well, you might want to try reorienting them so that the whole tank, or as much as possible, gets some kind of good flow.

Like I said before, shrimp would be a good idea, since they are the only things I can think of that could directly eat such small organisms. I would also recommend 2-3 kuhli loaches to eat any food that has gotten by the hatchets. They will also be able to get *some* of the food that gets through your gravel, which appears to be of large size. If you like them, trumpet snails will also help with uneaten food in the gravel.

Your wood looks very clean and good. But you just might want to keep an eye out that your little infestors aren't too numerous on it. In theory at least, the wood could harbor them. There are some plecos that eat wood and whatever comes with it. You might want to consider getting a small one of these. 

Water parameters, though important for the fish, are not so important for these little intruders, so as far as *that* goes, there isn't much you can do there. (Still watch them for your fish though) Keeping algae down to minimal levels does help, but it looks like you have that under control.

So to sum up, I really think you may have a problem with uneaten food getting in/under the gravel, providing food for your Ostracods or whatever you have. Taking care of this, and upping the current in the tank, really should take care of the problem. If you absolutely want to, do a copper treatment once. Though I don't believe it will be a final cure, it will give you a head start in controlling them.

Hope this helps. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have anymore questions.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Thanks  Although I noticed that today that a lot were gone!


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