# Help!!! Damn hydra!



## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

So, in my wonderful, beautiful, new, planted 10 gallong I have a hydra infestation. Horrible, horrible hydra! And they creep me out, too...
So anyway, I did a bunch of searching on the internet and was wondering if there was any way I could get rid of them without having to take all of my fish out and do a 100% water change.
Also, I have something else that is white and looks like small feathers. They are the same size as the hydra; could they be hydra too?
Thank you so much!


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Inverts got you down? Introducing, the new product, CopperKill! Just add copper and watch as all of those pesky little inverts writhe in pain and then die! In a flash, your tank will be the envy of the town!

*Waning, CopperKill is not responsible for the deaths of any decorative snails. It is necessary to remove the snails to another tank and then run carbon after treatment to absorb all CopperKill.*


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Thank you so much for your amusing help funlad. One question: will it hurt my fish and plants?


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

There's a product called Had-a-Snail, a solution of copper sulfate, that will kill hydra, snails, shrimp, and other inverts like daphnia or cyclops as well. Harmless to fish and plants, but it does tend to get absorbed into the silicone of the tank. Months later it will still be leaching back out, so any inverts you may want to add later may be at risk. 
Alternatively, a piece of copper like an old penny (newer ones actually have very litle copper content) or random small plumbing fitting placed in the tank or filter will do the same thing, just more slowly.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The feathery thing is probably a Bryozoan.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Are bryozoan dangerous? And I heard that mollies eat hydra, is that true?


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

Hydra dosen't like salt, what fish are in that tank? If they can tolerate some salt, I would build up the salt content over a week to 0.3-0.5 % then leave a week before water changing back to fresh (over time).
I have also heard mollies will eat them.
They are attracted to light, you could try darking the tank all but one side with a blanket so that they will be attraced to the light side then remove them from the glass on that side.


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

Oh and stop feeding the tank for a while as they only survive in healthy overfed tanks.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Ahh, yes. The overfeeding would make sense as I am a chronic overfeeder...
Thanks guys


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