# Added and old Conch shell, uninvited guests came



## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

I added an old conch shell i had lying around, it was previously bleached, and has not been in water for 10 years probably.
It has probably been about 4-6, maybe more, since I put it in, as shelter, but now there are these tiny little creatures, anemones I guess, that can stretch their main body and have small tentacles, they float around, attach to the glass, and the shell, I think I've seen them attach to the fish.

It is a 60 gallon tank, I have:

1 Red Tiger Oscar
2 Pacu's (i didn't buy them, I know they need more room...i can't give that to them though...)
1 African cichlid
1 Leprina (sp?)
1 Yellow African Cichlid (not sure exactly what, he is rather large and has black stripes on his top and bottom fins)

They are all pretty young, pacu's are the youngest, they are going to get their own 80 gallon tank in the future.

What are these little things floating around?
Are they bad?
Should I get the rock out?

What should I do about it.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

I'm not an advice person but holy cow!! It'd be cool to see some pics. (sorry)


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## craftyflalady (Jan 25, 2006)

They almost sound like Hydra...but not sure. 

Pictures would help....


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## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

I have no working camerca at the moment, sorry.

I referenced Hydras, and from the pictures that looks like what they are.

Do you think they could have come from the shell? There was never anything like it untill I added the shell, and there are more hydra on the shell close together than anywhere in the tank

Edit:
I need to get rid of these things... i've never had hydra before and only since i put that conch shell in, hard to believe they could survive that long, even as dormant eggs...


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## cheseboy (Aug 5, 2005)

I believe a good way to rid them is to wire a 9V battery into the tank water so the energy in going through the water. That usually kills em.


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

i wouldn't mess with electricy of any voltage in a tank. I know how to get rid of hydra, copper. Copper based medications(very common) will kill invertabrates and is safe for fish(in fact it will help kill any unseen parasites in your tank). Hydra are only dangerous to small fry and small inverts but are ugly in your tank. The are the fresh water members of the jellyfish and are also related to corals


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Blue gourami will eat hydra. Maybe you could swap your pacu's for a couple of these guys and solve two problems at the same time.


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

ron v said:


> Blue gourami will eat hydra. Maybe you could swap your pacu's for a couple of these guys and solve two problems at the same time.


great idea Ron!


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## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

I currently do not own a larger tank.
We won't be getting one of those untill we buy a new house, so hopefully the pacu's don't grow too large too quickly... if they do and it is a serious problem, we will get the tank sooner than we hoped for...


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Pacus will grow at a rate you won't believe. You are looking at months for a time frame.


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## sparrow (Mar 8, 2006)

yeah, I noticed that when they were in the 20 gallon tank, it was incredible...
I'm being sure not to overfeed them... the oscar keep that under control he ate my bala shark one morning, i know, not safe..they were together when the oscar was itty bitty... ignored every pellet, he likes the flakes right now..
then he was placed in a 20 gallon tank that morning (he shouldn't have been eating him in the morning, I don't think right sometimes in the morning), i put my hand in to chase him with the fish, scared him, then i put him in the 20 gallon with 2 pacu's, he then ate 4 mino's...


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

sparrow said:


> hopefully the pacu's don't grow too large too quickly


 I saw pacu's at the Georgia Aquarium a couple of weeks ago that were easily three feet long and they grow fast. You might can trade them back to a pet shop while they are small. If you wait, a pet shop will not want them. You need to really consider the advice you are getting here!!!
A larger tank will only delay the problem for a few months.... As I said, three feet long!!!


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

Hydra can be introduced with live foods and new plants. http://members.optusnet.com.au/chelmon/Hydra.htm


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## tromeokid (Mar 8, 2006)

i bought some java moss for my ten gallon a while back and thats how i was introduced to Hydra. of course i paniced but they are fine. i have two apple snails 2 cherry shrimp and 5 dwarf rasborias in this tank and the hydra are starting to dissapear. no meds used. all i did was remove the fake plants and rock and gave em a little scrub with a brush and warm water. while the objects were out of the tank i cleaned the glass and did a water change vacuuming the sand. i still see a few and i know they are self reproducers but the snails roll right over them and squish them to the glass and even nibble on them sometimes. i even had a few growing on the shells of the snails but they are also gone. just dont over feed the creatures and you should be fine. they say they get big enough to eat fry but precautions can be taken without the use of electricity or copper meds.


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