# whats this?



## koitree (May 1, 2013)

today i saw in my tank small kinda plant things on some spots, anybody knows what they are and if theyre a problem if let be?


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

I'm not 100% sure and certainly no expert, but they look like terrestrial seeds that may have blown in from outside and just happen to fall into the tank. Do you have an open top aquarium?


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## Paintcraze (May 3, 2013)

Those are hydra.


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## koitree (May 1, 2013)

from what ive read, pretty much my best solution would get some fish that will eat them up, got any advice on species for a 20gal tank?


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## koitree (May 1, 2013)

by the way, ive got 3 siamese algae eater, and 3-4 snails which ive been told sorta keep the tank clean
heres a pic, dont really know what kind they are


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

They are hydra, they survive by eating small critters in your tank. They are not generally harmful unless you have extremely small baby fish or shrimp.

The best way to get rid of them is using fenbendazole also called Panacur (brand name). It is a dog dewormer medicine and can be bought at any petstore. 

You need to change the water in your tank 2 days after using it or it can start causing problems. Other than that it is relatively non-toxic to snails/fish/shrimp/etc...

Most fish will not go near them. Hydra have tiny stinging cells that irritate fish when they go near.


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## koitree (May 1, 2013)

ill see if i can find some of it, would you happen to know how much i should use in a 20gal?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

The dosage is: 1/10th of 1 gram per 10G of water.

Take the 1 gram packet and separate it out into 10 equal parts then dose 2 of them.

Just be sure to do a very large 50-90% water change 2 days after you use it. If you leave the stuff in the tank for more than 5 days in a row you'll start to harm your fish.


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## koitree (May 1, 2013)

Ok, thanks Zapins


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## koitree (May 1, 2013)

the fenbendazole worked great, thanks


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Glad to hear it.


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