# Identify This Algae/Invertibrate



## AheartlessFish (Mar 18, 2008)

Got this in one of my nano tanks...
its all over the glass walls and plants
only stuff in the tank is snails (had cherries but moved them out)
Its the only tank that has it.
When something touches it or gets near it, the algae/whatever it is shrivels back into a tiny dot, and extends out when free flowing...looks like a filter feeder
looks like a saltwater coral that is common in saltwater tanks.

Amanos wont touch it, shrimps wont touch it, snails wont touch it.

should i be worried?


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## AheartlessFish (Mar 18, 2008)

i found out they were "Hydra's" (hydra viridissima)

a sign of a good water quality according to other people. No idea how they got in the tank...im gona drop a red platy to see if he will take care of it. 

If not will dosing Fluke tabs help?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hydra sting anything that touches that is why they aren't being eaten. They are similar to sea anemones but they don't have to catch prey to survive. They host algae and use the energy the algae makes to survive when prey is unavailable. They tend to hitch hike on plants so that is probably how you got them.


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## AheartlessFish (Mar 18, 2008)

weird because they arnt in my other tanks. Unless my red serpaes eat them...the only plants i have in there are transferred from my bigger tank...although i did get some snails from a friend...maybe hitch hiked from a snail? :O


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Yep, they can hitchhike on almost anything. They tend to eat debris in the water or small invertebrates. So they are a sign that there is food in the tank. Their populations aren't very stable long term and they should go away on their own or die off to unnoticeable numbers when their food source disappears over the next few weeks/months.

Come to think of it you got a pretty good picture of them. What camera/lens did you use?


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## AheartlessFish (Mar 18, 2008)

just standard 18-55 manual focus (coulda used my bros macro lens but i just use this camera as a fast point and shoot). Sucky canon eos rebel xsi.

the hydras seem to be melting...they arnt extending anymore and are shrunk into little dots. Not sure if thats because of the heat or because of the fluke tabs...but gona keep dosing it ^^


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## juleslorand (Dec 26, 2005)

Perl gouramies are reputed tov eat them. Maybe you could try a couple of them

regards

juleslorand


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## Tikulila (Feb 18, 2011)

carful with these, i specifically grew them, but they can harm you fish. 
get rid of them by cleaning the glass. But be careful, they break apart to a few small hydras when feeling in danger.


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## AheartlessFish (Mar 18, 2008)

haha interesting. I guess they act just like that anoying polyp that saltwater people dont want on their rocks.

Right now they're all...dead.

I think the fluke tabs took care of it...but it also took out some of my cool looking snails 

i scraped the tank today and letting the filter do the rest. i havent seen an extended hydra yet.


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