# What is the best treatment for hydras in NPT?



## Tsin21 (Oct 12, 2017)

I just realized that there are hydras in my 29 gallon NPT. What is the best course of treatment to eradicate them?
























Additional info: There lots of snails (ramshorn, bladder, mts, faunus, nerite) also in there so I wouldn't want to harm them and transferring them all to another container is next to impossible.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

I'd pick off the leaves they're on. Reduce their numbers. Plants will grow new leaves.


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## Tsin21 (Oct 12, 2017)

mistergreen said:


> I'd pick off the leaves they're on. Reduce their numbers. Plants will grow new leaves.


They're mostly concentrated on two of my anubias (one has is roots in the substrate and the other is just wedged between the rock and driftwood). I'll check how many leaves are infested and remove what I can. I might bleach dip the other anubias.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Oh, if you can take the whole plant out, you can dip them in peroxide, bleach, even salt.


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## Hobbylifeandpets (Mar 13, 2018)

Tsin21 said:


> I just realized that there are hydras in my 29 gallon NPT. What is the best course of treatment to eradicate them?
> View attachment 61177
> 
> 
> ...


I had a problem in my RCS Tank, was full of Hydras on substate in snails, on rocks even on glass near substrate, the shrimp withdrawn in uper level of aquarium where stem plants are floating(I think hydras stress them), i put 2 Guppy(male and female) give very little food once 3 days, and in 2 weeks all hydras are gone and shrimp back on substrate .


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Hobbylifeandpets said:


> I had a problem in my RCS Tank, was full of Hydras on substate in snails, on rocks even on glass near substrate, the shrimp withdrawn in uper level of aquarium where stem plants are floating(I think hydras stress them), i put 2 Guppy(male and female) give very little food once 3 days, and in 2 weeks all hydras are gone and shrimp back on substrate .


And, in 4 weeks you had 20 guppies?


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## Hobbylifeandpets (Mar 13, 2018)

hoppycalif said:


> And, in 4 weeks you had 20 guppies?


the point was that fish eat hydras,
when i looked in floating plants to see the shrimp, guess what I saw? few baby fry


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## Tsin21 (Oct 12, 2017)

My tank actually has lots of guppies, they don't seem interested with the hydras though. I fast them once a week, I think I might give it a try and lessen their daily food.


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## Gerald (Mar 24, 2008)

Deworming meds also work against Hydra: Flubendazole, Fenbendazole, etc.


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## Tsin21 (Oct 12, 2017)

Gerald said:


> Deworming meds also work against Hydra: Flubendazole, Fenbendazole, etc.


I have read on other forums that those medications may be harmful to some snails. I actually have some fenbendenzole tabs available but since nerites are said to have been sensitive to it, I wouldn't go with medications.


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## gkai (May 14, 2018)

Tsin21 said:


> My tank actually has lots of guppies, they don't seem interested with the hydras though. I fast them once a week, I think I might give it a try and lessen their daily food.


Not sure if guppies will eat them, when I had guppies I saw no hydra in my tank....maybe it's a hint? ;-)

Something I am sure is that dwarf croaking gouramies (and propably all small gouramies) will find and eat all hydras in your tank. I had a few hydra on my glass, but none since I introduced those fishes. I saw them carefully examining glass and pick hydra, and i saw on the net that they were known as hydra eaters. Probably one of their preferred preys....


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

If you only have a few hydra, I wouldn't worry about them. Occasionally, I've seen a few in my tanks. 

I had major problems with hydra when I was flooding tanks with live baby brine shrimp (hydra food!). The hydra population exploded. Now I am frugal when feeding brine shrimp and don't have any problems. The fish get the brine shrimp before the hydra.

I see hydra as part of the ecosystem, plus eradicating them could be problematic. That said, I killed hydra without hurting plants by raising temperature to 104F for 30 min. However, the high temp didn't kill the hydra eggs.


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## Tsin21 (Oct 12, 2017)

dwalstad said:


> If you only have a few hydra, I wouldn't worry about them. Occasionally, I've seen a few in my tanks.
> 
> I had major problems with hydra when I was flooding tanks with live baby brine shrimp (hydra food!). The hydra population exploded. Now I am frugal when feeding brine shrimp and don't have any problems. The fish get the brine shrimp before the hydra.
> 
> I see hydra as part of the ecosystem, plus eradicating them could be problematic. That said, I killed hydra without hurting plants by raising temperature to 104F for 30 min. However, the high temp didn't kill the hydra eggs.


The hydras aren't that numerous so far. I am fasting the fishes for about twice a week now and added a black molly though I haven't seen a significant decrease in the hydras.

Worst case scenario, I'll be removing all fish and snails and heat the tank to 104F then repeat after a few days to kill off the newly hatched ones.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Okay.


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