Hydra in tank

[Hitch]

Hey

So randomly I realized that I have hydras in one of my Hypan tanks.

The only inhabitants in the tank are 6 baby Hypans, tones of RCS, tones of red ramshorns and some assassin snails.

I know the hydras can and will sting and kill shrimplets, but my worry is that would they sting the plecos (on their stomach)? and potentially be problematic to the plecos?

I have been reading up some possible treatments, and I would personally prefer to avoid chemical methods.

I have also read about increasing the temp of the water to 110F for about 10 minutes t kill off the hydras. Would this high of temp kill of the beneficial bac in the filters (since I have 2 sponge filters in there).

Are there any fish/snails that actually eat hydras?

Thanks

[susankat]

I had gotten hydra in one of my shrimp tanks once. I put a couple of large mystery snails in there and they got rid of them. Took about a week for them to get all of them.

[Mike_Noren]

I know the hydras can and will sting and kill shrimplets

I doubt that, to be honest.

would they sting the plecos (on their stomach)? and potentially be problematic to the plecos?

No.

Are there any fish/snails that actually eat hydras?

Not so it'll make a difference.

[drpleco]

Hydra generally starve in aquariums as long as you're not feeding small foods that they can catch (decapped shrimp eggs). I got them in a shrimp tank with some plants once and they starved when I switched from decapped eggs to algae wafers for a week. They did sting some shrimp and shrimplets but I don't know if the shrimplets died later. They certainly weren't caught and eaten. All the plecos in there (L15) were OK, but I didn't have fry at the time so I can't comment on whether they would be in danger.

[Hitch]

cool. thanks for the reply guys. I am currently using the decrease in feeding and increased gravel vaccum method. XD

and as for the shrimplets, Hydras are know to attack shrimplets and young shrimp and even fry...I have personally witnessed them attacking my RC shrimplets.

[apistomaster]

Hydra are very sensitive to flubendazole 10% powder. It only takes about 1/4 tsp per 10 to 20 gals to kill them all within a few days,
This dose is not high enough to kill your snails and it does not effect shrimp. High doses will kill snails.
It won't mess up your water or filter.
I can't stand Hydras and they can undergo huge population explosions in any tanks in which you are regularly feeding newly hatched brine shrimp.
I treated every tank when I had them become established because they spread to other tanks through moving plants, sharing equipment or even hand to hand tank maintenance. Treating all the tanks at the same time broke the spreading cycle.
They do irritate animals by their stings but most of my tanks have some cherry shrimp and they still managed to reproduce well despite the presences of Hydras.

[taheton]

Planarias do killi shrimps and hyras rarely and only new born shrimps