Colonial Hydroids
 

So How can I get rid of these buggers. They have totally infected the rock that they started on. I have removed that rock and placed it into fresh water and am now letting it dry out. BUT I have noticed a couple that are on the rock that was touching it. Do I have to do the same to the other rock or is ther another way I can get rid of it.
It is a reef tank and I have inverts and coral so I cant use anything that may hurt them.
TIA

We used putty & covered them with it. Seems to have worked.

They spread really fast. Do not try to pick them off or they float around and anchor to other rocks. You will then have a bigger problem. The only thing that I found that will eat them is chocolate chip starfish, but the starfish also ate my zoos and shrooms.

I have been battling these hydroids for years and can't get rid of them. I am currently running my tank with Zeovit and have reduced the nutients in the tank significantly. This seems to limit the spread of hydroids.

Jim

With the rock I have removed I am going to let it sit until it becomes Base rock then I will re-add it.
The other one only has a few so I am wondering if I should just break that part off.

OH and JIM that link you have to your tank is incredible!!!!

Get a BIG skimmer !!! that slows them down i have heard of people "burning" them with ice cubes but i dont see how that could work they just move into there tubes

I had an emerald crab that ate them. I used to have them everywhere but within 3 months of adding the crab they were all gone. I haven't seen one since and that was 2 years ago :biggrin:

BURN EM!!!
I've heard of pulling the rock out of the water and giving the infected area a work over with a small torch.

Old thread, new info. Powerwashing the rock they're on seems to work very well :mrgreen: I just went ape on the rock in my nano that was infested with them, I thought I had them localized to one rock but upon further inspection they were rampant everywhere. Since the nano got nuked I thought it time to rid the tank of its excess of grape caulerpa and hydroids. I'm happy to report that they are no match for the mighty power of high pressure water :razz:

Lol you really are wiggidy wack !

I try :wink: