ID Help

[Xtasia]

Looks alot like..




From Wet Web Media:
it is a fairly common nuisance hydroid, Myrionema... somewhat handsome looking to me, but is admittedly a problem... can be a plague. They will sting corals and clams and are invasive as you have noticed.

- I've seen alot of people with it. Not sure how to deal with it but all sources conclude it is invasive and stinging. Maybe take the rock out of the tank and use a tooth brush on it... rinse with RO thoroughly (maybe do a 'swish' with salt water in a bucket to do another rinse since they spread so easily and it appears your system is favourable to it)

g'luck.

[Delphinus]

Looks like hydroids to me too. They can spread quite badly and burrow into the rock quite deep so removal can be a challenge if they do spread. Unfortunately manual removal is probably your best bet. There was some talk about Panacur as a possible treatment but it is not a good thing, it will kill all worms, shrimp, etc. .. Only a last ditch effort.

Since adding a copperbanded butterfly I think I have fewer of them. Can't say I've seen him go at it though, so could be coincidence.

[Mike Olson]

Originally Posted by Xtasia

Looks alot like..




From Wet Web Media:
it is a fairly common nuisance hydroid, Myrionema... somewhat handsome looking to me, but is admittedly a problem... can be a plague. They will sting corals and clams and are invasive as you have noticed.

- I've seen alot of people with it. Not sure how to deal with it but all sources conclude it is invasive and stinging. Maybe take the rock out of the tank and use a tooth brush on it... rinse with RO thoroughly (maybe do a 'swish' with salt water in a bucket to do another rinse since they spread so easily and it appears your system is favourable to it)

g'luck.

Thats exactly what it is.....great! I have plucked them out and they tend to grow back slowly... there are 3 places they grow on various rocks...I actually had scrubbed them off with a brush andplaced the rocks in RO for about 2 days when I did the move...I then cycled the rock through the tank again! HARD TO KILL! Thanks everyone for the responses....I will post if I find something that works!

[mark]

Would kalk paste, like one does for aiptasia work?

[Ruth]

I think Christy waged war on these things for a while and maybe she will wade in. I am not sure what kind of shock and awe strategy finally worked but it may have been the old pressure washer technique.
IIRC the kalk paste and other tried and true (yeah right) aptasia remedies does not work on these b's.

[christyf5]

Yep, those little buggers have really deep roots. The only way I've managed to clear areas for anything long term is by getting out the hammer and chisel. The pressure washer route didn't cut it as their little tubes they live in are ultra tough.

These are the ones I have, not as pretty as yours Mike


Pic taken from reefs.org: http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/img/hydroids2.jpg


I have a large patch in my nano at the moment and its clearing a wide swath through my zoos. Time to have another whack at it I guess.

[Delphinus]

I don't think kalk will work as a treatment (believe me I've tried this) because you just don't get enough contact time. Even if you shut off the pumps, all it takes is for a fish to swim by and it floats off.

One thing that was suggested to me, so I'll forward the suggestion along, is to smother them with underwater epoxy.. I haven't tried it yet myself though, but it seems like it could be worth a shot..

[Mike Olson]

All because I bought a tiny clump of zoos from someone....at first I thought they were kinda neat...little golden brown pom poms- they must be some form of star polyp! IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS! Ha Ha! I dont want to take that rock out now since I have 2 bubbletips deeply entrenched and various nice zoos....a rock and a hard place! I noticed some on another rock that I can take out....I might try break the rock to see how deep the little veins go...The rock shall become the guinea pig for eliminating Myrionema!