Featherdusters or Hydroids? (pic)

Logzor · #1 10/07/2007, 09:19 AM

Which are these. If they are bad how do I get rid of them?

Thanks!

amike5 · #2 10/07/2007, 09:44 AM

I have the same problem, I think they are hydroids but not sure.

risika67 · #3 10/07/2007, 09:50 AM

They don't look like any feather dusters I have...

Logzor · #4 10/07/2007, 09:51 AM

Should I take them out and burn them with fire?

johnski · #5 10/07/2007, 10:01 AM

they're colonial hydroids , if you can get the rock out , then burn them

SuperNerd · #6 10/07/2007, 10:18 AM

why not kalk paste them, or scrape them underwater with a spoon?

GoingPostal · #7 10/07/2007, 10:30 AM

Hydroids, toast them, tweeze them or kalk paste them before they spread.

Bandsaw · #8 10/07/2007, 10:51 AM

Would a peperment shrimp eat hydroids? Just wondering as they have a taste for aptasia.

flyyyguy · #9 10/07/2007, 12:54 PM

kalk paste and scraping is temporary as they will return. A blow torch takes no prisoners.

speccialj922 · #10 10/07/2007, 08:29 PM

i have them too

thousands of them.

very annoying.

haven''t had much luck w/ them

Silverfin · #11 10/07/2007, 08:52 PM

How are Hydroids different than Apatasia?

Melina74 · #12 10/09/2007, 03:12 AM

I've got the same thing in my tank

IndyReefMan · #13 10/09/2007, 04:42 PM

They are the "reef keepers herpes". Get them out quick! They spread like wildfire.

muzz · #14 10/09/2007, 04:59 PM

what damage do they do?

lotus02 · #15 10/09/2007, 05:16 PM

If they attach to your corals or around coral they will kill it.

Now I've got a question have some on the side of my clam I have taken the clam out twice and scrubed it and they are back again. How do I remove them with out killing my clam?

Bandsaw · #16 10/09/2007, 06:32 PM

Make a kalk paste and smear it over the clamshell. To be certain that the thing is off, maybe take one of those miniature blow touches that often come in those butane-soldering kits and wave the flame over the area of the shell and burn the bugger up. Just don't heat the shell through and damage the clam.

I've got these things growing on some rocks that have self cemented themselves to the bottom of the tank, so getting rid of them is going to be difficult for me.

Are there any known natural predators of Hydroids?

guitar510 · #17 10/10/2007, 12:15 AM

OK...I've had these things for a while, several patches of 20 to 40, but never noticed any adverse effects. I always thought they were some kind of worm.

...sounds like they're bad.

So, remove rock from tank, blow torch to the patch, then what...rinse the area with saltwater and directly back into the tank? Do I have to worry about residue from the burnt sections?

flyyyguy · #18 10/10/2007, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by guitar510

So, remove rock from tank, blow torch to the patch, then what...rinse the area with saltwater and directly back into the tank? Do I have to worry about residue from the burnt sections?

nah. Where you torch your rock will turn this really cool bright orange color for a day or two before turning white
It would be a potential problem if you were torching entire large rocks. But you are just nailing the surface in spots.

its a great way to get rid of aiptasia too that is 100% effective every time. Torch them until they stop smoking

muzz · #19 10/10/2007, 09:16 AM

ok, but these are different than the little red tube worms, correct? I have hundreds of the little hard tube worms all over my system, and have corals that just melt or skin right over them. The acros win that battle every time.

bkoz · #20 10/10/2007, 11:01 PM

I just noticed these on some rock and on the chaeto in my sump. I have a new tank, only 3 weeks old. I havent noticed them in my display, what should I do with such a new tank??? Is there any kind of shrimp or crab I can put in to take care of these guys??

Alaska_Phil · #21 10/11/2007, 01:52 AM

Dang, I've got these too, though they haven't spread in a year now. In fact they seem to be shrinking. I really don't want to torch the rock since it's also covered in feather duster worms and has my chili corals on it. Although, this might explain why the chilis aren't doing too well.

Where does one get kalk to make the past with? Maybe I'll just try moving the chili's to a new 'clean' rock and toss this one.

Phil

TTSupra · #22 10/11/2007, 01:13 PM

The kalk mix is just taking kalk and mixing it with a low concentration of water. So it's kind of pasty, but not runny. Then just squirt it in their mouths with a syringe, and when they close, coat them a little more in it. Remember to turn your powerheads off when you do it, so kalk paste isn't randomly blowing around on corals.

You can get kalk (kalkwasser) from places like marinedepot.com.

tush · #23 10/11/2007, 02:46 PM

be careful trying to remove hydroids by plucking - i have had these type of hydroids in my main tank for over a year and they dont seem to spread at all...there ARE hydroids that look like dandelions i have in another tank that have strangled all the zoas in the tank, tried to strangle tubeworms - they have a threadlike root system that wraps around everything. When i saw the first clump spreading, i tried pulling them - MISTAKE!!!
when one gets loose... it replants itself somewhere. I ended up having to redo the entire tank with new rock. even cooked they came back. ( i thought i had a pic to post.. but its missing)