Hydra In Bettas Tank

[JustKia]

My new bettas have been acclimatising in smallish containers as I needed to move the plants out of their new home before putting them in (and I've been waiting for hubby to get home to help me do that).
Upon moving some plants I've discovered I've got an infestation of hydra - which I can only assume came from the plants.

Problem 1 - I presume I can't move the bettas in with the hydra there?
Problem 2 - how do I get rid of the hydra?
Problem 3 - I'd already moved some plants into my community tank before I spotted the hydra, am I going to get an outbreak in there now as well?
Problem 4 - I've got shrimp and so can't use copper based meds?

Help!

 

[Curiosity101]

To be honest they shouldn't pose a problem to your fish, the fish may even eat them. But taking everything out and 100% drying the tank, and also bleach dipping the plants should kill them all.

Also rinsing the tank with high concentration salt water could do the trick.

I've never had to deal with hydra myself, but I have studied them as part of my biology degree (really interesting little things to watch down a microscope), and this is how I'd try to kill them.

 

[JustKia]

Unfortunately, emptying, drying and bleach dipping isn't going to be possible now (10.45pm LOL) and hubby's out by 7am, not getting home until around 8.30pm all this week and I can't do any lifting or such.

Do you really think the bettas will be safe with the hydra?
Would be awesome if they could either co-habit safely (as you say fascinating to watch), or if the bettas snacked on them.

 

[Curiosity101]

I reckon they'd be fine. What size would you say the hydra are?
They aren't in any way parasitic, so wont 'feed' on your bettas.

The majority are predators, so will only try to eat what they can actually kill. I reckon in your tank, unless they're photosynthetic or herbivores, they'll probably just die out.

But like I say, I've never actually had to deal with them in a tank situation.

 

[JustKia]

They are white/clear in colour.
The "body" is maybe 5mm, but the tentacles are upto 15mm easy on some of them, others have just got little short tenatalces.

Well, I'm going to risk it.
I;ve had at least 3 different sources say it should be OK and not found any to say they are likely to harm the bettas, so here goes nothing and everything...

 

[Curiosity101]

Oo, another idea. Just remove them as and when you do water changes. Just any you spot, hoover them up with your gravel vac.

They sound like normal hydra (the type I've looked at before).

Don't worry about it. The fish will be fine
And they aren't photosynthetic, so they'll either die or find a suitable food source in the plants...microscopic free floating algae possibly...

 

[loraxchick]

hydras eat microorganisms-mostly rotifers and small things like that. if youve got lots of plants/mulm from plants you probably have loads of these little critters for the hydra to eat. once the food source dies off the hydra will too. they seem to multiply like crazy because reproduction is easy for them (they just bud off a new one)..so when there is lots of food, there are lots of them. they will not hurt your fish!
little critters like planaria, hydra,etc are part of having a nice established aquarium with some sort of natural equilibrium, not a brand new sterile tank. micros=healthy as they all have their jobs in a tank as long as they are not parasites. try some better plant maintenance like pruning dead leaves as soon as you see them and reallly vaccuming in and around the plants when you waterchange. should take care of them after a while. its all a big food chain in a fishtank after a while.which isnt a bad thing!
all the best

 

[JustKia]

Well, the hydra didn't eat the fish overnight!!!

 

[loraxchick]

^^lol
well that's good! honestly they shouldnt be a problem for your fish (perhaps with the exception of the very smallest of fry). they are eating other little micros in the tank. not algae either-little critters they eat.
good luck with them.
cheers