Hydra.....

[Ludwig Venter]

IMO,... If Hydra develops in your tank, you are doing something extremely wrong.... It's been many years since I've seen any, but thinking back, when I had it, it was regular.... In my experimental days where I still believed to breed successfully, your tanks have to be dirty (matured)..... (to build up infusoria)

My views have changed since those days, and I have not seen Hydra since.... Is Hydra really a bad sign, or could it happen to anyone??

 

[keenonfish]

Are we talking the little freshwater equivalent of sea anemones? If so I always thought they were extremely fussy and only the best water will do but I might be wrong!

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Are we talking the little freshwater equivalent of sea anemones? If so I always thought they were extremely fussy and only the best water will do but I might be wrong!

I remember correctly, it was only once my tanks developed an odour that they appeared....(and they also added their own distinctive odour) I'll never forget that smell... not bad smelling, but sourlike.....

 

[three-fingers]

I find hydra are fairly fussy when it comes to water conditions, however, fish eat them.

So if you have hyrda in your tank, then the fish aren't eating or are otherwise inactive for some reason.

I actually try to grow hydra (find them pretty interesting), but always end up with something eating them, or sometimes killed off by bad water conditions.

Hyrda aren't a bad sign at all, IMO they are a good sign that you have yourself a little thriving ecosystem.

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Pretty much what three-fingers said. In our tanks they feed mainly upon the copepods and other little bugs that show up given enough time; It's just that sometimes conditions are perfect for them and they can have a little population explosion similar to what snails do.

Fun fact: Hydra are biologically immortal. They never age.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Pretty much what three-fingers said. In our tanks they feed mainly upon the copepods and other little bugs that show up given enough time; It's just that sometimes conditions are perfect for them and they can have a little population explosion similar to what snails do.

Fun fact: Hydra are biologically immortal. They never age.

But, they do eat egg layers fry, or is that also a myth....

 

[BigC]

Hi Lud,

I get Hydra now and again, I got an infestation once from introducing live plants into my tanks. They wont pose too much of a problem in adult tanks but look rather unsightly if you get a major outbreak. Fry tanks are a different matter especially when dealing with a species that produce small fry. Hydra will take fry if small enough Fact.
[URL="http/www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleArticle.pdf"]http/www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleArticle.pdf[/URL]
Hydra spread at alarming rates when you are feeding fry with brineshrimp nauplii etc. they are being well fed therefore grow and reproduce more quickly.
I use Flubendozole 5% powder to eradicate the little buggers. With the recommended dose they just melt. No harm to fry whatsoever. Flubendozle is a worming compound and renewing supplies can be quite difficult to get hold of now. I believe in the States they use worming tabs whose name escapes me at present (must find out)

Regards
BigC

 

[keenonfish]

Wow I would love to find Hydra in the wild (or my tank!) just been reading my newly aquired Colins guide to ponds streams.... which confirms that Hydra require good water conditions etc. Following the hydra and something that surprised me the most is that there is a fresh water jellyfish First discovered in London Botanical gardens but is not thought to reproduce readily in the UK as it is from more temperate locations, and must therefore have been imported by accident. Sporadic populations do occur for short periods of time and it is often found in aquariums apparently - if you can find them before the fish do!


[URL="http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&s...tryUK|countryGB"]http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&s...tryUK|countryGB[/URL]


@ three-fingers / bigc would there be any chance you could send me some Hydra if I sort out postage or at least give me some tips for finding wild specimens?

 

[three-fingers]

Wow I would love to find Hydra in the wild (or my tank!) just been reading my newly aquired Colins guide to ponds streams.... which confirms that Hydra require good water conditions etc. Following the hydra and something that surprised me the most is that there is a fresh water jellyfish First discovered in London Botanical gardens but is not thought to reproduce readily in the UK as it is from more temperate locations, and must therefore have been imported by accident. Sporadic populations do occur for short periods of time and it is often found in aquariums apparently - if you can find them before the fish do!


<a href="http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&s...tryUK|countryGB" target="_blank">http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&s...tryUK|countryGB</a>


@ three-fingers / bigc would there be any chance you could send me some Hydra if I sort out postage or at least give me some tips for finding wild specimens?

I'd be willing to try to post some out, but really don't think it would be worthwhile, I can only ever locate 2 or 3 teeny tiny ones, and I'm fairly certain posting would be the death of them. In winter you probably wont find any in ponds, the best place I find them is in plant tanks at the lfs, just loo carefully for them and spend the £1.50 odd on the plant that has the most .

 

[keenonfish]

Wow I would love to find Hydra in the wild (or my tank!) just been reading my newly aquired Colins guide to ponds streams.... which confirms that Hydra require good water conditions etc. Following the hydra and something that surprised me the most is that there is a fresh water jellyfish First discovered in London Botanical gardens but is not thought to reproduce readily in the UK as it is from more temperate locations, and must therefore have been imported by accident. Sporadic populations do occur for short periods of time and it is often found in aquariums apparently - if you can find them before the fish do!


<a href="http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&s...tryUK|countryGB" target="_blank">http/www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&s...tryUK|countryGB</a>


@ three-fingers / bigc would there be any chance you could send me some Hydra if I sort out postage or at least give me some tips for finding wild specimens?

I'd be willing to try to post some out, but really don't think it would be worthwhile, I can only ever locate 2 or 3 teeny tiny ones, and I'm fairly certain posting would be the death of them. In winter you probably wont find any in ponds, the best place I find them is in plant tanks at the lfs, just loo carefully for them and spend the £1.50 odd on the plant that has the most .

Great tip thanks!

 

[TylerFerretLord]

something that surprised me the most is that there is a fresh water jellyfish

[URL="http/www.jellyfish.iup.edu/jellyfish.html"]http/www.jellyfish.iup.edu/jellyfish.html[/URL]

Really neat little guys. I want some.

 

[fifefish]

something that surprised me the most is that there is a fresh water jellyfish

<a href="http/www.jellyfish.iup.edu/jellyfish.html" target="_blank">http/www.jellyfish.iup.edu/jellyfish.html</a>

Really neat little guys. I want some.

ive seen jellyfish swim from the see into a river during the night it must be a mating ritual.

 

[keenonfish]

something that surprised me the most is that there is a fresh water jellyfish

<a href="http/www.jellyfish.iup.edu/jellyfish.html" target="_blank">http/www.jellyfish.iup.edu/jellyfish.html</a>

Really neat little guys. I want some.

ive seen jellyfish swim from the see into a river during the night it must be a mating ritual.

or maybe tidal currents carry jellies that are too close to the river mouth / estury. These above are quite small but I think can grow to 2cm!

 

[nosoup4you]

http/www.ynu.org.uk/jellyfish.htm

 

[Ludwig Venter]

So there goes another theory of mine.... (dirty water)... but they are tough little blighters.... don't just scrape off the glass...

The immense affection for them projected by all the answers makes me want to "culture" them again.... Bet if I try, I won't get it right.... They just appear spontaneously.