Hydroids

[GregW]

My tank is getting overrun by hydroids. I found some information on another forum that says Panacur, a dog de-wormer, will kill hydroids. Have any of you had any experience using this in a reef tank?

I also found some information that says keyhole limpets will eat the hydroids but they also eat coralline algae.

This is a small group. Some of the patches are 3" wide.

 

[panmanmatt]

Do NOT, I repeat do NOT use Panacur in that tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Panacur is toxic to most corals and any type of worm you have in the tank, including feather dusters, bristle worms, spaghetti worms, etc.

Your best bet is manual removal, you can just cut them off the rock. Even though they aren't harmful to your tank some folks still want them gone. I have them in a few of my tanks and just leave them be.

Oh, did I mention that you should NOT, NEVER, EVER use Panacur in a reef tank?

 

[GregW]

Thanks! I've tried to manually remove them but they keep coming back. I've even used a toothbrush. I guess I'll try the keyhole limpets. I have "regular" limpets but they don't touch the hydroids. Anybody have any keyholes?

 

[panmanmatt]

Try contacting John or Shelley at http://www.floridapets.com/. If they don't have them in stock they should be able to get them for you. Tell them that Matt from Seahorse.Org sent you.

Your best bet would probably be to call them on the phone as that is the quickest way to get in touch with them.

 

[GregW]

Thanks Matt.

 

[panmanmatt]

Not a problem.

Another word about Panacur, it will also kill all of your algae eating snails and inverts. The effects are long lasting too. I have seen tanks that were Panacured over 2 years ago that still cannot support astrea snails, sea hares and even some corals still.

We have no idea exactly how long the effects last so even if you were to remove the rock to a different tank for treatment, you could basically never put it back into your reef system.

 

[Hawkeye]

with the right water parameters, it's highly unlikely that the limpets could do much damage to the c.algae. I'm pretty sure I have keyhole limpets...I had extracted most of them from my gulf-of-mexico rock but one large one eluded my capture and I believe (unfortunately) it was pregnant. I now have literally 50, 60 of these tiny pencil eraser sized limpets everywhere.

Are you sure they'd eat hydroids? everything i've read about them is that they eat algae - and when large enough will bulldoze over things.

 

[mladencovic]

This article talks about limpets, kehole limpets, coraline algae and hydroids: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rs/index.php

 

[GregW]

Freaky. I was just reading that same article when you posted that link.

I know it says they could eat SPS but at this point I'm desperate. I'm hoping the limpets eat the hydroids first then I can remove them.

phil519: I'll trade you some frags for limpets. Looking for anything in particular?

 

[mladencovic]

Interestingly enough, I had some hydroids on a small rock which has several ricrodea mushrooms on it. 6 motnths ago, mushrooms were 1/2" to 1" in dia. and hydroids started overgorwing the rock. Then couple of months ago, ricordeas started growing like crazy (I tried to remember if it is just before or after I upgraded the lights) so that largest now is 3" in dia and 2-3" tall (stalk). And hydroids? Well I can't see a single one left, on the rock that is completely hidden beneath the mushrooms. I doubt that that would work for you, specially since your hydroids seem to be growing between some nice corals, and my mushrooms severly battled and burned nearby montipora.