Hydroids wont go away. Even after a year!

leoskee · 10/28/2007, 08:35 AM

Im completely shocked that the hydroids I wanted to get rid of are still alive and kicking. I took out all of my live rock and basically set up a FO tank with a few corals and a slab of LR. I cooked the rock for 13 months. Yes, over a year. Ive been taking my time setting up my tank after buying my house.

Anyway, last week I decided to take out a piece of LR just out of curiosity. I noticed the presence of the tubes used by the hydroids. I could not believe my eyes. So, I put the piece of LR in my tank and the next day the little ba$tards were there.

I guess my only alternative is to take out the rock and let it dry and use some fresh LR to seed it when I set up my tank.

Any ideas or suggestions welcomed.

dmo · 10/28/2007, 09:25 AM

Are you sure the tubes are from hydroids, and not from worms?

dc_909 · 10/28/2007, 10:23 AM

I superglued the ones that still survived my eradication plan.

leoskee · 10/28/2007, 12:37 PM

Im 200% positive they are hydroids.

dc_909, did you glue approach work? I cant see that keeping them from spreading.

leoskee · 10/28/2007, 04:52 PM

?

dc_909 · 10/28/2007, 07:04 PM

So far. You can also use epoxy.

leoskee · 02/05/2008, 10:56 AM

In the end I ended up removing ALL of my live rock and drying it out. I could not find any other way to deal with the hydroids. I broke down the tank and will start over in the spring/summer with an upgrade.

I figured that I would let the rock dry, killing everything thing on it. I will then clean off the rock of as much debris as possible. Im going to set up a 75 gl tank where I will place the rock once cleaned up and seed it with new live rock I will allow to cure together with it.

Anyone have to do something like this or have suggestions/comments.

mille239 · 02/05/2008, 11:11 AM

I feel your pain leoskee... I had the biggest problem with hydroids. I ended up getting them in check with LOTS of epoxy over the colonies, and frequent water changes. It worked, but was a PITA. On my 2nd setup, currently in progress, I plan on going with marco rocks (basically dead live rock) just to avoid their introduction in the first place. Then seeding with a few pieces of cured live rock just as you are. I hate those little b@#*ards.

leoskee · 02/05/2008, 11:55 AM

In all, I killed well over 300 lbs of live rock because of them. Luckily I didnt spend that much money on the rock. Had I paid going rates I would not have let the rock dry. There were soooo many things growing on the them. =0(

Anemone · 02/05/2008, 12:41 PM

Use a flat-bladed screw driver to pry the colonies off the rock. Live rock is generally pretty soft, so it's not that hard to do.

Kevin

leoskee · 02/05/2008, 02:44 PM

Been there, done that. lol. I even used my dremmel and a wire brush atachment to scrape them off. As long as there is living tissue on the rock they will come back. At least that has been my experience. As of right now I took care of them all being that the rock is dry. lol.

Anemone · 02/05/2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by leoskee
Been there, done that. lol. I even used my dremmel and a wire brush atachment to scrape them off. As long as there is living tissue on the rock they will come back. At least that has been my experience. As of right now I took care of them all being that the rock is dry. lol.

Scrubbing or dremeling doesn't take out the base of the colony. Prying the colony off does a better job (IMO). I tried the wire brush too (as well as tweezers and kalk paste, among other treatments).

Kevin

leoskee · 02/05/2008, 03:35 PM

I agree with you.

So, did you get rid of them with the screw driver approach?

Anemone · 02/05/2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by leoskee
I agree with you.

So, did you get rid of them with the screw driver approach?

Yep, except for one small clump that I didn't see. That will be coming out next time my hands are in the tank.

I originally had about 15 pretty large (1" diameter or so) colonial groups and several more smaller clumps that hadn't gotten that large. I had been trying to get rid of them for months. Several of the rocks were on the bottom of my tank, so I couldn't remove them, but the screwdriver worked fine. I also took out rocks nearer the top of the tank - it was easier to remove the hydroids, but harder to see the clumps out of the water.

Kevin

10/28/2007, 08:35 AM	#1
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	Hydroids wont go away. Even after a year! Im completely shocked that the hydroids I wanted to get rid of are still alive and kicking. I took out all of my live rock and basically set up a FO tank with a few corals and a slab of LR. I cooked the rock for 13 months. Yes, over a year. Ive been taking my time setting up my tank after buying my house. Anyway, last week I decided to take out a piece of LR just out of curiosity. I noticed the presence of the tubes used by the hydroids. I could not believe my eyes. So, I put the piece of LR in my tank and the next day the little ba$tards were there. I guess my only alternative is to take out the rock and let it dry and use some fresh LR to seed it when I set up my tank. Any ideas or suggestions welcomed. __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~

10/28/2007, 09:25 AM	#2
dmo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 154	Are you sure the tubes are from hydroids, and not from worms? __________________ Daniel Current Tank Info: 90g reef

10/28/2007, 12:37 PM	#4
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	Im 200% positive they are hydroids. dc_909, did you glue approach work? I cant see that keeping them from spreading. __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~

10/28/2007, 04:52 PM	#5
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	? __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~

02/05/2008, 10:56 AM	#7
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	In the end I ended up removing ALL of my live rock and drying it out. I could not find any other way to deal with the hydroids. I broke down the tank and will start over in the spring/summer with an upgrade. I figured that I would let the rock dry, killing everything thing on it. I will then clean off the rock of as much debris as possible. Im going to set up a 75 gl tank where I will place the rock once cleaned up and seed it with new live rock I will allow to cure together with it. Anyone have to do something like this or have suggestions/comments. __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~

10/28/2007, 10:23 AM	#3
dc_909 Moved On Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 3,260	I superglued the ones that still survived my eradication plan.

10/28/2007, 07:04 PM	#6
dc_909 Moved On Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 3,260	So far. You can also use epoxy.

02/05/2008, 11:11 AM	#8
mille239 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Harrison Twp., MI Posts: 1,644	I feel your pain leoskee... I had the biggest problem with hydroids. I ended up getting them in check with LOTS of epoxy over the colonies, and frequent water changes. It worked, but was a PITA. On my 2nd setup, currently in progress, I plan on going with marco rocks (basically dead live rock) just to avoid their introduction in the first place. Then seeding with a few pieces of cured live rock just as you are. I hate those little b@#*ards. __________________ -Blair Disclaimer: No trees were harmed in the creation of this post, though a significant number of electrons may have been inconvenienced. Current Tank Info: 120 SPS reef in progress, 120 mixed reef, currently being completely rebuilt)

02/05/2008, 11:55 AM	#9
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	In all, I killed well over 300 lbs of live rock because of them. Luckily I didnt spend that much money on the rock. Had I paid going rates I would not have let the rock dry. There were soooo many things growing on the them. =0( __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~

02/05/2008, 12:41 PM	#10
Anemone Cloning Around Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Valencia, California Posts: 25,267	Use a flat-bladed screw driver to pry the colonies off the rock. Live rock is generally pretty soft, so it's not that hard to do. Kevin __________________ Back in the pool, swimming with the sharks... Current Tank Info: Red Sea 425XL w/Kessil AP700, Vertex 180i Skimmer, 2 x Vortech MP40s

02/05/2008, 02:44 PM	#11
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	Been there, done that. lol. I even used my dremmel and a wire brush atachment to scrape them off. As long as there is living tissue on the rock they will come back. At least that has been my experience. As of right now I took care of them all being that the rock is dry. lol. __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~

02/05/2008, 03:35 PM	#13
leoskee Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ/NY Posts: 371	I agree with you. So, did you get rid of them with the screw driver approach? __________________ ~Little Fish in a Big Pond~