Weird appendages growing out on rock?
- Thread starter Cole_Voeller
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jabberwock
2500 Club Member
I see a lovely little feather duster, and then some snot arms. Not likely much you can do about the snot. Possibly vermetid worms. Look for a hard shell twig sort of thing. Crush them if you can.
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Cole_Voeller
Well-Known Member
I tried looking online, apparently these are Digitate hydroids? And apparently these are absolutely horrible for my tank. No idea what to do about them.
Gtinnel
10K Club member
I used to have digitate hydroids in my tank and they would occasionally pester corals but otherwise never really caused any harm. They eventually seemed to go away on their own and unfortunately I can’t say what caused them to die off in my tank.
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Cole_Voeller
Well-Known Member
I’m going to put my peppermint shrimp in, as well as my hermits and see if they do anything to help. I’m also going to super glue any that are in easily accessible spots.
This might be a dumb question, but can I use frag glue underwater? Or do I need to remove the rock first?
This might be a dumb question, but can I use frag glue underwater? Or do I need to remove the rock first?
Gtinnel
10K Club member
AFAIK any glue that you can use on frags can be used underwater. The most common being superglue gel or the 2 part coral epoxy putty and either are fine to use in the tank. Sometimes the superglue gel has to be smeared around to get it to stick because in the water it will instantly form a skin on it.
Tired
2500 Club Member
If you want to superglue over something, take the rock out of the water and put a drop or two of liquid, not gel, superglue on top. Works pretty well for aiptasia, should work on just about anything else. Does require a little luck, though; if the critter is deep in and has another hole to pop out of, the glue may not work.
That said, the hydroids are likely fine, and the feather duster is harmless/neat. No glue needed here.
That said, the hydroids are likely fine, and the feather duster is harmless/neat. No glue needed here.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Colonial hydroids are the bad ones. Digitate will come and go, but as others have said, aren't usually a problem.
AydenLincoln
Pufferfish lover!
Feather duster and digitate hydroids.
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Cole_Voeller
Well-Known Member
Okay. I was freaking out since a lot of people online have said that they sting and kill zoas.
Many hydroids will kill most anything they touch. So will many corals with their sweeper tentacles. The question is whether they spread so fast/wide that the resulting dead zones are a problem at all.
The problem with colonial hydroids is that they cover rock like a mat creating massive dead zones and can't really be ripped out successfuly.
Thesw here can be ripped out if they bother anything, more of a nuisance than a danger
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Well, yes, they can do that... But it's not like they hunt coral down, lol.
Hydroids sting.
Not all hydroids grow en-masse like colonials do, potentially taking over large parts of the tank.
Edit: @elysics said it better... I didn't read before I posted
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Cole_Voeller
Well-Known Member
Some are pretty near where I was going to place some zoas, so I would like to remove them. Can I just grab the tentacle and yoink it out and kill it like so? Or do I need to remove the entire thing stalk? I only ask because some of them are in pretty tricky spots, and removing the rock isn’t an option, which will make it harder.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
I really wouldn't worry about it. The ones you see now will probably die soon and you may or may not even see them again. If you see one bothering coral that's already in the tank, then yes, you can pull it out, smother it with kalk or glue, or just put another small rock between it and the coral.
They really aren't a big deal
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Cole_Voeller
Well-Known Member
You got it, thanks for the insight!I really wouldn't worry about it. The ones you see now will probably die soon and you may or may not even see them again. If you see one bothering coral that's already in the tank, then yes, you can pull it out, smother it with kalk or glue, or just put another small rock between it and the coral.
They really aren't a big deal
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
We want updated pics when you get all your coral in!
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Cole_Voeller
Well-Known Member
Will do! Here’s what it looks like at the moment, before I add them.We want updated pics when you get all your coral in!
It’ll just be zoas, Sympodium, and some mushrooms. Maybe some other soft corals as well. I’m not too great at aquascaping and I didn’t really want to glue everything, so I think it’s decent? XD
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
No fishies?
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