Oxquo Posted May 25, 2004 Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 I guess you could say my desire for plants brings me more bad luck than good. Recently I brought in another load of hydra, even worse it was in my ram fry tank. Only way I really noticed something was wrong was that the fry looked like they were getting shocks everytime they swam by this lone rock. After verifying that it was hydra, I was happy to be totally prepared this time. I hooked up the copper wires one to each battery post and submerged them in opposite ends of the tank. The fry began nibbling on the bubbles forming on the wires, no big deal. The strange thing was that this time my battery tipped over and the tank looked very milky, I added a touch of baking soda to up the pH a little and the rams are doing great, the question is, could battery acid have leaked down the wires in a liquid form? I would think that it couldn't but have killed hydra this way many times and the only difference was the battery tipped over. All is well at any rate and after 3 days as usual the hydra were completely removed. Has anyone seen this white cloudiness after using this method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 Great idea - I did not know that. Thanks for the tip. Do you use a wet cell battery [ motorcycle ??]. or dry cell. Murphy's Law - anything is possible. I am always concerned with anything entering my tanks --- w/c's are a norm!! Lets just say - for the sake of conversation - and interest - battery acid did enter a tank:[ small amount] -could it affect the bio-logical bacteria[??]. my first concern -could it have an affect on any fish [ short/long term ??] my second concern How long would you have the wires in a tank to eliminate hydra. Would this method work on - say white worms?? a few questions that leap to mind. Smokey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozco Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 I've got what I think could be hyrda in my 10 gal planted tank. Its this brown stuff on the plants that from a distance make them look like they have mud on them for something. When I was cleaning I had to uproot some of them and actually rub it off the leaves with a towel. Anyways, my question is, why does the battery kill the hydra and not harm the fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxquo Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Let's see, the dry cell may be a great idea in the future, I normally use the wet cell as it is the only one around my house. Normally though I tape it to the side of my stand and keep it on the floor not at tank level. Second Hydra are like tiny white squid with long flowing tentacles, kinda cool actually but not a great help when it comes to young fry, older fry and fish can handle their stinging no problem. The trick with the battery is to sit one wire opposite end of the other , opposite side and end. I leave it for no more than 3 days, it is the cross current that kills the hydra yet when the fish touch it the =y are only getting one post or the other so never a shock. I think everyone knows what it feels like to lick a 9 volt battery, tingling is not enough to kill fish either. Hydra is a fan of plants so you can get it from there and some even say from bad frozen foods that weren't cleaned enough. I have never seen a tank lose cycle after this method as bacteria seem to not be affected, could be that the hydra are more conductive. The whiteworms you mentioned sound like discworms or planarians, a blue gourami will eat them, so will some fry, planarians are caused by over feeding and waste in the tank. Cut back feedings to 1 time a day far a week and if your fish are adult, practice the foodless friday method I use when not breeding or conditioning. No food on friday causes fish to clean up their rooms and they do just that. Below is a pic of hydra, and some good sized ones at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Cool pic. I had never really seen a pic of them that didnt' show them magnafied. They are a lot bigger then i thought. Thankfully i have never had them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxquo Posted May 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 I actually wouldn't mind a tank full of them but far far from my fishroom, most people never know they have them. especially in a planted tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted May 31, 2004 Report Share Posted May 31, 2004 Howdy, thanks for the feedback Oxquo. Because of my heavy feeding method [ spirulina & bloodworms & beefheart; fed each feeding; 3x daily - regualr feeding routine] occassional I find planarians in the tank. My little axlerodi cory is doing a fine job keeping them under control. And like you mentioned, keeping the tank clean is always a problem. The tank is a 27 inch tall x 48 x 18: wide 100 gallon unit. Stuffed with 27 discus - 6 months to 2 years old, 5 huge 10 month old gold angels, a black ghost, and of course the cory. It is bare bottom, two powerheads - 400 & 750 gph - feeding the two large overhead Bio-Towers. Unless I change the mechanical filter foams daily, I notice the planarians develop. "My fault and laziness" ...lol.... Smokey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxquo Posted May 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2004 Well bare bottom is a good start to a cleaner tank, I would use a daily to every two day gravel vaccuum and maybe add a snail or two, as much as I hate them, they do a great job cleaning up after smaller fish. When you want them gone, borrow a couple of convicts and leave them in the tank alone for 5 days without feeding, they will be gone in no time. Planarians are virtually harmless, but they do let you know that your feedings are more than your fish can consume, If possible try less food at more intervals with young fish, this will let them eat and digest what they eat, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted May 31, 2004 Report Share Posted May 31, 2004 Good words of wisdom. Oxquo. quote - Oxquo - try less food at more intervals with young fish, this will let them eat and digest what they eat,. -Feeding every two or three hours is/can be the "norm" for fry. the young fry can only fill their belly's with so much food. and like any animal[ human kids included] - they always seem hungry. -adults - bigger stomachs; full, fat and happy!.. [personally speaking after a great full course supper.] :P Food in; poop out ... the need to keep the water, filters and tank clean. Sorry for getting way off topic. "Hydra in the tank". I will pass your method along. There are a number of proficient plant growers, down my way. Sounds like a winner!! and so easy. Smokey [personally - I can not grow algea]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxquo Posted June 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 Ah algae, yep, it's green, it grows, eats waste, much like dandilions it's a plant. I actually have this great green fuzzy one which never spreads to my plants and has almost completely covered a coconut cave and a log. Friends always ask why it's still around, I love the stuff, green, grows great and biologically helpfull yep it's a plant why throw it out, free plant at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Ahhhhh - that's the problem.... it's green. I seem to have a natural ability to kill anything green. :P I have given up on the plants. Algae just does not grow in my tanks, let along anything else green. Too soft water, black water, bare bottom's, too fine filteration, too low light, too much w/c's. Geeessss, I must be something wrong. lol... On day I will take the touble and set up a fully planted tank; yah right!!. Smokey [beat my head against a wall.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxquo Posted June 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 Planted tanks aren't for everyone. There comes a time when you just hate having them. Adjusting pH, hardness, fertillizing, lighting. It all becomes a pain although, to have people come over and say, "are those real? They're not, are they?" makes it all worth it. Most biotopes have few or little plants anyways. This is why I find it strange that most angelfish and discus tanks are planted and the people say "ohhh I just wanted a nice biotope tank". True angel and discus biotope is alot of roots and rocks with a hint of sand. Most of the plants we get from the amazon grow in bogs off of the main river itself. Sure there are fish in there, but they are mostlyfry and tetras escaping predators. Discus and angels will use the thick wooded area outside of it to feed on the insects that come out of it and occasionally a small tetra or two. So I'd say as long as you can keep logs alive in your aquarium you are on the right track even without plants. Sadly though algae is a great addition to an Mbuna tank if you have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted June 3, 2004 Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 I love planted tanks but they are am incredible amount of work. I finally got tired of having to prune,trim, test, clean my planted tank each week, i decided to tear it down. It was also partly due to a BBA infestation i can't seemt o get rid of. I still have plants in my tanks but will never do a fully planted tank again. They are beautiful but more work then i'm willing to do :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted June 4, 2004 Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 Truer words have never been spoken!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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