Possible ID - Hydroid?

[dileggi]

Hi Everyone,

I had a quick question of which I'm going to attempt to share two pictures. I have these rusty brown orangish looking things growing. I've noticed them in the tank for quite some time now...maybe a year or so. They started off as a small patch that I took for just some hitchiker filter feeder / feather dusters. As of late, they've really spread and seem to spread quickly. I'm not quite sure if it's a form of hydroid...haven't noticed any stinging when I'm in the tank.

Anyway, if the pic's work and anyone has any clue as to what this may be, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Eric

...I guess the pic's aren't going to work. I will be more than happy to e-mail them if I can't get them uploaded.

[con999]

pics?

[dileggi]

Having a small problem with uploading the pics!

[dileggi]

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh79/dileggi/Tank/Image2.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh79/dileggi/Tank/Image1.jpg

Maybe now we have pics?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yes, those are hydroids. And a lot of them

[dileggi]

I was kind of hoping for a different answer! LOL!...Any ideas other than a tooth brush or tweezers?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Honestly, with that many hydroids, if it were me, I'd just get rid of that rock and replace it with new LR. I've done that before when I had a hydroid infestation in one of my nanos.

I suppose you could just dunk the rock into some boiling RO/DI to kill off the hydroids and then re-cycle the rock.

[dileggi]

I guess dumping is an option! I did have a caulastrea under there somewhere.

Any ideas on removing it from the sump return? I won't be able to dump that...LOL!

[dileggi]

They're more "whispy" looking than other hydroids I've seen. Any idea what type of hydroid it may be? The closest I've seen color wise were the jellies, but these certainly aren't that.

[camp]

I think I have the same kind? Mine dont seem to bother anything or grow to fast, and I have them for a long time. How are they bad?

[dileggi]

Mine just recently starting spreading. It started out as a golf ball size clump. That clump has been in the tank for about year or slightly longer. I would say it has spread over the last 5 months or so.

As for being bad, they can strangle out your corals. I believe mine came as hitchikers on my caulastrea. My caulastrea had about 5 or 6 heads on it. Basically, they've overgrown it to where I only have one head left. Almost like they kept it from getting any light. I haven't noticed any stinging...from what I can tell. But, my snails and crabs seem to crawl through it with no adverse effects to them.

I believe I've even noticed my scooter blenny sitting right in the middle of it on the rock and didn't have any problems. That's the only reason why I wasn't totally sure if they were hydroids.