Weird parasite/worm. Please Help!

[1Opsophagos]

Can anybody help me identify what is growing in my l071 tank.
I only noticed it a few days ago and it is multiplying very quickly.
They have a very firm grip on the glass and must me rubbed off, they are on my plants and wood. They are completely covering the glass in filters sump. Their main body is approx 5mm long the tenticals can stretch out to approx 15mm. They are freaking me Out and are all through my peppermint fry tank.
Please help.

[dw1305]

Hi all,
They are Hydra: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_(genus)).

If you feed a lot of small live food items (Daphnia, BBS, Microworms etc) they tend to proliferate.

You can control them with Fenbendazole (I used "Panacur", bought very cheaply as a pet dog worming powder).

I used it at the dosing rate suggested in "PlanetInvert: Killing Planaria and Hydra":(http://www.planetinverts.com/killing_pl ... hydra.html).

cheers Darrel

[1Opsophagos]

Yep thats it. Thanks Darrel.
Has anyone ever had experience with using fenbendazole with fry?

[Lycosid]

Yep thats it. Thanks Darrel.
Has anyone ever had experience with using fenbendazole with fry?

Is there any evidence that they are actually hurting the fry? I have had hydra outbreaks in many sorts of tanks before (although never fry tanks) and I've always just ignored them. I've watched them struggle to put down a full-grown Daphnia so I generally don't worry about them.

[1Opsophagos]

Yeah, I have witnessed the fry run into them. When they come into contact with the tenticals it Cleary hurts them, they quickly dart off. Although I doubt that
They could kill them but in mass numbers in cant be good.

[Lycosid]

Yeah, I have witnessed the fry run into them. When they come into contact with the tenticals it Cleary hurts them, they quickly dart off. Although I doubt that
They could kill them but in mass numbers in cant be good.

I'm not surprised it hurts - like most cnidarians hydra have stinging cells in the tentacles. If it hurts enough to get a strong reaction that seems worth risking the fenbendazole.

[1Opsophagos]

So I found Fenbendazole in a liquid form at my local vet surgery, I was surprised how quick and effective it was when used in very small doses. I used 1ml of Fenbender which contains 100mg of Fenbendazole to 300L approximately, of aquarium water.
4x 60L tanks and 1x 60L sump, it has completely erraticated them. All the Peppermint Fry are happy as and eating heaps with No fatalities, I also had a pair of common Bristlenose spawn during treatment.