Hydra

[michael]

I was feeding and feeding those baby Pleurodeles. They wern't growing much. When I took a close look the tank was covered with hydra. What is a good way to get rid of hydra.
Thanks

 

[kaysie]

i wouldnt worry about getting rid of the hydra. they'll eat debris in the tank.

 

[michael]

They eat lots of the baby brine shrimp intended for food for the babies. I also suspect they can eat hatchling newts and axolotls.

 

[jennifer]

Sometimes hydra just die out on their own - but in this case, the brine shrimp may be keeping them alive and well. I would try scrubbing off most of them. If that doesn't work (or they come back too quickly) you might need to raise the larvae in tubs until they are big enough for bigger food that the hydra can't eat. I suspect that hydra can't eat blackworms!

 

[jesper]

"The Hydra which lived in the swamps near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis, was a terrifying monster which like the Nemean lion was the offspring of Echidna (half maiden - half serpent), and Typhon (had 100 heads), other versions think that the Hydra was the offspring of Styx and the Titan Pallas. The Hydra had the body of a serpent and many heads (the number of heads deviates from five up to one hundred there are many versions but generally nine is accepted as standard), of which one could never be harmed by any weapon, and if any of the other heads were severed another would grow in its place (in some versions two would grow). Also the stench from the Hydra's breath was enough to kill man or beast (in other versions it was a deadly venom). When it emerged from the swamp it would attack herds of cattle and local villagers, devouring them with its numerous heads. It totally terrorized the vicinity for many years."

 

[elisabeth]

Leave it to Jesper.

 

[francesco]

My experience is that hydras can kill and eat very small newt larvae and also they eat all the food that is supposed to be for the larvae. A way of getting rid of them is to put some large aquatic snails in the tank, they shoud do the job

Francesco