colonial hyroids, spaghetti worms and fleas?

**lhenson** · 07-11-2012, 05:21 PM

HI, I am working with an established tank which I inherited. I am armed with my computer, this forum, Google and a magnifying glass. Among all the really cool stuff, I have found some things which I have been able to identify and some things I haven't been able to identify.
1- Colonial Hydroids, they look really cool when they are in fairly large patches of 100-150 each. Yea, I know they are bad. I have two patches on one rock and hoping that is the only rock. I think it would be best to pull the rock. I am certain I wont be tweezing them...there are so many of them and they are so close together. I would like to relocated some polyps which are on the rock. Is a straight-edged razor the best way to cut them off?
2-There are some orange hair-like strands throughout the sand...are these spaghetti worms?
3- Lastly, today there are some itty bitty little things stuck to the glass. I thought originally they were air bubbles, but when I got out the magnifying glass I found that they are not. I would think they might be alive...like a little sw flea or something. I think they are floating around in the tank too. Maybe it is algae, I don't know. They seem white in color and I really can't tell much even with magnifying them...they are that small. They seem to be in patches. There are about 200 in a 2 sq. in. spot and none directly next to it. There are many patches.
Can anyone help with my questions? Thank you for your time and assistance.

**smaug** · 07-11-2012, 09:13 PM

Elevated mg can kill off hydroids,probably are spa worms,they are just pods. As you get this tank cleaned up most of these issues will drop away. I wouldnt worry about the hydroids,they come and go.

**lhenson** · 07-12-2012, 12:56 AM

Spa worms? I can't find anything on spa worms. Are you referring to the spaghetti hair-like worms? Someone looked at my tank this afternoon and said she thought the itty bitty things on the glass were the beginning of an algae bloom. I thought an algae bloom was when your water was green not when itty bitty things are clinging to the glass. The more I look at them through the magnifying glass the more it seems like it could be some type of algae. So I don't need to get rid of the hydroid rock?

**smaug** · 07-12-2012, 10:48 AM

S p a ghetti! If my memory serves me this is the rescue tank you got? I assume the col hyds had been there for awhile? When I had them in my tank they didn't spread and eventually died off when the params stabilized. The dots on your glass could be anything I suppose,I'm not there to see what they look like. Heck,it could be the beginning of an invasion of body snatchers for all I know! Lol

**lhenson** · 07-12-2012, 12:16 PM

Haha, so funny...I needed a laugh to start this day! Thank you!!

Spa worms...so I completely missed that one and I am still laughing at my goofy self and you too! Yes, the rescue tank and by the looks of that crop of Hydroids, they have been there awhile. The 'itty bitties' on the glass resemble what's left after you erase a page full of pencil markings...you know, the eraser mess that some people might just sweep off the table onto the floor. They are stuck to the glass, but are still blowing with the flow. Body snatchers!! lol!