[Killietalk] Of hydra and other wee beasties

[Scott Davis <unclescott at prodigy_net>]

Wright argued fairly pursuasively a while back that it
is unlikely that hydra, a freshwater creature would
come from hypersaline water. Professional aquarists
such as Marty Greenwell endorse that by giving new
freshwater acquisitions a salt water bath and marine
fishes a freshwater bath, in both cases to purge
external parasites.

On the hydra front, CKAer Robert Steinback mentioned
in passing that Hydra leave eggs. Duh!  Have thought
of them as reproducing just by budding. I do not know
how durable their eggs are or whether the
anthelmintics brought to the fore by Charles Harrison
would clean out  eggs left by a "mature" hydra
culture.

Are hydra eggs vulnerable to a water (and medicinal)
exchange through their outer membranes? Or do they
form cysts (or very durable resting eggs) like brine
shrimp, daphnia and others?

John. you mentiond ich and a recently read comment by
Terry Fairfield in his book on fish health,
"Ichthyopthiris (Ich) has the ability to remain in a 
suspended state for quite some time until the fish is
experiencing stress that lowers the immune system"
really struck me. Always had hoped that all 
of those white cysts on the sides of afflicted fishes
would hatch and be dealt with in a week's time. While
it is no where near the scourge that velvet is for
most killies, it seems that a minimal level of velvet
may also exist until polluted conditions (rotting
brine shrimp for instance) give it a chance to bloom.

I'd hoped that these things could be disposed of more
easily and simply. Of course, in an ideal world, we
would all keep up with water changes and there would
be no illnesses or pests. :)

All the best!
Scott

> Old debate about where it comes from... some ppl say
it comes in with artemia cysts and that when you hate
brine shrimp you get it, but why only one tank and not
them all is what i ask... others say its in your water
 already, needing proper conditions to come out...
like a case of ick... but ive never gotten a really
good answer as to where it comes from, only that i
when i do get a case of it, that Fluke tabs seem to be
the best way > of ridding the a without killing fish
and plants in your tank!>
> John


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