# how to kill hydra?



## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

Same here, except they are in a rcs breeding tank, where they could kill the juvenile shrimp. 

There are some fish that eat them, I think some gouramis will eat them.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

flubendazole kills hydra, flukes, most worms and protozoans. It will also kill almost all snails as an FYI

Little harder to find but is shrimp safe and works.
http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleTreatment.pdf


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

while looking for flubenzadole, i found something called fenbenzadole (panacur). it seems that that stuff works too, and i can get it at the vet.

thanks!


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

vespers_ said:


> while looking for flubenzadole, i found something called fenbenzadole (panacur). it seems that that stuff works too, and i can get it at the vet.
> 
> thanks!


WHOO! WHOO! WHOO!
Flu and Fen are COMPLETELY different. I'll find a link to that foobar for ya!

Sewingalot made that switch by mistake!
_Found the issue! Wnkdracer suggested flubendazole and I thought I had that on hand. It was in a small jar I got from the vet and only had dewormer written on it. So......I called up the vet that I got it from and asked them. They gave me fenbendazole. I assumed it was flu, not fen. My horrible bad. To confirm without going into details, I found a small pebble of it in one of the fish I had die today. So apparently, it didn't dissolve like I was expecting, I left the room and when the lights came on, they ate it. It was too much for them to handle. You can actually feel the bulges in some of the fish. If you look at the poor CPD in the middle, you can actually see it quite well. That explains why it failed this time but worked for everything else. So make sure you are using the right medication! (In addition to quarantine.)

Final death toll: 35 and suspecting at least two more. I am down to four rasboras. This hurts more than a bit. They are schooling fish and they are not happy. All the CPDs are gone now. Two extraordinary ordinary common guppies MIA I tore the tank apart, took all the plants out rinsed them well and didn't find them._

Best mixing practices are covered in the thread below. (little vodka and hot water :wink
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/120715-treating-velvet-planted-tank.html


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

:icon_eek: whoa! guess i won't be doing that! 

thanks wkndracer, i'll make well sure i get flubenzadole and not fenbenzadole!


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

If you use fenbendazole in _minute _amounts, it'll kill hydra. But verrrrrrrrry small amounts and not the amounts needed for flubendazole. I have used .1 gram for 10 gallons safely, but it was a shrimp only tank. 

When I killed my fish, I used less than 1/2 the amount of _fenbendazole_ the recommendation here http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleTreatment.pdf 

Who would have thought two little letters could reek that much havoc? This was nearly the end of my fish keeping days. Killing over 40 fish in three days was heartbreaking.


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

sewingalot said:


> If you use fenbendazole in _minute _amounts, it'll kill hydra. But verrrrrrrrry small amounts and not the amounts needed for flubendazole. I have used .1 gram for 10 gallons safely, but it was a shrimp only tank.
> 
> When I killed my fish, I used less than 1/2 the amount of _fenbendazole_ the recommendation here http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleTreatment.pdf
> 
> Who would have thought two little letters could reek that much havoc? This was nearly the end of my fish keeping days. Killing over 40 fish in three days was heartbreaking.


i can see why :icon_cry: i don't think i want to risk it...


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Well, if you look at the suggestion, I was using (half the amount) .25 grams per 5 gallons of *fen*bendazole. To kill hydra, they suggest .1 gram per 10 gallons. So .5 and .1 per 10 gallons is a big difference. I basically poisoned them. Most gut wrenching thing I've ever done in my life. I'm in this hobby for the fish, so I felt like the gum on the gum of a shoe. 

But I do not want you to fear trying something based on my stupid mistake. Just be careful and know what you are dosing. Don't ever think medications are not harmful if dosed improperly and you'll be fine. 

Using *flubendazole*, I have had not one issue. I hope that helps.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks sewing! I was worried the confusion between those two chemicals would lead to another genocide and would feel like it was my fault for suggesting it. 

OP, Ive used the stuff, the guy I linked you to has a PhD. Used right it is golden in the results. I think from now on recommending flu I'll include the fact flu *is not *fen


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Fenbendazole works awesome at killing hydra, the dosing is like sewingalot said, 10 mg per gallon.

It also kills camallanus worms if you ever get that nasty parasite.

It's totally safe at the 10mg/gal levels, but not at high levels. It also leaves snails and shrimp unharmed.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

:confused1: snails???

it cleared my tanks of rams horn snails????


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## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

Snails and hydra dead? I shall find some of this flufenbendover!


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## speedy02 (May 17, 2011)

I used safe-guard.


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## vespers_ (May 6, 2011)

okay, thanks for the help everyone


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## Alyssa (Sep 16, 2011)

Just as an aside - if you want a natural non pesticide way to manage hydra, Gouramis will eat hydra.

It's what I used in my tank when I got a nasty hydra outbreak and I couldn't use *anything* because I had a bunch of scaleless fish - totally fixed the issue, though I had to use like 6 of them to get the job done in a 60 gallon. I just traded them in when they got them all, lol.


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

I've found that very very small Hercules work beautifully.


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