Freshwater anemone?!

[Aquaphobia]

I was just observing my mystery snail with my nose mere inches from the glass when I noticed what looked like an anemone on its shell! It was tiny, with a pinkish stalk about 1mm long with 5 threadlike "arms" maybe 2mm long each. It shrank its arms in when the snail's movement brought the creature in contact with the glass but it came back out a few seconds later.

Is there such a thing as a freshwater anemone? I thought they were all saltwater!

 

[Gena]

Does it look like this?

 

[Aquaphobia]

Does it look like this?

Nope, definitely not a part of the snail. This thing was attached to the outside of the shell. Looked exactly like pictures I've seen of Hydra!

 

[EricV]

Sounds like a hydra to me.

 

[Aquaphobia]

I think you're right. Is it dangerous or bad in any way? I've read conflicting accounts online (of course) and though I think my betta is safe, I'm not so sure about my shrimp.

 

[Anders247]

They will eat baby shrimp, but they won't harm the betta. The betta (not sure though, I know that gouramis [closely related] eat them) may eat the hydra.

 

[smee82]

Hydra. If you have a pair of tweezers i would remove it and any orhers before the spread

 

[Aquaphobia]

Last time I checked, the hydra had disappeared. I don't know if it found a more suitable home than the snail shell it was living on (and occasionally getting squished by as the snail moved around) or if the betta found it. Pity. I think I'd have enjoyed watching it some more, just like I enjoy the freshwater limpets and copepods I sometimes see. It's like having a grade 4 pond experiment again

 

[oOBlueOo]

I think plecos eat them. I had some hydra in my pea puffer tank, so I put my bn pleco in there.

For the last few days, I haven't seen any hydra.

Also, I've heard that fenbendazole kills them. It's like the Captain America of the fish medicines.

 

[Aquaphobia]

LOL! "Captain America of fish medicines". I don't have any plecos so I can guarantee they weren't responsible for the hydra's disappearance It was probably the betta. I only had the one that I could see though I'm sure there must be more. Maybe being squished did it in.

 

[oOBlueOo]

Ahh, but remember what they said? Cut off one head and two more will take its place.

Real-life hydra are like that too. Squishing doesn't kill it. New hydra can grow from the pieces squished on tank glass.

 

[Aquaphobia]

Oh. Lovely. Oh well, there's nothing in that tank, or any of my tanks really, that hydra can hurt. At least not things I put in the tanks. Maybe they're surviving on the copepods. I'm ok with them