Candelabrum sp. Hydroids

[KNelson]

I believe this is what I have.  It's late and I doubt I could get a good picture at any time of the day so just assume I'm right on the ID.  It's chilling on a zoa frag thats just nestled in the sand bed.  What's the best way to exterminate it?  Should I exterminate it? 

[seabass]

Try to remove them.  http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/6/inverts

[KNelson]

Much thanks!  Is there any special thing I should do to keep it from coming back?  

[holy carp]

Are these the same as Digitate Hydroids?  It appears so from Julian's article, but surprisingly he never used that term, which is the only name I had know until now.

 

I have had the population of these ebb and flow in my tank.  They have never seemed to irritate anything, but do sometimes grow directly on coral tissue - primarily zoas and GSP, but never on sps or lps.  

 

I've heard claims that they can keep zoas closed during the day, but I have not seen this first hand.  I sometimes see a tentacle extending through the zoa skirts and the zoas seem unfazed.  It is possible that different varieties of these have different sting intensities.

 

Eradication once established may be impossible and is likely unnecessary.  They mostly come out at night, and sometimes I just snip those tentacles with scissors.  They don't seem to revive from that too readily, but I have no proof if it kills them or not.  I've tried with tweezers, but that's almost impossible. Certainly you won't exterminate them manually and individually, and I know of nothing that eats them.  After an enormous bloom early on, I usually don't see more than a few dozen any more.

 

The are interesting to watch, but admittedly not beautiful.  I would have gotten rid of them if I could, but at this point, since they aren't an ever-growing population, I don't mind them at all.

 

Hope that helps.

[thespinningsadhu]

I have them. After all my research the consensus was that they will bloom ferociously and then all die. Nothing really to do but wait them out. 

[WV Reefer]

I have them.  No biggie. .....They sort of come and go.