Digitate hydroids spreading. What to do?

[Duncan62]

I've got a Fluval edge 6g nano that's been up and running about 5 weeks now. No fish, just CUC and random hitchhikers.
I noticed the first couple of d.hydroids a couple weeks ago isolated to one rock. They have since spread to most of the other rocks. Not infestation levels yet, but a good 6-7 that I can see per rock.
Researching this topic, you can find lots of conflicting information (imagine that ) about the risk or lack of risk they pose to a tank.
People say they can/will kill a tank. Others say they go away on their own if you ignore them. Some say they pose a threat to fish/corals, others disagree.

Does anyone have experience dealing with these things?
Are they a threat?
Most effective removal method?

They've come and went in my tanks over the years. The first time I saw them I just watched them. They moved thru out the system then kind of self regulated I'm guessing. Most disappeared but I can always find some with a flash light

 

[Jevans1000]

It’s basically hiv for your tank and if the population gets out of hand you got aids. I used fenbendazole like four separate times on my nano. It worked like a miracle cure… for about two months each time. I firmly believe they have eggs in the sand or something that lay dormant through the treatment. Long story short once you got em either you live with em or completely dismantle the tank, bleach cure the rock and get all new sand that was my only fix. This is one of the worst pests to get too don’t give it to anyone elses tank pleeeease. Its worse than aiptasia tbh it makes aiptasia look like a pillow fight. Nothing eats them and because they go dormant you can’t kill em for good.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I use SS bone cutters to rip them right off the rocks. They eventually come back, but are usually the slowest pest I deal with.

 

[Gonzalex04]

I've had these spring up in my 40B mixed reef recently. I noticed my goni retracted for a few days and spotted a few digitate hydroids on the tissue. I plucked them as I would see them until one day I noticed them everywhere in the tank. I cut back on feeding what was already a low nutrient system with no luck. I picked up a couple of peppermint shrimp and watched them go to town on the hydroids almost immediately. As soon as they sense them, they roll the hydroid up into a little ball and shove it into their mouth. I also am trying out a filefish, but not Im not sure the hydroids are large enough to get his attention. Chemicals are not an option I want to use. I'm hoping the peppermint shrimp are the solution and will report back in a few days.

 

[kartrsu]

I've had these spring up in my 40B mixed reef recently. I noticed my goni retracted for a few days and spotted a few digitate hydroids on the tissue. I plucked them as I would see them until one day I noticed them everywhere in the tank. I cut back on feeding what was already a low nutrient system with no luck. I picked up a couple of peppermint shrimp and watched them go to town on the hydroids almost immediately. As soon as they sense them, they roll the hydroid up into a little ball and shove it into their mouth. I also am trying out a filefish, but not Im not sure the hydroids are large enough to get his attention. Chemicals are not an option I want to use. I'm hoping the peppermint shrimp are the solution and will report back in a few days.

Did the peppermint shrimp work?

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Did the peppermint shrimp work?

I’ve never seen them go after hydroids. They definitely clear out the aiptasia though.