# Little White flecks on the aquarium glass



## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

I think I might finally be getting some form of algae. All of a sudden I have thousands of these tiny little white flecks on the aquarium glass. They are about an 1/8th of an inch long, if that and very thin. They just stick on the aquarium glass and don't move about. I don't think they are a parasite of any kind. At least, not what I think a parasite would look like. Any thoughts?

Here is a picture







I just noticed there is some on the heater and I just added that yesterday afternoon. Whatever it is, it showed up in force yesterday afternoon, evening.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Huh. What the heck are those things?? It doesn't look like any kind of algae that I've ever seen.


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

I know that I am going to sound like a freak but I just noticed they are disappering. Not all of them but all of a sudden they are not as thick as they were when I first turned on the light.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

A freak? I think not! Someone will come along who will know what they are. In the meantime off to google to see if I can find out what they are.

Maybe it's a gazillion itty bitty baby snails??


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

Chat?


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Sure, I have a bit of time before the B/F comes in and *busts* me for "wasting" time, lol.


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

Alright, for any of you trying to figure out what those specks are or rather were... they are all but gone. I am thinking the light makes them disappear. I did not see fish eating them or paying any attention to them at all, they just sort of disappeared.


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## isimek (Jun 9, 2010)

Copepods?

http://www.aquariumdomain.com/viewArticle.php?article_id=14


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

0.0 woah cool they disappeared?


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

Well, It will be interesting to see if they are there again in the morning. Whatever it is, they disappeared as the light was on them. I noticed just a few last night and this morning, as you could see in the picture, there were thousands of them all over the tank glass. The fish were not eating them so I doubt it was anything alive. I just thought some kind of algae or something,


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

Alright everyone, They are back this morning. What the heck are these things? Do I need to keep my light on longer? It is usually on for over 12 hours a day as it is. Yesterday they disappeared as the day went on, which suggested they don't like the light or something. What is going on in the tank at night that they reappear? HELP!!!


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

are you sure they arent worms or something?


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

I certainly don't think so. They don't move or anything. They just sit on the glass and disappear as the day goes on with the light. Already since I turned the light on (about an hour ago) they are going down in numbers. I did a huge water change yesterday. About 40 gallons from a 60 gallon tank. I had a dead Tiger Barb I needed to remove.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

did you try to see how they dispersed?? maybe hey swam away.


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

No, I didn't see any swimming but I did see some come off the glass and float around as if pushed about by the current. There was definitely no swimming on the white flecks part. Now, they are almost gone again. Light definitely plays a part here somehow. I hope someone can shed some light on this mystery. There seems to be a new challenge each day here. lol


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

haha let me check on vampiric parasites for you


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

look at this link http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa041


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

Doesn't sound or look like any of these. There is nothing on the fish at all, and it seems to disappear in the light. The fish do not seem either interested or bothered by it. The Oto's go along eating on the glass and the pieces simply float if they run into them. The Oto's don't seem to try to avoid the area nor do they seem especially attracted to it. It almost seems vegetable in matter but it is fairly uniform in size and shape. Some slightly larger then others but no huge difference in shape, size.


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## isimek (Jun 9, 2010)

from my research i m pretty sure they are Copepods. try google images, and googling articles on them. 

try acknowledging my theory, i believe it fits pretty well.

http://www.reefbuilders.com/forums/identification/1830-little-white-bugs.html

http://www.aquariumdomain.com/viewAr...?article_id=14


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

isimek said:


> from my research i m pretty sure they are Copepods. try google images, and googling articles on them.
> 
> try acknowledging my theory, i believe it fits pretty well.
> 
> ...


 
the first one I have read already, the second one says "oop's link broken"

I still do not know what they are but they disappear in the light, I have never noticed fish eating them or them swimming as the first link said. This doesn't mean that is not what they are, I just don't know. If it is, it says they are not a threat and are actually kind of a benefit.

I am not sure if the "try acknowledging my theory" was meant to be snotty but it sounded like it. I wasn't ignoring your theory, just looking for all different opinions and thoughts. I was hoping to hear some first hand experience with such a thing. Thanks for posting the links and your theory. I will be looking further into it.


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## PrettyKitty187 (Nov 29, 2007)

I'm a little late on this one...but planaria? possibly? sounds like you have what was described to me in a "freak out about this" thread I posted


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

PrettyKitty187 said:


> I'm a little late on this one...but planaria? possibly? sounds like you have what was described to me in a "freak out about this" thread I posted


 
LOL Well, I am just glad that I am not the only person that "freaks out" about things. ;-) whatever they were, seems like they are disappearing. Didn't seem to cause any issues for the fish.


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## eileen (Feb 24, 2009)

I think I know what you have. Freshwater Limpets. I got some on some plants and they are like white dot. They move really slow but can multiply. When ever I see them on the glass I get them off. They are like suction cups on the glass. They are like a snail that eats algae. You can google freshwater Limpets. Their is not much about them online. I did find a picture of one on-line they are really tiny. Get a magnifying glass from Stapes. I use mine all the time. I use it to take pictures better as the magnifyer has a small round circle that you can see even better that I put infront of my camera lens to get a better picture. Little things like this on the glass are easier to see with one.


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## PrettyKitty187 (Nov 29, 2007)

oh no...don't say snail...


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## outpost (Mar 30, 2010)

_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## outpost (Mar 30, 2010)

I had those same little white dots all over my glass and still do. I did notice a lot of baby snails piping up during. Ia really don't think that those are snail eggs though.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

PrettyKitty187 said:


> oh no...don't say snail...


Right? :shock: One of my worst fish keeping nightmares would be coming true. I have been doing a few extra water changes over and above my normal maintenance changes. I suck a bunch of them out when I do the water change but there are still always a few million extra. :-? I might be blind but I don't see them moving. Maybe I will need to get the magnifying glass from staple. :roll: One bad thing about getting old... first thing to go is your eyes.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

my snail is missing can i have some of yours if you don't wanna squish em???


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

kitten_penang said:


> my snail is missing can i have some of yours if you don't wanna squish em???


 
I wish I could send them to you... especially if I could do it without touching them. lol

I found another one today so thus far, I have at least 3 uninvited guest in my tank. Maybe my Gourami will eat them, who knows. :-?


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## eileen (Feb 24, 2009)

If they are snails You can get a yo yo loach they eat snails. I have 2 in my 55 community tank and they have kept the #'s down. Your not the only ones who's eyes are going. The only way I can see little print is hold it arm lengh away or futher to read it. My husband thinks I'm strange. I will sit in front of my aquariums with that magnyfying glass from Stapes looking at my fish and baby shrimps so I can see them better. I told Aunt Kymmie about them and she got a magnifyer also. Those tiny what ever and the tiny snails you can see all over the sand in my tanks. It also helps to spot problems on fish when they get sick.


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

eileen said:


> If they are snails You can get a yo yo loach they eat snails. I have 2 in my 55 community tank and they have kept the #'s down. Your not the only ones who's eyes are going. The only way I can see little print is hold it arm lengh away or futher to read it. My husband thinks I'm strange. I will sit in front of my aquariums with that magnyfying glass from Stapes looking at my fish and baby shrimps so I can see them better. I told Aunt Kymmie about them and she got a magnifyer also. Those tiny what ever and the tiny snails you can see all over the sand in my tanks. It also helps to spot problems on fish when they get sick.


 
eileen, I am seriously going to have to go look for one of those. I would like it just to be able to see more detail in the fish tank. As far as checking out the fish closer, mine move too fast. Looking back, I should have gotten slower swimming fish, not the "speedy fish" of the freshwater world. lol


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