White Spots On Glass

[karin]

I know this has been addressed but I can't find it.

I'm in the beginning phase of a fishless cycle. I had pretty white cloudy water initially. Now the water is clear but there are white spots stuff on the glass of the tank. These are just the heterotrophic bacteria and I don't have to do anything... RIGHT?

Thanks.

 

[karin]

Anybody?

 

[loachman]

Do you have any snails in the tank? Nerite snails can leave white egg sacs on the glass.

 

[karin]

No snails. I know I read about this before but I can't remember what, if anything I'm supposed to do.
It is tiny white things attached to the glass.... all over. Hard to describe but they sort of wave in the water. If you look close it is like a little translucent leaf shape but the size of a pinhead.

Help!

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Karin,

Well, the usual diagnosis for really tiny little white wriggling things is Planaria, which indeed are harmless, happen in many, many tanks and will go away on their own.

However, Planaria are seen throughout the water, not just on the glass, so its possible you are describing something different.

Its also true that the bacteria (both autotrophs and heterotrophs) will make biofilms on all interior surfaces of tanks and often in a new tank one sees these quite prominently as a new tank has some unusual sources, like the silicone glue used to stick the glass together that can leave some fuel sources for these bacteria. I always found that silicone items like the suction cups used for various interior tank equipment were among the first surfaces where these biofilms would be noticed and I would describe the films as a gray/white film that often breaks up and flaps around in little bits or will rub off if you clean the surface. Its possible this is what you are describing.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[karin]

Planaria.... thats it thank you!!!!! I'll go search and read up. Sounds like that is it.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, if they are also floating around in addition to on the sides and they look like really tiny wriggling white worms (and look obviously alive) then they must be Planaria.

I can save you the reading. They are completely harmless and even if they somehow stuck around until your fishless cycle was over (which they never do) then your fish would enjoy eating them!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[karin]

Ugh, not planaria. These things have a single stem attachment to the class and then a cup like structure at the end that waves in the current. Again the whole thing is the size of a small pin head so pictures are out of the question. Looks like a dandolin seed in a way. Nothing that looks like a worm. It rubs off of class easily and feels a bit slimy.

Maybe I'll try to clean it tomorrow.