White long things on aquairum glass/ fish that stick to the bottom

[Callidorah]

I have an extremely cycled aquarium. It has been up and running for over 4 years. It is a 20g, and the water parameters are perfect.

I have 10 Cardinal Tetra, one large gold barb (left over from another tank), 3 Otocinclus and a huge apple snail. I also have an amazon sword, and some crypt plants. All previous mentioned have been in the tank for a min of 6 months and longer. Four days ago I added 5 Ember Tetra.

About two days prior to added the Embers I noticed small white attachments on the inside of the glass, very close to the gravel. While doing a water change I just wiped them off no problem, they floated around no swimming, and then disappeared. This morning I woke up and there is a large amount on one side of the tank, near the gravel and in the gravel on the glass. I've read posts and researched but most posts that sound like mine are extremely new tanks. Suggestions?

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Also, a side question I have is that I noticed my cardinals never swim above about two inches off the gravel. I figured getting a larger school would help. I added three more to make ten, still no change. Recently added five Embers (who I might add swam mid lvl at the fish store) and now they too are doing this. Longer plants? floating plants? less plants? Suggestions?


Thanks!

 

[absolutangel04]

Cardinals tend to school pretty low in the tank. Embers can be a bit shy around larger fish, so they might just be sticking to the plants right now because they are new. See what they are like in awhile after they have settled in more. Maybe some taller plants would help?
The little white guys look like planaria to me. Try googling planaria to see if thats what it is.

 

[Callidorah]

hmm

Nope they're not planaria. They never ever move and they're all random shapes, thickness and lengths. I'm wondering if it could be snail slime? I have an absurdly large white snail. Mystery/ apple Im not sure.

 

[absolutangel04]

Hmmmmmm.... I have not heard of snail slime doing that before, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Are you pretty sure its not alive?
Some sort of algae or fungus? I got a similar looking white fungus for awhile, but it was cloudier and not so stringy. And, like you said, it was when my tank was new.