White Circles on Glass

[TKEON230]

In the past couple months I've been noticing a lot of small white circles appearing on the glass in my saltwater tank. They seem to be forming mostly on the back of the tank and near the sand along the bottom. If I try to scrape them with my magnetic cleaner nothing happens. They are about the size of a dime or smaller. The best picture I have right now can be found here: Paul Keeler's Photos | Facebook

I'll try to take a better picture tonight. Are these bad? Does anyone have any recommendation for removing them from the sides and front of the tank so I can see my fish better?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sadielynn]

They look like snail eggs .. What are your your tank inhabitants ? Include all fish and inverts ...
To remove try using a razor blade or an old credit card .. siphion out as you go ... Try to get some better pictures if possible

 

[TKEON230]

I've got a Firefish, a Scooter Blenny, and a Royal Gramma. My cleanup crew consists of a Mithrax Crab, Dwarf Red and Blue Tipped Hermit Crabs, Turbo Snails, Cerith Snails, and Nassarius Snails.

These white circles have appeared in the last couple months, but don't seem to go away like the normal snail eggs that I've seen in the past. I uploaded a Youtube video of my tank recently where you can see some of what I'm talking about. It appears on the glass in the back and on the left side of the tank. There is also a bit in the front on the bottom:
YouTube - Fish Tank with Firefish, Royal Gramma, and Scooter Blenny

 

[Sadielynn]

I honestly do not know what to call it it does look like eggs however it could be a sponge or dying coraline algea ,, what does it feel like hard , soft etc ?Since you have snails that is plausable , but I would think that the fish would have "fed" off of them by now

 

[TKEON230]

I believe it is pretty hard. It doesn't come off with the magnetic tank cleaner. I may have to try a scraper or something.

 

[Sadielynn]

Try a razor .. I am going to stick with snail eggs , there is another one they are white (bleach white) I think they are called spiorb (I know I botched the spelling on that one big time ) worms also can be hard and plenty .They will die off as the nutrients in the tank are depleted ... they are also common in a new tank Try using a razor blade and siphioning them out at the time you scrape them

 

[TKEON230]

Sorry it took so long. Here are some pictures:

 

[Sadielynn]

Those pics are good it looks like bleached coraline algea scrape off with a razor blade ...it is harmless to leave the scraps in the tank.. They will likely go into the LR and seed it ... I have spots of coraline that bleach occasionally and come back ..The only harm in leaving it is that it blocks your view
check your CA and alk levels

 

[TKEON230]

Thanks so much for all of your help. I'll start scraping them tomorrow. Hopefully they come off easy. Where should my Ca and Alk levels be? I don't have testers for those, so I'm gonna have to pick them up later. I use instant ocean reef crystals, so I thought those would add pretty much all I would need.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with Sadie that it`s just some coralline Algea. Scrape off with a razor blade.

 

[Roberz00]

So after reading this and following the thread.... If it looks likes a white ribbon it may be the snail eggs ya'kll mentioned?? I have something like a white ribbon been laid on one piece of my rock and not what he has. It is soft and looks like a ribbon

 

[TKEON230]

Yeah, ribbons of snail eggs are pretty common. Here's some I found on Google Images:

 

[Roberz00]

thats exactly what I am seeing on my rock. How many eggs approximatelt are there in an average lay?? Anyone??

 

[Sadielynn]

that's exactly what I am seeing on my rock. How many eggs approximately are there in an average lay?? Anyone??

alot
How ever most will not hatch as they will become free fish food . You may get a few snails out of each time ,few will mature as they will die from lack of foods and will also be eatin

 

[thincat]

Do you have a lot of snails in your tank. Looks like that coralline is being eated by your snails. Which is not a bad thing.

 

[TKEON230]

I have a good amount of snails. I haven't counted them in a while, though. I'm sure they get eaten every now and then . I scraped the coraline algae off with a razor today. It came off pretty quick and easily. I left the algae in the back of the tank, though. It would be too much of a pain to try and remove that stuff.

 

[Sadielynn]

Do you have a lot of snails in your tank. Looks like that coralline is being eated by your snails. Which is not a bad thing.

Most snails will not cut through that .. Tho astrenia stars and urchins will
Since the back of your tank is painted there is no need to scrape there

 

[thincat]

Sadielynn FYI...I have nirite snails(~100) and they eat all the coralline on my acyrlic. I could not believe it myself. They leave the rocks alone and the coralline grows well there. I have not cleaned my glass in over a month.
I posted this on this site today and since I have it handy I posted it here.
The glass is clear and if there is a blurr it's a snail.

The urchin stays in the rockwork and does not come out in the light. I have a black long spine and a white one. they both are hitchhikers that came in as small pea sizes.