Tiny, tiny white 'bugs', what the heck are they!?

[20 20]

My boy has a 75 gallon discus tank with 7 discus in it, and one small motoro (I think) stingray. He's been treating the tank with 'Pemifix' and 'Melafix' (again, I think that's how they're spelled) for about a week and a half for fungus on the stingray. Well, tonight he notices a bunch of fine 'stuff' in the tank. A lot of it, swirling around in the water. No idea what it is, he stick on a HOB filter stuffed with floss to try and filter it out. Oh, yeah, he runs an XP3 on the tank. Not sure of the water parameters, he doesn't measure them very often. I think PH is around 7 to 7.5, but I could be wrong.

Well, a couple of hours later, he yells "Dad, come here! They're alive!" And sure enough, all these floating things in the water are little white wiggly 'things'. Very small, gotta watch real close to see them move, but believe me, they're alive. Does anyone have any idea what the heck they can be, how they got in the tank, and how can they be gotten rid of?

Thanks!

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

There are any number of little swimmy things that could be in the tank. They are usually harmless. The usual cause is overfeeding and lack of maintenance. Increase your gravel vacs and cut back on food. The cleaner water will be good for the discus and for the fungus on the ray.

 

[Mazdaman]

at first i was going to say it is from the floss. Often when you add new floss their is a little bit of "floss dust" that gets out a is floating all around. If you are sure it is alive I have no idea...
Maybe if you could, get a pic

 

[Devilishturtles]

I agree with apocalypse_gold. Its likely a species of roundworm or flatworm that result from a high level of nutrients in your tank from overfeeding, lack of maintenence, etc. Correct those issues, and they will go away.

HTH

 

[20 20]

Thanks for the replies. I think it's 'planaria', a small flatworm:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/qa/f/faq0050.htm

My boy does like to feed alot, I'm constantly telling him he overfeeds. Maybe this will convince him that, yet again, DAD IS RIGHT!!!

 

[shawmutt]

Nematodes.

Taste kinda minty and are a good source of protein .

http://nematode.unl.edu/wormgen.htm

 

[arrow1234]

help me help me, i have the same white thingy in my tank
like u said, they better be harmless ! because i got full tank of them
they are like some mushroom(lol) or some fungus
m i right?
have a look at followings pics, and pls tell me they are harmless

 

[20 20]

The one's in my boys tank don't look like that, I'm sure they're some kind of work, planaria or nematode, etc. There were quite a bit less of them after I got home from work yesterday, the HOB seems to be working. He change the floss, it was quite dirty, and the water is quite a bit clearer.

 

[DeFeKt]

arrow1234
dude....thats mould. from overfeeding and leaving uneaten food in the tank.

 

[arrow1234]

arrow1234
dude....thats mould. from overfeeding and leaving uneaten food in the tank.

-______-
my tank is in cycle now, i will try to suck them out so soon
anyway thank you

 

[Devilishturtles]

I agree with DeFeKt. Looks like molding food to me. Definitley vaccum it out soon.

 

[Elmware2000]

Yup, that's rotting food in those pictures.

 

[Jarred Darque]

/agree rotting food, mold, fungus. remove asap. it can show up in a tank withing 24 hours of excess food in the tank.

 

[genni11]

Im new to this site but I found the information very helpful. I found alot of white bugs on the glass this morning when i woke up.

I have a 10 gallon tank (Im saving up for a 30 gallon) for about 2 months with a diamond golby and a false percula clownfish. 1 pepermint shrimp, 1 chocolate chip starfish, 2 snails and 3 hermit crabs. There is live rock (one started growing coral again) and large shells in the tank.

About 2 weeks ago I found a Gammaridean amphipod in my tank. I thought he was a sea monkey so I got rid of it. And now i have hundreds of white bugs in my tank. Some have tails and some and round but all have antennas. Possibly Copepods?

They are supposed to be good for your tank but my clownfish is not happy, I think the bugs get on him and freaks out trying to get them off. He is normally very active but today he is staying in a corner.

 

[Rokuzachi]

I've had these in my tank before; kind of freaky, but harmless from what I understand.

http://www.reeflounge.net/gallery/d/1128-3/amphipod2.jpg