cutegirlonline
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello, I'm new to this forum and new to freshwater tanks, so please forgive me if similar posts have been made.
I have been trying to follow Diana Walstead's natural tank style with a substrate, heat and light source, plants, but no filters. (however I have recently considered adding one) I have anacharis, anubias nana, and some type of aquatic grass. I had a floating plant but it did not do so well. The thing is, I was away for about a month with the light on a timer and my roommate had been refilling my tank with conditioned water while I was away (due to the virus going on). When I came back, I started doing water changes again and have been doing it every five days or so, vacuuming the gravel. The vine plant is doing well, the grass plant and the anubias are ok. There must have been a snail egg on the vine plant that I added before I went away, because now there are MANY snails. Whatever, they don't bother me. BUT I also see some white bug looking things on the glass of the 5 gallon tank. I have been trying for weeks to figure out what they are. I notice small balls that almost look like mucus with small white specks inside. I was fishing them out when I noticed them, but they always come back. I believe they are eggs for these tiny white creatures. I was also noticing small squiggly worms that google said may have been detritus worms, or even nematodes. I take these out when I notice immediately, but I am not sure that they are detritus because I don't see them in the substrate. Only towards the top of the tank on the glass. The white bug/worms jump around on the plants and walls. I have no fish in the tank yet. I can include a photo but for now I'm just wondering, what are these things???
I have been trying to follow Diana Walstead's natural tank style with a substrate, heat and light source, plants, but no filters. (however I have recently considered adding one) I have anacharis, anubias nana, and some type of aquatic grass. I had a floating plant but it did not do so well. The thing is, I was away for about a month with the light on a timer and my roommate had been refilling my tank with conditioned water while I was away (due to the virus going on). When I came back, I started doing water changes again and have been doing it every five days or so, vacuuming the gravel. The vine plant is doing well, the grass plant and the anubias are ok. There must have been a snail egg on the vine plant that I added before I went away, because now there are MANY snails. Whatever, they don't bother me. BUT I also see some white bug looking things on the glass of the 5 gallon tank. I have been trying for weeks to figure out what they are. I notice small balls that almost look like mucus with small white specks inside. I was fishing them out when I noticed them, but they always come back. I believe they are eggs for these tiny white creatures. I was also noticing small squiggly worms that google said may have been detritus worms, or even nematodes. I take these out when I notice immediately, but I am not sure that they are detritus because I don't see them in the substrate. Only towards the top of the tank on the glass. The white bug/worms jump around on the plants and walls. I have no fish in the tank yet. I can include a photo but for now I'm just wondering, what are these things???