White specs on tank wall

[ekean45]

Anyone know what these are? I'm hoping copepods! I started a small refugium a few weeks ago with live rock and calerpa and noticed these white specs on the tank wall yesterday. I never seeded them. This first picture is magnified. 2nd one is actual size. It's difficult to tell if they are moving or not.

 

[Celine]

I read fr the following site.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/
It could be the hydroids.

 

[ekean45]

It does look like a hydroid. From the quick reading I just did, sounds like they are harmless unless you have fry. Is there anything that eats them?

 

[needmorecowbell]

some shrimp do. ive had them and when i purchased a fire shrimp and upped my water flow, they went away. i actually liked them, theyre quite interesting, read up on them!

 

[crister13]

Definitely hydroids. They're really awesome

 

[ekean45]

From the reading I've been doing, they mainly seem to be a pretty benign thing in the tank. Some people seem to look at them as pests.

Just out of curiosity, what would you say is awesome?

 

[needmorecowbell]

actually, there are some nasty ones out there that contain zooxanthellae and compete with corals for space in the tank. the ones you have are like mine. check in the water column, youll see how they pulse like jellyfish. Their whole life cycle is the awesome part to me. they have stages of growth, kinda like a tadpole to a frog.

 

[crister13]

I think they just look awesome. As long as everything continues to go well I wouldn't worry.

 

[Photoevangelist]

Oh I thought these were young brittle stars! I had a bunch on my glass for a few weeks. I think I have some older hydroids on a mushroom frag after looking it up on google now. Thanks for the useful information. Learn something new everyday!