White Specks On Glass!

[jsc1362]

Help! I see white specks on the glass of my aquarium - at first I thought it was bubbles but upon closer observation they look like Flukes! My fish did have an outbreak of Flukes and I purchased a boatload of cleaner shrimp. The fish are clean and healthy now but the white specks showed up immediately after that. Can these Flukes live in the tank without attaching to the fish???? Is there anything I can do to get rid of them?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

We are going to need pictures to give an accurate answer. I have a feeling that you have misidentified what was wrong with your fish. Are you sure that it was flukes? They usually only appear on the inside as an internal parasite. Could it have been Cryptocaryn irritans (Marine Ich) or Marine Velvet?

As far as the unkown critter on the glass, it is either a benign flatworm or a Spirobid worm. Both of which will not harm your fish or corals.

 

[jsc1362]

I tried to get a picture but I can't focus on the critter. My camera focuses on the rock in the tank. I will continue to try and see if I can post them...Thanks.

 

[danorth]

do the look like insects? I have seen them before also, like the shape of a flea and white. I have had them, probably still do for about a year, nothing wrong with my fish. It isn't ick, they are bigger a bit than that if we are talking about the same thing...

Look here :
http://72.14.203.104/custom?q=cache...white+bugs"&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&ie=UTF-8

Or try searching with quotation marks "whit bugs" on wwm.

 

[kevin2000]

Most "white specs" on glass tend to be copepods or spirobid worms .. natural part of every mature aquarium and harmless. There are plenty of pictures of both on the web and a google search may determine whether you have a real problem or not.

Hope this helps.

 

[jsc1362]

Thanks everyone! I was able to look at this critter through a magnifying glass and it looks like a star. I have posted a photo for you to see.

BTW - my fish were NOT misdiagnosed...they had gill flukes. The cleaner shrimp took care of them and everyone is healty and happy again....except for the cleaner shrimp that ONCE AGAIN lost their lives to my Trigger.....

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/573/123056White_Speck.jpg

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Ah ha. Sorry for the very late reply. Those specks on your glass are actually Hydroids. They usually wither away in your aquarium. Pretty common to see in new aquariums. Here is a better picture of it for you.