Question about floating stuff

[Raki]

This was brought over from another forum where it is not getting any attention

Tank has been setup over a month, and all is well except the water is littered with particulate matter (but the water itself is still clear, not murky). To elaborate, there are white objects traveling about in the water that are not stopped by either of my two prefilters. They seem to follow the paths of the powerheads, and I cannot see in animation in them, so they do not appear to be self-mobile. I'm not even sure if they are living or not. Some of them are grain-like in appearance, and others are short white hair-like. The white hair ones concern me the most, since I've never seen them before even when I had my tank setup before. As mentioned, they look like tiny white hairs about 1/4"-1/2" in length, very thin, and white but almost translucent.

They (the white hair variety) collect on the edges of my LR in areas of high water flow and make what appear to be single strands about an inch long. They do not seem to effecting the inhabitants of the tank, but it seems like they should, since there are an estimated 25-50 of them per square inch of water. From a distance, you can't really notice anything is wrong, but up close it is quite obvious something is amiss.

Can anyone please help me identify whatever this invasion is and provide me with ways to get rid of them?

Thanks!

Hobby Experience: SW=4 yrs, Fresh=10 yrs
Current Tanks: 55g, Amiracle wet/dry, 300w heater+200w heater (backup), 2 Hagen 201 powerheads, FOLR+inverts



Open this post in a new window | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged



03/13/2004 12:21 AM

Raki04
Reefer

Registered: Nov 2003
Location: Philadelphia
Occupation: shop manager lighting industry
Posts: 16


Yea, I have this stuff too I thought that some cat hairs had gotten in to the tank I have 3 cats so it's not out of the question. I thought that the smaller rounder? bits might just be bits of uneaten food 'cause I have noticed that some of the fish seem to eat it.
Is this stuff normal?


__________________
Please be quiet I'm having a hard time listening to the voices in my head.

Hobby Experience: very newbie
Current Tanks: 125 Gal 60lbs live rock (so far), Chrushed coral/live sand substraught, 8 damsels 4blue /yellow tail 4 zebra, 2 percula clowns 1 sailfin tang 1 yellow tang 1 bluehippo tang 1 coral beauty 1 engeeener goby 1 cho chip star ,clean up crew
Interests: Baseball, marine fish , Anything creative

 

[ste2k3]

they could be a type of spaghetti worm which are harmless to fish and inverts. do you have any pictures? also, what do you have in the tank, is there any harm being done? and what sort of circulation and surface water movement do you have?

ste

 

[Raki]

I don't know about the fellow who made the original post with the description of the floaties . But I've had these since week one and they don't seem to bother the fish at all. Sometimes it looks as if they are snacking on them.
My tank has 3 power heads one each side one center and the pump coming back from the wet/dry has some guts too, there is plenty of water movement.125 gal all glass overflow, wet/dry , standard lights , protein skimmer.
2 Percula Clowns 4 Three Stripe Damsels
1 Sailfin Tang 4 Yellow Tail Damsels
1 Yellow Tang 1 Coral Beauty
1 Flame Back 1 Engineer Goby
1 Rock Blennie 1 Cho. Chip Star
1 Purple Queen Anthias 1 Bicolored Goat Fish
2 Cleaner Shrimp 4 Peppermint Shrimp
3 Little red crabs 3 Mexican Turbos
2 Cone Shell Snails 50 Blue Leg Hermits

2 Mexican Turbos in wet/dry

 

[ste2k3]

sounds fine. I don't think theres anything to worry about.

ste

 

[Landlocked]

They sound like the brine shrimp in my aquarium. Don't worry about them, if they're doing no harm.