What are these weird white things in my tank?

[catwoman]

OK, I am doing a fishless cycle on a 37g tank. The lights have been off but I did not cover with a towel. There is a window across the room and of course general room lighting on in the evening. I used a little gravel, filter squeezings, and a piece of filter foam from an established 100g tank. It's been about two weeks and my nitrites and nitrates have come up. Anyway, I turned the light on today and saw everything covered with this weird whitish stuff. It looks like some kind of organism about 1-2mm long with one end attached to the glass. Some of them have little fine tentacles on one end. Most just look like elongated white flakes. They are just swaying in the current and are spaced about .5in apart. Even the substrate has a layer of something on it and looks yellowish there. Are they some kind of critter? I found a little info on something called hydra but this doesn't look exactly like the picture I saw and I understand that to be quite rare. I also have a few small snails in the tank. I think the snails came from the gravel and I didn't know I had snails in the 100g (just got some new plants) . I am also seeing a few tiny little worms on the glass. Anyway, anyone know what the white stuff might be and how do I clear it out? Should I be worried about it? What can I do to get rid of the snails & worms now in the middle of the cycle? How are all these things staying alive and spreading in a tank with no fish, plants, or food? I want a nice clean tank!

 

[Sky042]

I've got the little white worms too but mine are free swimming. I think they're called planaria and from what I know they're harmless and they go away.

 

[Mo99]

snails usually come with plants, in the form of eggs , but in your case they may of come with the gravel, i have used lettuce to get them then through the lettice out, like the garden varitey they come out at night and seem to hide in the day so when its still dark (in the morning) check the lettice. the worms are quite common , i've had no experiance of them, but have been told that tetras will eat them, so don't worry to much. Good luck..
Mo.

 

[tstenback]

Iwould bet that the things with tentacles are hydra they may just be at a different stage of development. I dont know of any other creature that would match that description and also be in your tank. Here is a link that may help.

Also you can physically remove them or add salt at about 3grams per litre or bump the temp to 40C or wait until the cycle is over and add a couple of three spot gouramis...the hydra wont have a chance. HTH

 

[catwoman]

I will try the temp/salt method to get rid of the hydra. Just weird that I could have so many when they have nothing to eat in there since they are carnivorous. Makes we wonder what else is floating around in there. Also means I have them in the other tank. Thanks for the info.

 

[catwoman]

Good tip about the lettuce to get the snails. I'll try that, too!