white threads in tank

[A.K.A Zak]

i never had this problem before and just noticed it today, on my tank wall are these tiny little sting like things that are white, they don't move really ( haven't seen them move ) they are each about 1/2 cm each, what is this and is it bad?

 

[Cian McLiam]

Hydra
Hi Zak,
They sound like hydra, these pests rarely do damage to adult fish but may kill fry.
Heres a link to a page with lots of info on them and even explains about the greek mythological monster from where they get their name!
Hydra

Ken

 

[Mogo]

Hi Zak,

From the sounds of it, you are describing one of these things. Kinda looks like a white swirl stuck to the glass. I did a water change last night on one of my tanks and saw one (definately not the first time I've seen them though) but since I'm suffering with a nasty cold, I was just too lazy to whipe it off Good thing, as today I noticed your thread and was able to take a photo of it. It was kind of hard to get a good photo, and I had to tamper with the colour balance to make it show up better, so it looks blue in the photo...here it is:

If this is what you have, not to worry. Sticking it under a microscope will reveal that it is mostly fungal hyphae (that gives the string like appearance) with a smattering of dead rotifers, protists, and microscopic worms. Guess the fungus gets the better of these tiny organisms Many types of fungii reside naturally in an aquarium, and regular maintenance should keep it at normal levels, where it won't cause problems. If it's only one, just whipe it off, but if you have several, suck them out with some tubing.