Growing on my Glass
 

Hi All,

I've got some stuff growing on my tank glass. One is stationary and is snowflake-like. The other is sort of like a little sled that moves around. Any ideas??

Den

Growing on my Glass
 

My guess is that the snowflake thing is corraline, I have it too.

Growing on my Glass
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">sled shape eh? what color? ;)

George

Growing on my Glass
 

The sled type thing was about .5~1 cm and brown on the outline, kinda clear in the middle.

Den

Growing on my Glass
 

Maybe a tunicate (sp?) or sponge. Could be snail eggs. Can you get us some pics.

Growing on my Glass
 

The snowflake-shaped ones, are they tiny like the head of a ballpoint pen? Because I've got those by the hundreds, and no they don't seem to move.

I haven't got an ID yet either... These are very small white dots with several tiny white "legs" splayed straight out from the center. They are all over the glass. I'd scrape them all into oblivion but I'd like to know what they are first.

Thanks,

AJ

Growing on my Glass
 

Well, the snowflake things sound the same AJ_77. If no one really has any bad experiences with them, I'll let them be.

As for the other thing it might have been a snail egg, it was near a snail when I first saw it. It did move pretty quick for a snail though.

Den

Growing on my Glass
 

the sled thing is probably a stomatella snail.

Growing on my Glass
 

I'm not sure, but it sounds like what i had in my old 20g sump. Mine where some type of Jellyfish ( looks like a snow flake on the glass ), I think I saw it somewhere on RC.

I'll try to find a pic when I get home ;)

[ 13 May 2002, 12:16: Message edited by: TRIGGER_HAPPY ]

Growing on my Glass
 

I generally recommend the Hitchhiker FAQ for Reef Aquarists, or Ron Shimek's Odd Critters ID page as good places to look for an ID on unidentified things that show up in your tank.

It is of course very difficult to offer a reliable ID based on the scant description here, but in your case I would guess that the stationary "snowflake-like" animal is a type of hydrozoan jellyfish that have branched tentacles and actually have a small sucker on one branch of the tentacle with which to attach to the wall of the aquarium. They are capable of asexual reproduction under ideal conditions in an aquarium, and can become quite abundant for some time, but usually disappear on their own about as quickly as they appeared in the first place.

I would hazard to guess that the "little sled" animals you're seeing on the glass are flatworms. These animals can range from being essentially non-feeding (living off photosynthetic symbionts - e.g., the "red planaria" pest Convolutriloba retrogemma ) to being carnivorous and preying on other small flatworms or various 'pods in the tank (e.g., here is a nice photo of how these predatory guys actually feed in the aquarium)...

Of course these are just guesses based on my experience with what people are most often seeing in their aquarium, and these may be way off the mark, but without a picture or at least a much more detailed description, that is the best I can offer you.

Rob

Growing on my Glass
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Rob: Thanks for the great info and link. These are exactly what I have right now, in abundance. It seems the Astraea snails may be mowing a few down as they go over the glass - any concerns with such an addition to their diet?

Cheers,

Alan

Growing on my Glass
 

Flatworms. Hmmm. I think I have these guys in my new 75g tank. They're quite small, <1mm, whitish, and basically hang around on the glass, particularly in spots where the algae is not getting cleaned off on a regular basis.

What risks are there leaving them be? Are they more of a visual nuisance or is there risk of them wiping out other forms of small critters ie., if they are predators of copepods.

Will a 6-line wrasse help keep them in control?

Growing on my Glass
 

I was going to guess the "sled" things are flatworms too. Until I read the original poster said the things were clear color...
Anyway, if they are indeed flatworms, I feel for the newbie. Doesn't even know what hits him.

George

Growing on my Glass
 

Thanks Rob, I was having problems finding that pic of the Hydrozoan Jellyfish ;) . I would also like to mention that there was a large population in my sump, without any light in there at all. After a few months they just disappeared, as if they were never there... so don't worry about them, just go find a magnifying glass :D .

P.S. Welcome to the wonderfull world of flatworms. HE He he I givin up trying to irradicate them. My new approach is something like this, when your cold you say to yourelf "I'm sitting on the beach in Hawaii suntanning", well "I love my Flatworms, they are so beautiful"... I think it's starting to work [img]tongue.gif[/img] :rolleyes: [img]tongue.gif[/img] LOL

[ 15 May 2002, 18:27: Message edited by: TRIGGER_HAPPY ]

Growing on my Glass
 

Sorry D, I didn't see your post. The Flatworms are just a visual nuisance , I think they are actually good little critters, it's just there are 2 darn many. Don't bother going out and buying a bunch of fish, maybe a 6-line Wrasse but it seems that these are a hit and miss kind of thing ( I think i'll buy 1 on the weekend ). Everytime they accumulate just get the old airline tubing out and syphon out as many you can get. When there numbers are low they don't bother me at all... I think :confused: LOL

[ 16 May 2002, 21:31: Message edited by: TRIGGER_HAPPY ]