Tiny White Star-like specks all over tank class?

[kyle0829]

I have these tiny white things stuck to the glass off my tanks. They look like white dots but with these short strains coming off each one making them look like tiny stars or flowers. My guess is that they’re algae spores but just wanted to make sure they aren’t some sort of pest. Thanks for the help!!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The pic isn't clear enough for me to feel confident giving an ID here, but you may want to look up Spirorbid worms and see if they match.

I can tell you confidently that they're not algae spores.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

From here it looks like pods. Zoom in and point focus on the specs, maybe back the blues down for the picture

 

[kyle0829]

From here it looks like pods. Zoom in and point focus on the specs, maybe back the blues down for the picture

I’ll try a couple things to get a better picture but they’re just so tiny it might be hard. I do have copepods in here but i don’t think these are them because they don’t move. Just stuck to the glass and the ones with a bit longer strains kind of move with the flow a little.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Sounds like hydroids to me. They come and go.

Look like this?

 

[kyle0829]

Sounds like hydroids to me. They come and go.

Look like this?

Yes this is it! Are they good or bad? Also what causes them

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Yes this is it! Are they good or bad? Also what causes them

That's up for debate. I don't mind them at all. Some people freak out about them. I believe they reside in the vermetid snail category "meh, unless they bother you or there is an absolute infestation."

But I don't know if you can do anything about them. I hope someone more intelligent than myself will come along and give us their opinion. Because the message boards are all over the place in the inherent goodness or evil these things posess.

 

[BeanAnimal]

They are digitate hydroids… jellyfish family, not snails.

They can sting fish and can be a problem in mass quantity. They usually go away on their own as the tank matures. You can eradicate them by other methods if they continue to multiply. Plenty of threads here.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

They are digitate hydroids… jellyfish family, not snails.

They can sting fish and can be a problem in mass quantity. They usually go away on their own as the tank matures. You can eradicate them by other methods if they continue to multiply. Plenty of threads here.

Oh I didn't mean scientifically. I meant with in the spectrum of nuisance/friend.