What are these spots?

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

I have a 29 gallon BioCube in it's 5th week of going fallow after a Brooks breakout. So only corals in the tank and some inverts now. In the last week or so I've noticed these white / silver-ish spots appearing on the back wall of the tank. Is this some type of algae? If so, a good or bad algae? Tank is still fairly young - started first week of January.

Desmond · May 31, 2016

Looks like salt deposits that build up.

WetWhistle · May 31, 2016

Outside or inside? Do you see tops like on a feather duster? They are more then likely a sp with a calcareous shell if they do.

twilliard · May 31, 2016

If you look closely do you see little feather dusters

Saltine · May 31, 2016

Are they hard? Could be Spirelienia Snails (That's probably not spelled right

)

I doubt it's salt buildup.

Salt

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

Desmond said:
Looks like salt deposits that build up.

What would cause that? The salinity has been constant throughout water changes.

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

WetWhistle said:
Outside or inside? Do you see tops like on a feather duster? They are more then likely a sp with a calcareous shell if they do.

Not sure what you mean. They are tiny specks. Don't seem to have a "top" to them. Will have to double check for sure when I get home tonight from work. What is an "sp"? I do have a Co Co Worm in the tank, if that matters.

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

twilliard said:
If you look closely do you see little feather dusters

Don't think so - but I'll check tonight to be sure. Wasn't looking for that this AM before work.

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

Saltine said:
Are they hard? Could be Spirelienia Snails (That's probably not spelled right )

I doubt it's salt buildup.

Salt

I'll have to reach in the tank tonight and pick one off, I guess, and see.

Desmond · May 31, 2016

I had something that looked like this and it was salt just came off with my flipper magnet. Was no snails in my case but could be in yours. Maybe someone else could help more.

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

WetWhistle said:
Outside or inside? Do you see tops like on a feather duster? They are more then likely a sp with a calcareous shell if they do.

They are inside the tank, if that's what you're asking.

Saltine · May 31, 2016

Steve Jones said:
I'll have to reach in the tank tonight and pick one off, I guess, and see.

Sounds good, be careful with a mag float, if they are hard and one gets stuck under it, or grows under it from being left in the water, you're going to get some nasty scratches.

Salt

donnievaz · May 31, 2016

Looks like the beginning of Coralline. It would be better if you could get a loser shot.

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

donnievaz said:
Looks like the beginning of Coralline. It would be better if you could get a loser shot.

I've got some purple Coralline starting. A few spots of the back wall opposite this photo, here and there on the live rock, on the pump heads, and on snail shells. There is a video in this post link below that shows the tank a couple days ago. I asked several questions about the vid - one about the spots that you can see at the end of the vid. Never heard anything so I reposted about just the spots.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/some-questions-on-my-fallow-tank.250945/#post-2959910

Steve Jones · May 31, 2016

WetWhistle said:
Outside or inside? Do you see tops like on a feather duster? They are more then likely a sp with a calcareous shell if they do.

It's hard to see as I don't have a magnifying glass but it does look like some have a little red fuzz on them. I scraped some off and they were hard - like tiny gravel. So what might this mean?

WetWhistle · Jun 1, 2016

They are harmless filter feeders so I would not worry. It is ether the Spirelienia Snails (SP) or little species of feather duster.

Steve Jones · Jun 1, 2016

WetWhistle said:
They are harmless filter feeders so I would not worry. It is ether the Spirelienia Snails (SP) or little species of feather duster.

OK - newbie question: what's a filter feeder?

I looked online and I couldn't find any info on Spirelienia Snails. Any idea where I can get info on them? I haven't monitored them too closely - but if these are snails should they be moving around?

WetWhistle · Jun 1, 2016

Filter feeders are animals that sieve the water for small particulate matter that can take out particles out of the water to feed on. Like uneaten fish food, poop, decaying broken down matter detritus to name a few. For the Spirelienia Snails I will look up the proper spelling when I get home. It is a snail with a modified mouth appendage that also sieve's the water for fine particles. Instead of having a mobile shell they evolved to a sedimentary life and stay put. So the food can come to them.

Steve Jones · Jun 1, 2016

WetWhistle said:
Filter feeders are animals that sieve the water for small particulate matter that can take out particles out of the water to feed on. Like uneaten fish food, poop, decaying broken down matter detritus to name a few. For the Spirelienia Snails I will look up the proper spelling when I get home. It is a snail with a modified mouth appendage that also sieve's the water for fine particles. Instead of having a mobile shell they evolved to a sedimentary life and stay put. So the food can come to them.

Cool. Thanks! And the snails are that small? These things aren't much bigger than the head of a straight pin. Some a little bigger - some a little smaller.