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Question
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Followup To
Question -
Chris,
I just resume a long passion: aquariums.
I got a 20 gal, set up less than 4 weeks. Water parameters are right (pH=7.2, no nitrites, no nitrates, little bit hard water). An external filter (hanging).
Just some day ago some I found some “white sport�? on the glass. I almost sure they are living creatures (animals), but I do not know if they are dangerous or if they can be eliminated.
I did what is supposed to be avoided: add a plant from an external aquarium without quarantine.
Do you have a sense of what this “white points�? are? And how to deal with them?

Thanks,

Fernando

Answer -
Hi Fernando;

What shape are the white things?
Do they stick out from the glass or are they flat?

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Chris,
These things are alive and moving. Are really tiny less than 0.2 millimeters.
The behavior is erratic moving in all directions.
This weekend I'll grab my soon microscope and take a look on them
I do not know if they are a �plague� that can affect my fish or what, and if they can be eliminated.

Fernando  

Answer
Hi Fernando;

They sound like some tiny little pond critters that are harmless to the fish. Your tank is like a tiny little bio-system that has some of the same organisms as a pond or a lake does. They may look weird, but I've had similar things too and they aren't harmful. They would be seen on the fish if they were a parasite. These little bugs are a natural part of keeping fish and plants, usually feeding on dead plant matter, waste and excess food.

If you try to eliminate them with medicines or chemicals it may do more harm than good. Anything that could kill the bugs could hurt your fish or disrupt the biological balance of your tank. Just don't overfeed the fish and there won't be excess food for these visitors to eat and overpopulate on. As a matter of fact, if your fish are a bit on the hungry side for a awhile, they will eat these things and you won't see so many of them. It is a natural and healthy food for your fish.

Here is a web page with info on many little water critters;

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/crust.html

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins