Is this a critter or something else?

[Cina]

A week ago I noticed these small transparent pieces floating in my tank water. I tried to scoop them out as best I could. Now I see a whole lot more stuck to the glass. I dont see any legs and nothing stringy. My first thought was they look like little pieces of plastic. They are somewhat rectangular and transparent. I can only see them when the tank light is on. Anyone have an idea of what they might be?

 

[SHNICI]

Please try to get another photo of them, or why not Video, because all this look like scratches on the glass, can't see anything. From your description it sound like copepods (that small) too it sound like some SP flatworm, but really can't see it.

 

[KrisReef]

AS @SHNICI mentioned, you need to take a better picture. Your description and your photo have got me stumped also.
What I do know, you are new here, so "HiJack!"
WELCOME to REEF2REEF!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Possibly dorvillidae worm but need clearer photo under white light

 

[SHNICI]

you can use any type of lenses to zoom a bit to use it as a macro, take few shots and post them here. and like @KrisReef say:
WELCOME HERE

 

[Cina]

Thanks everyone. I'll try to get a better photo and video tonight.

Someone said they look like scratches and yes that's pretty much what they look like when they're stuck to the glass but I assure you they are not scratches.

I'll post more pictures and hopefully a video tomorrow.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Welcome as well! In for pics

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks everyone. I'll try to get a better photo and video tonight.

Someone said they look like scratches and yes that's pretty much what they look like when they're stuck to the glass but I assure you they are not scratches.

I'll post more pictures and hopefully a video tomorrow.

My other guess in hydroids / hydrozoans?

Full tank shots, with whites only, blue and white, and blue only! We love pics thanks!

 

[Cina]

Here's a video:

I'm noticed some really small dots floating around in the video. When I look at my tank those dots look like tiny bubbles. But there seems to be more dots when I look at the video.

 

[Cina]

My other guess in hydroids / hydrozoans?

Full tank shots, with whites only, blue and white, and blue only! We love pics thanks!

What do you mean by shots with white only, blue and white, and blue only? Are these different tank lights or camera settings? I only have one light on my tank and I'm using my phone to take photos.

 

[ReefReadyYouTube]

Do you have a lid on your tank? Can anything fall into the tank freely?

 

[Cina]

Do you have a lid on your tank? Can anything fall into the tank freely?

I have a lid on the tank. Nothing can fall into the tank freely. I only open the lid to feed and to do water changes.

 

[KrisReef]

What do you mean by shots with white only, blue and white, and blue only? Are these different tank lights or camera settings? I only have one light on my tank and I'm using my phone to take photos.

A lot of folks take pictures under blue light only, which turn out to be difficult to see. What I meant to say suggest was try using different light settings to improve the photo. If you only have one light my comment isn't important. Sorry
Kris

 

[fishguy242]

hi lets ask @KJ ,he's pretty good at id'ing alien beings

 

[AmaleeC]

Are you sure they aren’t just bubbles or copepods? Is it a new tank? Have you added anything new recently?

 

[KrisReef]

I do think the little dots may be some kind of pod. I won't be able to sleep now that I watched the video. Aliens movies are always scary crazy

I have no idea what the glass messer creatures are, unless they are some kind of hydroid?

 

[SHNICI]

I guess at the beginning it's FW tank, later on I saw the HOB filter and think about air bubbles in the water. We don't have idea what you feeding with (which can left in the water current particles, the small dots I'm talking about).
That on the glass I can't see is it moving or just is stick to the glass and stay all the time on the same place, looking on the photo at the beginning you post, they look like they don't change the position at all.
Something else I was thinking about is some silicates or something else which building on your glass, or leftover something from/after cleaning the glass.
Can you let us know, how old is that tank (since when you run the setup) what do you feed with, what are the water specs/parameters and do you saw this on the glass is it changing the position, or it stay only there in the same position?
Under different light like @KrisReef ask about, he mean usually the marine tanks have white and blue light usually, and if you have blue to take shot under blue light only (sometimes it can show something more).
From the video from 22s. to 45s. we can see the focus on the glass things, but still can't see is it something alive or no.
You can try something else, stop the filter, let the water flow to calm down, and take new video on the glass things. Then we can see is it something alive if it's moving on it own, or is just something stick to the glass and move because of the water flow only.

 

[Cina]

I guess at the beginning it's FW tank, later on I saw the HOB filter and think about air bubbles in the water. We don't have idea what you feeding with (which can left in the water current particles, the small dots I'm talking about).
That on the glass I can't see is it moving or just is stick to the glass and stay all the time on the same place, looking on the photo at the beginning you post, they look like they don't change the position at all.
Something else I was thinking about is some silicates or something else which building on your glass, or leftover something from/after cleaning the glass.
Can you let us know, how old is that tank (since when you run the setup) what do you feed with, what are the water specs/parameters and do you saw this on the glass is it changing the position, or it stay only there in the same position?
Under different light like @KrisReef ask about, he mean usually the marine tanks have white and blue light usually, and if you have blue to take shot under blue light only (sometimes it can show something more).
From the video from 22s. to 45s. we can see the focus on the glass things, but still can't see is it something alive or no.
You can try something else, stop the filter, let the water flow to calm down, and take new video on the glass things. Then we can see is it something alive if it's moving on it own, or is just something stick to the glass and move because of the water flow only.

The tank has been running for a year and a half. I feed frozen brine shrimp and kelp flakes occasionally. Nitrates are 10, ammonia is 0. I have about 8 hermits, one snail, and one clownfish.

Here's another video with the HOB turned off. It gets blurry sometimes when the camera refocused but I was able to get some close ups of whatever stuck to the glass. Doesn't seem like anything's moving.


The only thing that's changed since we noticed these things was that we started using a new container of salt. We used to used bagged salt but this time I used a brand new bucket of salt. Same brand, just different container. I don't think that matters but I mention it just in case it does.

I'm gonna try removing this stuff from the glass today.

 

[takitaj]

Weird! Looks like some kind of crystalline structure. You can also see some kind of pods darting around, nice. See what happens after you clean the glass.

 

[SHNICI]

Thank you @Cina , I don't see any form of live on this one (I mean this crystal like structures don't look alive). I don't know what's it, but isn't animal of any SP for me, all them are different shapes, and almost no one look like another (at least they will look similar to each other if is sort of animal or alive).it's a bit flexible (when it move from the water flow/current) and it move.
Have other question, do you have more than 1 snail? Because when snail produce eggs most stick them on the glass, and after can leftover the eggshells before they are washed away, which some sort have clear/crystal like looking (similar to this).
I can't imagine, but also can be some chemical reaction to happen there and this to stuck on the glass, or something which is been in the salt mixture and you introduce it in the tank.
Sorry, can't help more at the moment. Clean it up, observe your tank for more on the glass, clean all. If you see it again will go in another discussion to try figure it out what's it.

GL and Happy Reefing