White particles floating in tank

[MrsPuff]

Recently noticed lots of white particles floating around in my 125 gallon salt water reef tank. Some of the fish also appeared to have white spots on them. Cannot tell if it is ich or something else hopefully something less serious. Does anybody have any idea as to what these particles could be and how I can manage it?

#fishmedics

 

[mmorrison55]

It’s probably copepods. But I can’t tell from the photo

Photos under white light would help. Along with photos of the fish to confirm not ich.

But if it’s on your glass, it’s a good chance it’s copepods.

 

[mmorrison55]

#fishmedics

FYI… Posting the above will alert all the members identified as fish medics, our resident experts at identifying fish with disease and illnesses.

 

[MrsPuff]

It’s probably copepods. But I can’t tell from the photo

Photos under white light would help. Along with photos of the fish to confirm not ich.

But if it’s on your glass, it’s a good chance it’s copepods.

They’re not stuck to the glass but seem to be floating around the tank. It is hard to see on camera. My orange shoulder tang seems to have a couple white spots as well as my trigger fish. I’m worried that it is ich and I don’t know how to treat this.

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[MrsPuff]

It’s probably copepods. But I can’t tell from the photo

Photos under white light would help. Along with photos of the fish to confirm not ich.

But if it’s on your glass, it’s a good chance it’s copepods.

They’re not stuck to the glass but seem to be floating around the tank. It is hard to see on camera. My orange shoulder tang seems to have a couple white spots as well as my trigger fish. I’m worried that it is ich and I don’t know how to treat this.

View attachment 20260116_201323_F5A0C387-63FA-4521-BAED-B7BFF35A1A20.mov

View attachment 20260116_201423_926991B7-0309-4AF6-BB7E-5F4367B63DC0.mov

 

[mmorrison55]

If that is ich floating around, I’ve never seen seen or heard of it floating around so noticeably before.

What kind of tank do you have? All in one or with a sump? And what kind of filtering are you running,ie filter socks, floss, roller, none at all?

It’s almost like your sand bed is just getting stirred up and recirculating by your return pump.

 

[MrsPuff]

We have a sump, and a skimmer and we use filter socks.

 

[mmorrison55]

Do you happen to see any sand or debris in the return pump section of the sump?

At the very least I’d swap the filter socks or clean them good tonight and see if the water clears by the morning

 

[MrsPuff]

Do you happen to see any sand or debris in the return pump section of the sump?

At the very least I’d swap the filter socks or clean them good tonight and see if the water clears by the morning

I didn’t see any sand in the return pump but will check again. And I replaced both filter socks with clean ones. I have water prepping to do a partial change tomorrow as well. Hoping the new socks help with the particles overnight. Thanks for the tips.

 

[mmorrison55]

Good luck. Hopefully someone else will also chime in with what they think may be going on.

 

[Michael71]

I have never heard of ich being visible floating around in the tank. My guess is maybe a coral spawning event?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I don't see any ich on the fish. The trigger is a bit thin and has a couple of large white spots that are probably broken fin rays, they are too large to be ich.

You cannot see ich or any fish parasite floating free in the water like that, so that is probably detritus.