# "white wiggle" growth, what is it?



## cfi on the fly (Jan 28, 2009)

Ive noticed that periodically, I get something growning on the glass of my tank and I havn't found anything like it in the forums. For lack of a better description, it looks like sperm that you would see under a microscope. I know what you all are thinking and NO, I dont have that much fun with my tank!!

Is this the beginning of some kind of common algae. I can easily wipe it off the glass, but eventually it gets on the plants as well and is a major pain. 

Any ideas?


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## Honorable24 (Nov 16, 2008)

pics? Is it like alive and moving? It could be fungus, I think


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## ghotifish (Feb 16, 2009)

I have this stuff too - just set my tank up within the last two weeks or so. It's just on the glass now (so far as I can tell)..should I be wiping this off so it doesn't get on my plants?


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## Seiryoku (Apr 1, 2009)

Are you sure it isn't some type of worm/planaria?


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## ghotifish (Feb 16, 2009)

I've searched out pictures of worms and planaria and what I have doesn't look like anything I saw. There are tons of "spots" of these wiggling things, and they are maybe 1 cm apart. They don't appear to stick out into the tank, but are sort of curled up on themselves and laying flat against the glass - if that makes sense. Mine are in various locations on all four sides of my aquarium - in some spots covering most of the side - in other in batches that are a few inches in diameter. They seem to wave in the current, but I've never seen them detach. They don't distort the view really, you have to focus on them to really notice they are there....

I recently purchased two corys and sometimes they rove up and down the tank sides - I think they may be eating these things but I've never been able to actually seen these things disappear...

As I said - I have a new tank, hopefully these will go away when it settles in.


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## cfi on the fly (Jan 28, 2009)

Yep, we have the same thing. I think that it is the beginning stages of some type of algae or fungus. Definately not worms or parasites. As well as seeing them on the glass, I can see them on the large plant leaves if I look hard enough. I have been taking a paper towel and rubbing it off the glass. That actually seems to grab the stuff and remove it instead of just wiping it around. 

If anybody knows what this is, please help


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## suebe333 (Feb 17, 2009)

I have had it too , but dont know what it is/was ?? I'll be watching this


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## snoz0r (Jun 6, 2008)

I had some of this as well, particularly on my driftwood. Someone told me.. I believe clwatkins, that it was driftwood fungus.. He said otos would eat it. I took it out and boiled it and added it back yesterday, no white slimy stuff yet but we'll see.


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## cfi on the fly (Jan 28, 2009)

I think the stuff on driftwood is different. I put a new peice of DW in and it got covered in white slime that basically sheeted the wood if left alone. That took about two months to stop showing up. This stuff is differen't in that it is individual wigglers. I'll try and get a pic up, but I think it will be hard because of their size.


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## dpuzdreac (May 16, 2009)

*some images of what I have in my tank*

Small algae (I think it's actually a fungus / mold...)

It's description:

1. white
2. shaped like a tree (one main body, many "branches" with "leaves")
3. fast growing, it can cover an aquarium glass side in 2-3 days
4. small size, the main body is about 1,5 mm and the branches are about 1,5 mm, however I have seen "large" ones attached to rocks of about 7 mm total length
5. the whole thing is very thin, it moves in the current and has no movements of it's own
6. they grow everywhere, *especially glass*, rocks, plants

In the beginning I suspected hydra, but everything I could find about hydra online, does not match what I see in my aquarium

General info about my aquarium:

126 liters (only about 95 liters of water, the rest is gravel, wood, etc.), 2 X 18 watts neons, one "yellow" one "white", internal filter

2-3 cm of JBL substrate, 3-4 cm of 2-4 cm gravel on top

wood, many rocks, a few plants

the aquarium was first setup exactly 4 weeks ago

I'm using an eSHa, 5 in 1 tester, current data:

Temperature: 25 deg C
PH: 7
KH: 5 deg
GH: 8 deg
NO2: less than 1
NO3: less than 10

I've used a very good camera + lens to get macro images... those things are not that big.... they are not even visible unless I get real close to the aquarium glass

I hope somebody can identify this thing and recommend a cure...


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## dpuzdreac (May 16, 2009)

Update:

In this aquarium I have:

10+ Red Cherry shrimp
2 "Bamboo" shrimp
4 Zebras
10 Neons

all of them except Zebras are actually eating those things


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## ghotifish (Feb 16, 2009)

Dpuzdreac,

Good work getting pictures of these things! Those are definitely the same thing I have. 

Either my fish aren't eating them, or they aren't eating them fast enough. I have 4 neons, 2 black neons and 2 green corys. My tank was set up from scratch maybe 3.5 weeks ago....I was thinking of buying some oto's to see if they will eat these things but I'm trying to hold off until I'm sure the tank is cycled. Other specs: 40 gallon, 2x39 T5HO, pressurized CO2, 50% WC weekly, EI ferts (off and on, but the white things showed up before I started dosing) - haven't tested my PH/GH/KH/Nitrites/Nitrates/Ammonia recently...

I haven't even really tried to wipe it off because I'd rather it stay on the glass than get onto the plants. The "infection" has stayed about the same size since it started, its not getting worse and clouding out the view at least...

Strange - I will probably just keep waiting to see if it goes away once the tank settles in. Unless of course someone has some idea what it is, and how to get rid of it.


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## sherryazure (Feb 10, 2008)

*Fungi and water molds (and slime molds too)*

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/biofilm/molds.shtml

I've seen these exact things on my glass as well. I did much research on molds, fungi but horrible at filing. (thousands of different types).

The more balanced my water chemistry the less there is of it - I use national fish pharmaceutical bio bugs and another source. I was informed (by other source) that getting this correct would keep algae at bay - and it does, along with other "things" - always something there though - part of the natural system.

The mold or fungus on the wood eventually settles out again after the tank is more "mature"... 

If I find more links will post.

Best Sherry


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## Vladdy (May 6, 2008)

I have the SAME EXACT problem.


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## northey87 (May 24, 2009)

I had the same stuff. I got rid of it by using Jungle Fungus Fizzy tabs that you get at Walmart. It turns the water green for about 3-4 days but the white stuff is gone!


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## dpuzdreac (May 16, 2009)

northey87 said:


> I had the same stuff. I got rid of it by using Jungle Fungus Fizzy tabs that you get at Walmart. It turns the water green for about 3-4 days but the white stuff is gone!


This sounds like a good idea... however can you recommend a product that has been developed for aquarium use, by SERA, TETRA... other companies?

I'm worried especially for my shrimps, they are especially sensitive to metals...


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## dpuzdreac (May 16, 2009)

UPDATE:

after 2 weeks and two 30% water changes (one / week), the fungus is gone

No treatment at all, just being patient... I tend to do as little as possible work for my aquarium... problems seem to naturally solve themselves


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