# White dots on driftwood and glass - ID please?



## rach3121 (Sep 10, 2009)

I went on holiday back in November and came home to white spots growing on my driftwood and glass. They're tiny and hard and can be scraped off with a fingernail. On the glass some of these spots are an oval shape with a darker centre. 

Is it an algae? I've had someone suggest snails but have not seen any snails, even tiny ones in my tank or on plants. 

This is the best photo I could get of it.


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## dmattbfan5 (Sep 11, 2011)

Hmmmmm, I have a 55 that was setup for 4 years with 0 snails. I decided to buy 4 nerites to help with overall hygeine of the tank, and after a month started getting white spots on my driftwood and glass that look similar to yours. All of mine come off with a fingernail too. Nerites are not small by any means, so I assume you would've seen them by now. I'm not sure what else it could be other than that. Sorry I'm no help to you!


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Dec 6, 2007)

they also look like nerite eggs to me...


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

+1 for nertil eggs...mine lay 100s of them..they are hard to remove esp off driftwood..


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## rach3121 (Sep 10, 2009)

Okay, I'm stumped then. I haven't seen snails and have torn this tank apart in search of what could be doing this. Is it possible the snails burrow in to the gravel so I might miss them? Any way of getting rid of the eggs if that's what it is?


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## monkeyfish (Jul 5, 2010)

First guess would be Nerite eggs, but since you don't have any...i'm going to say they are limpets. Check the "what's that bug" sticky in the inverts forum.


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## rach3121 (Sep 10, 2009)

Monkeyfish - thank you! I looked at that thread and the photos of limpets and I think that's what they are.

Rach


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## monkeyfish (Jul 5, 2010)

Glad to help. 

Edit: I just thought of a way you can tell for sure. Make a small mark on the glass with a marker right where one of these spots is. If it moves it's limpets, if it's in the same place tomorrow then you have nerites hiding in your tank somewhere.


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## rach3121 (Sep 10, 2009)

Thanks, I'll do that.


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## rach3121 (Sep 10, 2009)

They did move... so it seems I have Limpets!


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## stewardwildcat (Feb 24, 2010)

Limpets are great and seem to come and go in my tank too.


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