# little white specs swimming



## leongreenway (Mar 29, 2005)

Hello,

I have been given a plant by a friend as a present for my Tank, this was 3 days ago yesterday I was watching the fish and there have appeared on the sides of the glass, these little white patches. On closer inspection, there are loads of little white specs swimming around. They look just like very young brine shrimp. Obviousley they are not brine shrimp as this is a tropical tank.

Any Ideas, are they harmful. If necessary how do I get rid of them.

Thanks

Leon


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Could be anything, anyway the fish will soon eat them all. They might be river shrimp or daphnia, send us a picture.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Most likely planaria. And they could possibly be brine shrimp. They can be hatched in pure freshwater.


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## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

Never seen a spec planaria, only the worm looking ones......
You sure it aint tiny air bubbles? 
I have never heard of being able to see ick in such a manner as that, so that's proly ruled out.


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

maybe water fleas


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## leongreenway (Mar 29, 2005)

Mr Aquarium, Definately alive mate, not air bubbles.

Mr Cichlid man, The tank the plant came from has recently had introduced 4 Medium siz shrimp, so yeah could be their eggs I guess.

fishboy, water fleas also a possibility !


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Well just how big are these specks?
Are they bigger or smaller than a period at the end of a sentence? Are they round or oblong?
Do they crawl, or swim? Are they fast or slow? Do they move smoothly or do they jerk around or hop? Under a magnifying lens, do they have legs?
Are they attached to the glass or free, or both?


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## leongreenway (Mar 29, 2005)

Right Oldsalt me olde son, they swim and they can crawl. they can be fast or slow. 

They do jerk around, they are really small, about the size of a full stop (Period - USA). 

They do appear to have legs. the forward two legs are larger than the rest


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Hmm... that really does sound like baby brine shrimp. Maybe they're baby fairy shrimp? Maybe the larvae of some other shrimp?

Are they round, or kinda teardrop shaped like brineshrimp?
If round, look up "ostracod" and compare.


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## leongreenway (Mar 29, 2005)

hmmm cheers


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## Mr Aquarium (Jan 18, 2005)

What the heck is a water flea?


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

My question exactly.


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## leongreenway (Mar 29, 2005)

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun99/wflea.html


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

Water fleas are very tasty. At least my fish think so... The almost-local-shop has them live for sale, so whenever I go there I get the water fleas (or some other live beastie) as a treat for them.


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