Major Problem????

[BubbleHead]

I have a 15 gallon tank with guppies in it. Tonight I was looking at all my tanks and noticed something I have never seen before. My 15 gallon has what looks to be like thousands of tiny brown dots floating around and down on the rock in there. I know they are something that is alive by watching them. The only thing I have ever had in this tank was an oranda and 6 ghost shrimp before I changed it to a guppy tank. Can anyone give me advice on what these might be and where they came from?

 

[FroggyFox]

Um...thats not much to go on. how tiny is tiny? Could it be algae attached to the rock? Have you seen the guppies show any interest in them or eat any?

 

[BubbleHead]

They are about the size of the lead on the end of a pencil if that big. The guppies haven't been trying to eat them or anything, they swim all around the little dots. They are everywhere in the tank. On the bushes, the gravel and all over the sides of the glass. They swim around what ever it is.

 

[FroggyFox]

My guess is that its some kind of algae...do you have any ottos in the tank? Might think about getting one in there to see if that takes care of it Or relocate your sucker fish from another tank for a little while? Or just take your hand and try to wipe it off the glass and see if its kinda slimey.

 

[foty89]

What kind of filter do you have? I have heard similar reports of little swimming things like yours that are actually bits of filter media from defective filters.

 

[bravefish90]

I agree with all the above responses: IME they were piesces of cheap filter that were stuck on a rock at my shop, but it may also be algea or even baby snails

 

[foty89]

Hey Bubblehead,

Has anything changed in the last few days?

 

[BubbleHead]

They are still in there swimming around, I have had this filter on the tank since i bought it and have never seen anything like it. I had ghost shrimp in there before i changed it over to a guppy tank, is it possibloe they are ghost shrimp babies? I had my mother come look at the tank today because she also is a fish nut and has 5 tanks of her own and she has never seen anything like it either,,they don't seem to be any bigger but there does seem to be less of them. Thank you for all your replies.

 

[bravefish90]

So, you say they are alive? as in what way? they swim around how?Do they have tails? also what shape are they like, round, skinny and long, oval shaped? I know you said that they are everywhere but you also said they were attatched to the rock right?
If they swim I have no idea what they are, but I think they could be snails but thats only my opinion