White algae? UPDATE!!!

I removed a white substance yesterday, just figured it was a film, or something. This evening it is back, and more-so than yesterday.. it is white. What is it, and how do I keep it from coming back? The pictures I am posting is NOT glass reflection.. it is white algae like stuff...

Possibly some form of Hydra, difficult to say without a microscope, it is harmless just more unsightly. It feeds on tiny organisms within the tank. You can try cutting down on the amount of food and generally daily wiping it off the glass with a sponge and rinse the sponge in a bucket of hot water before you do the next bit. it reproduces at an alarming rate.

Hope this helps

I didn't know it was microscopic.. saw pics of it, and looked visible... as long as its harmless... will tolerate it, I suppose.

From what I know there are different forms of Hydra, it all gets lumped under "hydra" there is another scientific name, but it escapes me at the moment, as soon as I get change I will have a goofle for it

Goofle!!!!!! lol google

Lol... I don't mind it on the sides and back.. but the front is a bit unsightly... maybe my mystery snail will clean it up.. how did it get there in the first place? Will a black out help any?

Its not like algae, black outs will not help. It is just one of the many organisms that thrive in a healthy tank, if there is enough for it to eat it will thrive, the best thing is to cut down on the amount of food you give your fish for a while, see if it disappears. I get it in my tanks from time to time. The eggs/spores can be in tropical flake, same as snail eggs and in other fish foods. Uneaten food can contain snail eggs and eggs from hydra and as it hydrates the eggs are released.

I wondered how I got it.. but the words "healthy tank" makes me smile...

I finally figured it out... it ISN'T algae at all.. everytime I cleaned the tanks, I would scrape the white stuff off with a razor blade. And it was crusty, and hard... well... I had to take 2 days off work, and do some work on my water heater.. instead of buying new.. every 3 years I do a rebuild when the elements go poof.. this was the year of the water heater rebuild.. and as I was vacuuming the calcium, and sludge from inside the water heater.. (yup.. I devised a way to actually vacuum the inside of a water heater) I began to realize, that the very same stuff in my water heater is inside my fish tanks, too!!!! Hence.. no white algea, no hydras, but hard water calcium... I can almost bet my high PH will drop a tad, as well...

Well that is a new one on me!! I have seen it on the outside of tanks (I get it on mine with condensation dribble) but never on the inside, spooky!