White snails on the side of the tank

[deevr]

It looks like my tank is slowly being taken over by these small little snails......well at least they look like snails. There about the size of ground pepper, and they're wound tite like a snail of some sort. They are white in color.
What are they and should they be removed? How do i take them off the side of the tank, they are so small.....any ideas?
thanks.

 

[bencc]

Are you sure they are snails, it sounds like pods to me. Pods are good to have in your tank. When the pods are young they look like little tiny white bugs on the glass.

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by bencc
Are you sure they are snails, it sounds like pods to me. Pods are good to have in your tank. When the pods are young they look like little tiny white bugs on the glass.
I ahve noticed a profusion of these, what exactly are they?

 

[bencc]

I think they are a type of shrimp. There are different kinds like copopods and amphipods. They eat excess food in your tank. It is good to have them . They provide a good source of food for different things in your tank. They are just part of the ecosystem. If you get a flashlight and look in your tank at night you will probably see many of them on your rocks and on the sandbed or cc whatever you have.

 

[dburr]

If they remind you of white rice.... They are pyramid snails. Not good. They feed on snails and gaint clams. You need to pick them out. Pull out your snails(the good ones) and pic them off them to. You may notice if you bump them, even gently, they will fall to the sand. They come out at night, thats a good time to pick'm.
Good luck.

 

[msd2]

Originally posted by bencc
I think they are a type of shrimp. There are different kinds like copopods and amphipods. They eat excess food in your tank. It is good to have them . They provide a good source of food for different things in your tank. They are just part of the ecosystem. If you get a flashlight and look in your tank at night you will probably see many of them on your rocks and on the sandbed or cc whatever you have.
Hmm not really ricey looking more platey looking. And if I have to pick em all out the snails are on there own there is no way i could get em all, there has got to be close to a thousand of these thigns, okay maybe 500.

 

[krishj39]

Someone can give you the name of the worm, but it is a very common little tube worm with a calcium based tube. They grow in a spiral shape. If you look close at the end of the spiral you should be able to see a little feather duster type thing sticking out. They are neither harmful nor particularly beneficial. I would say you can leave them if you like them, or scrape them off if you don't.

 

[donmgicwon]

I have those too, they are everywhere on the glass on snail shells and rocks, I have never seen them move though.

 

[bencc]

Those are definitly not pods.

 

[donmgicwon]

Originally posted by bencc
Those are definitly not pods.
Someone told me that they were marine barnacles.:notsure:

 

[saltyamy]

Sounds like they are spirorbidae worms - if you do a search, someone had posted a pretty good picture of one not too long ago when I was trying to figure out what they were.