White spiders on glass?

[jond]

I have been trying to figure out the mystery of Copepods for awhile. I know they are really just small brine shrimp. (I think) Anyway, I have white dots on the glass that have a small center with little legs. I don't know if they move, but they lood like small spiders. What are these? Please let me know. Thanks

 

[mithrax]

I know this may sound very familiar...they are copepods! And yes they do move, but very slowly. Want to control them? Get a mandarin.

 

[jond]

Anyone else? They are radially symetrical. I would love to know for sure what they are. Thanks.

 

[jimi]

Your not talking about the little tube worms are you? Are they hard and circular?

 

[micol23]

I have hundreds of these also. My tank is 75g, with 100 or so pounds LR. They are all over the glass. I have a mandarin, and haven't really seen him going after these, and they showed up really quickly. I thought that maybe they were baby starfish because of the radial symmetry, but wasn't sure. They don't seem to move. I just figure that they are a sign of a healthy tank.

 

[mithrax]

Oh, I was talking a bout a different thing. I have those also, they don't look like spiders to me. they are small, white and spiral shaped (1 revolution or so)and about 1mm and are stuck dead in the glass. The mandarins don't eat them. What the mandarins eat are those very small white critters crawling on the glass, they are very small (you can fit 20 of them on a pinhead).

 

[jond]

Right on the money Trey! You described them perject, now what in the heck are they?

 

[orby]

I'm not 100% possitive but here is my theory,
About a year ago i had a problem with Aiptasia anemones taking over, and at that time i also had the little spider like things on the glass. I'm thinking that this is the larval stage for these anemones. Anyone agree with this?

 

[burnnspy]

I had them on my glass also and never had aptasia so it cant be connected. They may be connected to the tube worms that show up later a a spiral with a turn and a half tube, not sure. A microscope is a good start, Im curious too.
BurnNSpy

 

[bryan01601]

I have these on my glass also they just appeard one morning by the thousands mabey millions. About a day or two after My fish started acting very odd , darting etc.. I have no live rock and never have it is a 75 g fish only tank I do have about 30 blue legs and a scarlet reef crab. I think these are what you are talking about you could put 100 or so on the tip of a pen and they move pretty fast on the glass for thier size. I have been trying to figure this out also. I do not agree with the statment that these are coopods (sp)