Anyone ever see this before?

[MrsE88]

I was doing a wc on my fry tank today and saw these strange things.
I think they are plant based, but not sure.
I only noticed them because I syphon my fry water into a white bucked so I can be sure I don’t dump out any fry.


300x under microscope

Different eye piece

You can see a little critter in that last picture.

Plants in the tank are hornwart, anacharis, string algae, and pothos.
Occupants are a couple ramshorn snails and 1/8” fry.

Any ideas?

 

[Chicxulub]

Are they hard or soft? Flattened disc or spheroidal?

At first glance they look kina like little sprigs of Riccia fluitans, but there's not nearly enough data to be sure.

 

[MrsE88]

Are they hard or soft? Flattened disc or spheroidal?

Firm, but easily squished if I pushed down on the glass slide.

In the first picture the brown thing on the bottom is one on its side. It looks slightly rounded. The others are more flat, but that wide. If that makes sense.

 

[Chicxulub]

Ok that I can work with.

What you've got there are the dead and shed flower bases of the hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).

 

[MrsE88]

Oh wow. I didn’t know they flowered at all.
Now I’ll have to watch them to see if I can find more. Thanks C Chicxulub !

 

[Chicxulub]

Oh wow. I didn’t know they flowered at all.
Now I’ll have to watch them to see if I can find more. Thanks C Chicxulub !

You're welcome and good luck!

As you could see, the flowers are itty bitty. Now that you know what you're looking for, you may be able to find them alive on the plant.

Interestingly, hirnworts are monoecious, which means that one plant has male and female flowers. You may have some fruit, which looks like a tiny little parasite attached to the stem:

 

[Niki_up]

This is a neat little informative thread.

Super like

 

[MrsE88]

You're welcome and good luck!

As you could see, the flowers are itty bitty. Now that you know what you're looking for, you may be able to find them alive on the plant.

Interestingly, hirnworts are monoecious, which means that one plant has male and female flowers. You may have some fruit, which looks like a tiny little parasite attached to the stem:

View attachment 1360337

View attachment 1360336

That is so cool! Love the pictures too.
It was already lights out in the tank last night so I haven’t looked my hornwart over yet, but I will be first thing when it hits 7am. Haha!