Not ICH but what?

[Carilynnnn]

Tonight I had my blue lights on and I happened to be walking by when I saw these white dots on the glass...I thought it was weird so I took the magnetic scrubber and attempted to scrub them off but they MOVED?! I then watched for a bit and realized they seem to be everywhere. They actually move like they are alive but I've never experience this. I tried to get some video but it and won't upload and taking a pic of them is nearly impossible. Fish are fine and water is fine as well. I also noticed this weird almost fuzzy thing on my driftwood that is covered in the small moving white creatures. Remember this is tiny, I zoomed in with the camera just to get the pic.

 

[markstrimaran]

Probably a microbial soup. They are easiest to see at night with a flashlight.

 

[Carilynnnn]

Probably a microbial soup. They are easiest to see at night with a flashlight.

How do I get rid of them? Are they bad for the aquarium?

 

[markstrimaran]

It all depends on how your filtration is set up.
It is generally a sign that something has been neglected. If that problem is taken care of evert hinges else will balance out.

Some people us UV sterilization and copper and maintain more sterile conditions, heavy filtration 10x turnover.

A undergravel filter will have a lot more microbes than a sump with filter socks. A unmaintained canister filter.

They can be harmful, it is rare unless you live in tropical regions.

Most are simple multicellular organisms at the bottom of the food chain. Feeding on stray bacteria, that have reproduced like rabbits, from the accidental overfeeding, dirty filters.
Then the cilliapods go wild on the bacteria, which in turn get decimated by nematodes, free swimming micro worms.
This is about the time the fish keeper realizes it and cleans up the mess.

My tank is a zoo, with a lot of microorganisms. In the Wolf pack catigory. Carnivorous micro predators. That also serve as free fish food for fry. Routifers, copods, dapnia, planaria. I just discovered some springtail.
I use a sump with daily maintenance, algae growing equipment.