white spots and red spots?

[liquidfluidity]

not sure if this is the forum to post this so forgive me if it's not. i have noticed these white spots off an on for the last year. i am wondering if this is some type of calcium precipitation. also in the pic are some red spots that look to be some type of algae. any ideas on them? my nitrates are undetectable as is my nitrite and ammonia. there is about .25ppm of phosphates which i realize is a little high and i have been fighting a winning battle with it so it's starting to drop. my alkalinity is about 11dkh and my calcium is a low 320 ppm. this tank is kept at a constant specific gravity of .025. there are only 2 fish and some shrooms , cabbage leather , kenya tree coral frag , and some assorted polyps. this is in my 12 gal nano. a gallon water change(r/o) is done weekly with i/o salt , topoff is done with r/o , carbon is changed about every 4-6 weeks. the skimmer(remora) cup is cleaned about every 2-3 weeks and seems to be pulling constantly. the fish are fed once a day alternating between flake and some type of frozen. i do add aragomilk periodically but not regularly. i am planning on starting a kalk regimen soon but i want to get the rest straightened out and figure out what those 2 spots are. any help? thanks.

[kmk2307]

liquidfluidity,

I think the white spots might be gastropod (snail) eggs and the red spots might be calcifying algae.

Kevin

[liquidfluidity]

i wondered if they might be eggs but they are smooth and don't have that cellular look. the algae seems to be popping up in patches everywhere. it also comes and goes. it didn't start popping up until i had fed some of that dried sea weed that you can get at the lfs. i had tried a couple of different kinds- one of them being a red variety. do you think that stuff could actually regrow in a tank? do you think that i have anything to worry about otherwise? thanks for replying.

[jfinch]

Look really close at the red spots. Do they slowly move? Your picture is kinda blurry, but they kind of look like planaria (flatworms) to me.

[liquidfluidity]

they don't move. that was the first thing i thought also.i sat and watched some of it for quite awhile and it didn't move but some of it does seem to blow around the tank a little. i will post some close-ups later as there is some on the glass. thanks for the replies. hope i can figure it out. i just don't need an outbreak of something bad but i am leaning towards the thought of it being some type of algae. i do have some trochus , vibex , 2 types of cerith snails in there and an abalone. none of these seem to eat it and it seems to come and go in it's severity.

[greenbean36191]

My guess is that they are both foraminafers (sp).

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree that the red things look like flatworms, although the picture is blurry. If you touch one, it still doesn't move?

White precipitation of CaCO3 usually looks more like a fine white film on stuff, not large, discrete chunks, IME.

[liquidfluidity]

i will try and prod one and see if it actually moves. if it does , what do i need to do and what would cause this flatworm break out?! i am planning on posting some pics in the next hour or so and i will get some closeups of some of these red "things". thanks guys!

[liquidfluidity]

they did move when i prodded them! what to do now or is it something not to worry about? seems like i heard that flatworms are bad or is there a specific kind that are bad? here some more pics.

[liquidfluidity]

another! i have probably hundreds or maybe thousands!!!! HELP!

[chem_fun]

No one commented on the white spots since the second post. Are those truly gastropod eggs? If they hatch, doe the fish eat them, or will the mature?

[liquidfluidity]

here's another of the white spots-

[Boomer]

The red ones are Convolutriloba sp, a Polyclad Acoel flatworm for sure. As far as the white spots, I agree with Greenbean, thay may be Foraminiferans

Forams

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/rs/

Flatworms

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?base=flatworm2&id=5836

Yes, we can ID things here:D

[liquidfluidity]

i am in the process of researching ways of erradication and have come to the conclusion that i have 2 choices - add a predator or try that flatworm exit product. i am leaning towards the predator. has anyone had success with the sixline wrasse? i have seen that a few people have had pretty good luck but just want to make sure. should i post this somewhere else. thanks for the identification guys!. it definitely looks like they are forams.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

they did move when i prodded them! what to do now or is it something not to worry about? seems like i heard that flatworms are bad or is there a specific kind that are bad? here some more pics.

I'd recommend using Flatworm Exit from Salifert to kill them. There are many threads on people's efforts to rid themselves of these pests.

No one commented on the white spots since the second post.

I wrote: "White precipitation of CaCO3 usually looks more like a fine white film on stuff, not large, discrete chunks, IME.", which is about all that I can say about it. So I'd look to answers besides chemical precipitation.

[liquidfluidity]

i opted to try a psychedelic mandarin as i am not ready to add a chemical to my nano yet. he is extremely healthy and i'm hoping he will do the job. if not i will try the salifert product. thanks again.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck. :)