I hope these are what I think they are ???

[Lesely]

Have been noticing over the last few weeks lots of these little white specks in the sump and mainly on the back wall of the tank. I am hoping that they are copepods ? If they are is it usual for them to multiply this quickly ? Can you ever have too many ? Why do I have so many all of a sudden ?
If not then what are they ?
Sorry about quality of picture but back of the tank is a long way away and I don't have zoom
Thanks

 

[PeaceTree]

Copods are a sign your doing a great job maintaing your water.! They are very good. Can u tell if the white things have a round twisty shape to them. ? If so then yes copods! Ive had a copod invasion in my take before. If u look closer u may see them crawling around on the glass.

 

[Lesely]

Copods are a sign your doing a great job maintaing your water.! They are very good. Can u tell if the white things have a round twisty shape to them. ? If so then yes copods! Ive had a copod invasion in my take before. If u look closer u may see them crawling around on the glass.

Just looked with magnifying glass, they seem to have a spiral shape to them but are not moving around at all. They seem quite hard to the touch almost shell like ?
They are all over the rear glass during the day too. I though copepods only came out at night ?

 

[kbuser92]

Hard shelled fan worms. Look closely and they'll resemble a small feather duster.

 

[PeaceTree]

Just looked with magnifying glass, they seem to have a spiral shape to them but are not moving around at all. They seem quite hard to the touch almost shell like ?
They are all over the rear glass during the day too. I though copepods only came out at night ?

Those are the adults . They don't usally come in out unless they are ready to breed. And that white tube they made is not movable. Babies float around in the water and the teenagers are the ones u usally see at night out on the glass.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Spirorbid worms.

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/spirorbid_worms.html

 

[Aquarian]

Those are Spirorbid worms they are a harmless filter feeder and will bloom and die off through the life of your tank.

If you look through this link you will find most of the common hitchhikers.
http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/hitchhiker.shtml

 

[Lesely]

Wow . the things we learn. Thanks everyone. not quite as good as copepods but as long as harmless then I dont mind. Thats why I love this forum, always the right answer and good advice.
thanks
P.S How did you all know they were not copepods ? Whats the difference ?

 

[Aquarian]

Spirorbid worms are a stationary worm that lives in a calcareous tube which it builds with the calcium it filers from your water.

Copepods are a mobile or motile crustacean.
Copepods are small crustaceans, generally less than a couple of centimeters in length, in their own taxonomic group called, not terribly surprisingly, the Class Copepoda of the Phylum Arthropoda. There are probably close to 7500 species with about 2000 of these being parasitic. Some of these parasites may be quite large, for a copepod; over a foot long, in some cases.

Unlike a crab or shrimp, copepods do not have a carapace or "shell" covering the front part of the body. Also, unlike crabs and shrimp, they have only one eye, and it is on the midline of the body very near the front end. Most other groups of aquarium crustaceans have at least two eyes, and these eyes may (in crabs or shrimps) or may not (in amphipods and isopods) be on stalks.
(Copied from lionfishLair.com)

 

[PeaceTree]

Ooo. Learn something new too! Thanks Aquarian. I figured all the white things were all copepods. Stationary and moving.