Help! Can anyone identify these creatures that have infested my tank?

[Starburst]

Vid: https://youtube.com/shorts/c8k_9pmGh0E?feature=share (you may have to adjust the quality to get a better view since YouTube defaults to 240p)

There are thousands of tiny white creatures in my tank that I thought were just specs until I noticed them moving today. They move like mites or tiny insects, and do not have antennae or extensions like amphipods or copepods. There are also tiny, thin worm-like creatures as well, but their numbers aren't nearly as high as the white specs.

The white specs seem to walk/crawl across the glass while the worms seem to wiggle across it slowly.

I had this same problem a few weeks ago and I cleaned out the entire tank, sterilized with boiling water for about an hour, and let it dry outside in the heat to kill anything that remained. I put my Betta in a different tank (after giving it a rinse) that I sterilized the same way (just in case) all with new plants, decor, and substrate, but a few weeks later they've appeared again.

My Betta has had this white growth above his head for some months now (seen in the video), and none of the medicine that I've used (Pimafix and KanaPlex) has been effective, so I just decided to let it go, and he seems to be living just fine (he also has this clear bubble that has appeared over his right eye a couple days ago). Is it possible that he's infected with some sort of parasite, and these creatures are coming from him? He's the only constant between the two tanks, so idk where else they could be coming from. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Starburst

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/19/2023 at 1:32 PM, Starburst said:

My Betta has had this white growth above his head for some months now (seen in the video), and none of the medicine that I've used (Pimafix and KanaPlex) has been effective, so I just decided to let it go, and he seems to be living just fine (he also has this clear bubble that has appeared over his right eye a couple days ago). Is it possible that he's infected with some sort of parasite, and these creatures are coming from him? He's the only constant between the two tanks, so idk where else they could be coming from. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

@Colu any ideas on the growth? It looks like a few issues compounding here.

@Starburst welcome to the forums! What is your filtration like for this tank?

[Starburst]

On 3/19/2023 at 3:49 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

@Colu any ideas on the growth? It looks like a few issues compounding here.

@Starburst welcome to the forums! What is your filtration like for this tank?

Thanks! I moved Starburst to the new, sterilized quarantine tank on 3/9. I have a sponge filter and dosed it with Tetra SafeStart at the beginning, and Seachem Stability as recommended afterwards. 2 days ago I checked the parameters and the ammonia and nitrites were at 0, and the nitrates were about 10, so it's has been cycling rather quickly.  I remember a couple of days ago I noticed the water looked slightly cloudy, but didn't pay it much mind. After looking closely today I noticed the glass was covered in the tiny creatures and worms, so I'm guessing the outbreak was recent.

[Colu]

Looks like a tumor they are really common in Bettas due to inbreeding treatment wise I would just keep stable water parameters add some Indian almond leaves as they have antibacterial and antifungal properties as long as he's active and eating ok i would let him live out the rest of this life if he get to the point you think he's suffering then I would euthanize him with clove oil it could be a combination Copepods and detritus worms both are harmless you get detritus when you get a build of organic matter or your over feeding can you take a picture of the bubble above this it will help with a diagnosis @Starburst

Edited March 19, 2023 by Colu

[Starburst]

On 3/19/2023 at 4:33 PM, Colu said:

Looks like a tumor they are really common in Bettas due to inbreeding treatment wise I would just keep stable water parameters add some Indian almond leaves as they have antibacterial and antifungal properties as long as he's active and eating ok i would let him live out the rest of this life if he get to the point you think he's suffering then I would euthanize him with clove oil it be a combination Copepods and detritus worms both are harmless you get detritus when you get a build of organic matter or your over feeding can you take a picture of the bubble above this it will help with a diagnosis @Starburst

I was told that it was a tumor once before, but wasn't quite sure. That's why I just let it be and didn't try any other treatment because he seems happy overall.

I read that detritus worms live in the substrate and are pretty visible. The worms and creatures on the glass seem almost microscopic and are as tiny as a spec dust (or smaller). Is there anyway to get rid of them without harming the fish?

The clear bubble that has formed is over his right eye, and is fairly new. Hopefully you can see it in the pic.

[Colu]

It looks like the tumor is spreading causing the Popeye and the bubble above his eye prognosis isn't good combination of the Popeye and tumor I don't think he has much time left   it's virtually impossible to eradicate micro fauna from your tank you can get the population down to the point we're it's less visible with good water quality regular gravel vaccing to reduce the amount of organic matter in your gravel reduce feeding they are beneficial to the tank and won't harm your fish  @Starburst

Edited March 19, 2023 by Colu

[Darax]

When I was dialing in CO2 levels, I summoned worms like that if I over did it. I assumed they were seeking the O2 above the CO2.

[Starburst]

On 3/19/2023 at 5:03 PM, Colu said:

It looks like the tumor is spreading causing the Popeye and the bubble above his eye prognosis isn't good combination of the Popeye and tumor I don't think he has much time left I  it's virtually impossible to eradicate micro fauna from your tank you can get the population down to the point we're it's less visible with good water quality regular gravel vaccing to reduce the amount of organic matter in your gravel reduce feeding they are beneficial to the tank and won't harm your fish  @Starburst

He's had the tumor for the better part of a year now, but the Popeye and the clear bubble are pretty new. I've been preparing for his departure for awhile now, but he's been alive and kicking just fine (no more bubble nests though 😞).

Idk where these micro creatures have come from, but their numbers exploded out of nowhere and they make the tank look bad. I guess it's ok since they're harmless, but they make my aquarium look cloudy or blurry.

Thanks for the help!

On 3/19/2023 at 5:04 PM, Darax said:

When I was dialing in CO2 levels, I summoned worms like that if I over did it. I assumed they were seeking the O2 above the CO2.

Were they the same small, thin white worms like in my video? Mine are so tiny that they're barely visible