Bacteria and growths in aquarium?

We just got a used aquarium from a friend a few weeks ago and we have had it set up for a little over a week now and have not put any fish or live plants in it. We have had the "bacteria bloom" and the water is starting to clear again but still is a bit cloudy. However, there are tiny white growths of something sticking to the glass in certain spots and setting on top of some of the plants. On one plant there is some kind of strange orange-looking growths that reminds me of silica gel. Is this normal? How do I know whether this is bad growth or good bacteria? The filter was previously used for quite awhile in this tank several weeks before we set this up, but we cleaned the aquarium itself out well and put new gravel and plants in it. Could the filter being used cause there to be more growth than normal, since bacteria may already be in it?

Bacteria and growths in aquarium?
Could you provide more information?





Are the white and orange growths the same (other than color)?


Does this look like something inorganic or alive?


Are they flat against the glass or raised up?


Any "tentacle-like" appendages?


Fresh or saltwater?





ADDITION:


two possibilities for the orange - 1) diatoms (a sort of algae with a hard silica "shell" or 2) if these are artificial plants with wire through them, the plastic coating might be cracked and the wire is leaching iron and forming a rusty "crust" on the surface





the white - 1) it might be dust from the gravel if it's sat for a long time and wasn't rinsed before using, 2) it could be a bacterial bloom, 3) it could be related to the type of substrate - make sure what's in the tank is aquarium gravel - not crushed coral or shell material. Also might be a small hydra without tentacles extended: http://www.tuempeln.de/futter/hydra.jpg - these are more or less stationeary, but can somersault to move around - otherwise they attach and sway in the current; this could also be a planaria, but these glide alond the glass: http://www.caudata.org/cc/images/article...
Reply:most used aquariums have bacteria so you'll probably never get it all out.


put some chlore out,and ick meds in it before you put fish in,


but if you have a charcoal filter system then take the filter out while you ick treat it.


that's so it won't become contaminated.
Reply:its perfectally fine , your fish will eat them its not bad at all. its a type of worm (good worm) there really really small huh?
Reply:I thik if you cleaned all really well, you should not worry about bad things from the use before. The things you describe dont sound familiar to me but I would start with one inexpensive fish and see how it behaves. Then if it eats well and is not shy try adding more things sould be ok then. (sorry for my spelling im from mexico, and yes we have aquariums here too)
Reply:It sounds like a certain fungi or something, and I don't think this is normal.





Try cleaning the tank and the water plants again.