Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 Sometimes, I feel like I'm starting to know some things in this aquarium hobby. Other times I feel like a complete novice. What in the world is this thing in my aquarium??? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 That's going to haunt my dreams tonight, and not in a good way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDukeAnumber1 Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 Looks kinda like dragon fly larve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 4 minutes ago, tolstoy21 said: That's going to haunt my dreams tonight, and not in a good way. I know, right??? It looked like a giant ant in the tank until I zoomed in on it and saw that pulsing...tail? head? I don't even know! (shudder!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 4 minutes ago, TheDukeAnumber1 said: Looks kinda like dragon fly larve. I agree, but I couldn't find any dragon fly larvae pics that looked *exactly* the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 (edited) Looks like the common skimmer or the darner. Edited November 6, 2020 by Aubrey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, Aubrey said: Looks like the common skimmer or the darner. You could be right. #42 looks about right, although mine's a lot smaller still. Next question: what do I do with it??? Take it out? Leave it? Nuke the tank??? Btw, this is my 5 gallon quarantine tank. It's been fishless for about 3 weeks, but just last night I added 12 new white clouds and a mystery snail. I've not added med trio yet...had planned to do that today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 You probably don't want it in your aquarium. All the Odonates have this 'dinner plate, knife and fork' system that is deadly for small fish and tadpoles. I would remove it out to a pond or ditch. I wouldn't nuke the tank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shkote Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 If you are able to catch it, I would remove it. Aquatic nymphs can cause some issues. Just keep an eye out for more of them. No need to nuke the tank though. Since it's just a quarantine tank, just remove them. Yours looks a lot like the little monster that wiped out a good portion of my shrimp colony awhile back. After I was able to catch it, I found 3 more. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 Aaaah! Gross!!! So how do these things get in our tanks??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 Thank you, everyone! The demon-spawn has been removed from the tank. 👹☠😱😬 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 Just now, Hobbit Aaaah! Gross!!! So how do these things get in our tanks??? Yes! Excellent question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, Hobbit said: Aaaah! Gross!!! So how do these things get in our tanks??? They come in on plants. Occasionally for me they will come in with my daily Daphnia haul. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 Well if you don't like dragonfly larva, you will really not like this. I keep one of these in my green water aquarium: It is about 5" long. I know what it is. Any guesses? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 1 minute ago, Daniel said: Any guesses? A water scorpion? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 (edited) @Daniel That thing is incredible. Its profile looks similar to the "walking sticks" I used to catch as a kid. No idea what it is, though. Edited November 6, 2020 by Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 9 minutes ago, Aubrey said: A water scorpion? Yes! Also known as a water walking stick. I caught him (or her) in the Daphnia net one day. I have had him for about 6 weeks. I think it is time to take him back to where I caught him and let him go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikostan Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 I have a lot of mayfly larva in the tank I soak my bay plants in. They are pretty gross looking too, but small, so it's hard to get a good pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yannachka Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 3 hours ago, Hobbit said: Aaaah! Gross!!! So how do these things get in our tanks??? lots of plant farms grow their plants outdoors where the adults lay their eggs on them. the eggs then hatch out in your aquarium. ive stopped ordering from 2 different plant suppliers bc they would constantly bring in unwanted critters. once i had a big clump of java moss that was teeming with crane fly nymphs i couldn’t salvage and ended up tossing. im very careful who i get my plants from now. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy Guru Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 NATURE am I right?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alesha Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Guppy Guru said: NATURE am I right?! Yep!!! 😆😆😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Pearl Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Interesting discovery. Thanks for sharing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 @yannachka yikes. That’s good to know! I guess I’ll be dipping or quarantining my plants from now on... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted November 8, 2020 Share Posted November 8, 2020 I'd probably give him his own tank, maybe set him up in a bucket outside. Most I've found in my tanks is some midge larvae. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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