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Bug / mysterious insect in my tank??


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Hi all,

 

I have a 10 gallon planted tank w some cories. The other day I found some weird looking remnant of what looked like an insect, but it was dead. I found a similar one again today in the tank, but it was alive and I was able to remove it. Has anyone seen these??? Is it a cause for concern? Also check out my new scape 😁 thanks!!

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Dragon fly nymph. They are predators and will eat small fish. The only time I have had these in my aquariums is when I have inadvertently introduced them via plants from my outdoor ponds.

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On 7/6/2024 at 4:08 PM, T. Payne said:

Dragon fly nymph. They are predators and will eat small fish. The only time I have had these in my aquariums is when I have inadvertently introduced them via plants from my outdoor ponds.

I see, what should I do? Are these harmful to my pandas?

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Manual removal, just look closely and you should be able to spot anymore if they are in your aquarium. Unless your panda corydoras are fry, I doubt they would be able to catch them.

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On 7/6/2024 at 4:17 PM, T. Payne said:

Manual removal, just look closely and you should be able to spot anymore if they are in your aquarium. Unless your panda corydoras are fry, I doubt they would be able to catch them.

Other than spotting them and removing, I’ve heard of ppl say they use heat treatment by raising the temp to around 84 to kill them? Should I consider? 

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On 7/6/2024 at 9:40 PM, Matt B said:

That doesn't look like a Dragon Fly larvae 🤔

The first picture is a little hard to tell. Do damselfly nymphs (and I think the second picture looks like a damselfly, not a dragonfly) molt in the water? I guess I'm not sure.

Anyway, here's a picture from Wikipedia of damselfly nymph:

Blue-tailed_damselfly_(Ischnura_elegans)_nymph.jpg.598648b4283b35e4f2392f4f08273810.jpg

"Blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans) nymph, showing the three tail appendages"

In any case, I'm not sure what else it would be.

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On 7/6/2024 at 9:40 PM, Matt B said:

That doesn't look like a Dragon Fly larvae 🤔

It’s not, it’s a damselfly nymph. You can tell because they’re much smaller and have 3 rectal gills.

 

On 7/6/2024 at 10:05 PM, Matt B said:

The adults can be very beautiful. ( in my opinion anyway)

They absolutely are, especially the ones with the emerald bodies and black wings. They just kind of float when they fly. They appear fragile in the sky but very strong under water 

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On 7/6/2024 at 9:54 PM, Rube_Goldfish said:

Do damselfly nymphs (and I think the second picture looks like a damselfly, not a dragonfly) molt in the water? I guess I'm not sure.

They climb out and shed skin on a reedy plant. They spend the majority of their lives under water. 

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On 7/6/2024 at 11:00 PM, Mordecai13 said:

Is there a chance that this could be a reason why my cories are flashing ? I probably witness them flashing 1-2 times a day, each time a different one ( I think)

Nah, cories flash for all kinds of reasons at all times. When you see them flashing, they’re usually feeling good and just coming up for air. Or just playing. My aeneus and pandas do it all the time.
 

 

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Okay thanks that reassuring. One of my cories tho flashes like a mf, like he flashes super hard and goes from one side of the tank to the other at lightning speed while hitting hardscape, substrate, and plants in the process. Is this nothing to be concerned for then?

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On 7/6/2024 at 11:16 PM, Mordecai13 said:

Is this nothing to be concerned for then?

It’s usually not, but all animals are different. If he’s acting strange, may be something there. Just keep an eye on him. 

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Posted (edited)

All depends on what you imported into your tank. They are capable of laying hundreds, not all in the same place. Lots of different egg laying strategies. Some lay underwater, some lay in plants just above the surface. They may even have layed directly in the tank if you have access to the outdoors at times.

Edited by Tony s
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