Weird creature inside my tank. Need Id.

desitetra · 03-18-2013, 10:48 AM

Found a weird creature inside my tank.

Have no idea on what this is. My tank has cardinal tetras, few cherry shrimps and 2 gold chinese algae eaters.

Would appreciate if somebody can ID this creature and way to get rid of this.

Thanks.

**Sugardaddy1979** · 03-18-2013, 10:52 AM

Dragonfly nymph. Get it out ASAP! It is predatory.

Hobbes1911 · 03-18-2013, 11:16 AM

What he said. Unfortunately, also you might have more than just the one. I'd scour your tank for any others and then do it again. They will eat any smaller animals vertebrates or invertebrates that they can get their jaws on.

desitetra · 03-18-2013, 11:17 AM

Thanks Sugardaddy.

Mine was densely planted in the background and was lucky to catch that using tweezers. Threat taken out... at least for now.

crazydog64 · 03-18-2013, 11:32 AM

You probably have more than 1, keep a close eye out.

**sbarbee54** · 03-18-2013, 01:49 PM

If you have one you have more... I found 2 next think I know after tearing the tank down to check final count caught was 18

Chulios66 · 03-18-2013, 01:53 PM

Ya, its a dragonfly nymph. Found one of these once and didn't no what i was and a couple days later, it killed some of my fish.

Jeffkol · 03-19-2013, 11:50 PM

This post just gives me the creeps! I feel as though it is some horrifying creature going to destroy everything!

shift · 03-20-2013, 12:03 AM

Get rid of that thing.. i found 2-3 in my tanks for a batch of plants i got last month.. mine were green but same diff.. they will attach your shrimp once they get big enough

assasin6547 · 03-20-2013, 04:24 AM

How the heck do they get in???

I use (fake) dragonfly nymphs for fly fishing

Bananariot · 03-20-2013, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by assasin6547

How the heck do they get in???

I use (fake) dragonfly nymphs for fly fishing

sometimes on plants....either commercially from large operations or like on other ppls plants who have issues already

Kyguylal · 03-20-2013, 05:07 AM

It's acturally a damselfly larvae. Close relative to the dragonfly. They are just as bad to have in a tank. Eat the same as dragonfly larvae. May have come in as an egg. If so, you have more.

Don't worry, because they're a larvae, they can't reproduce.

desitetra · 03-20-2013, 04:53 PM

Found another one and removed it. This one was little reddish, sitting on the moss and was little difficult to differentiate from the red shrimps.

At least this helped to weed out unwanted plants in my tank and clean the substrate a bit. Hope that's the end of it

Video that I found on youtube:

Damselfly larva devours a small fish - YouTube

shrimpzoo · 03-20-2013, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desitetra

Found another one and removed it. This one was little reddish, sitting on the moss and was little difficult to differentiate from the red shrimps.

shivers* I think that means he got some of your red shrimps lol...

**MABJ** · 03-20-2013, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desitetra

Found another one and removed it. This one was little reddish, sitting on the moss and was little difficult to differentiate from the red shrimps.

At least this helped to weed out unwanted plants in my tank and clean the substrate a bit. Hope that's the end of it

Video that I found on youtube: Damselfly larva devours a small fish - YouTube

That video was disturbing. I am naturally a little squeamish so I forced myself to watch it. But I was just so sickened the poor fry had to live while his body was devoured. I can't imagine the excruciating pain.

Nature has no limits on its beauty nor brutality. Thanks for the link.

03-18-2013, 10:48 AM	#1
desitetra Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 19	Weird creature inside my tank. Need Id. Found a weird creature inside my tank. Have no idea on what this is. My tank has cardinal tetras, few cherry shrimps and 2 gold chinese algae eaters. Would appreciate if somebody can ID this creature and way to get rid of this. Thanks. Attached Thumbnails

03-18-2013, 10:52 AM	#2
Sugardaddy1979 Sic em (View User Tanks) PTrader: (11/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 632	Dragonfly nymph. Get it out ASAP! It is predatory. __________________ Sunsun Pimp Club Member #068

03-18-2013, 01:49 PM	#6
sbarbee54 The Security Dude (View User Tanks) PTrader: (47/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: The Badlands Posts: 2,570	If you have one you have more... I found 2 next think I know after tearing the tank down to check final count caught was 18 __________________ 55 Planted Rummys,2 GBR,8 Corys,4 Discus PFR Culls Many shrimp tanks http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...half-done.html

03-19-2013, 11:50 PM	#8
Jeffkol Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: South Dakota Posts: 113	Weird creature inside my tank. Need Id. This post just gives me the creeps! I feel as though it is some horrifying creature going to destroy everything!

03-20-2013, 12:03 AM	#9
shift Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: canada Posts: 929	Get rid of that thing.. i found 2-3 in my tanks for a batch of plants i got last month.. mine were green but same diff.. they will attach your shrimp once they get big enough __________________ 84G - The Osaka Forest 12G Fluval Edge - Celestial pearl Danios, Boraras urophthalmoides & PFR shrimp 5.5G Fluval Chi - Pumpkin shrimplets 10G - CRS/CBS 10G - Red Rilli's 10G - Yellow shrimp

03-18-2013, 11:16 AM	#3
Hobbes1911 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (16/100%) Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,220	What he said. Unfortunately, also you might have more than just the one. I'd scour your tank for any others and then do it again. They will eat any smaller animals vertebrates or invertebrates that they can get their jaws on.

03-18-2013, 11:17 AM	#4
desitetra Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 19	Thanks Sugardaddy. Mine was densely planted in the background and was lucky to catch that using tweezers. Threat taken out... at least for now.

03-18-2013, 11:32 AM	#5
crazydog64 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: MI Posts: 190	You probably have more than 1, keep a close eye out.

03-18-2013, 01:53 PM	#7
Chulios66 Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Filer,ID Posts: 210	Ya, its a dragonfly nymph. Found one of these once and didn't no what i was and a couple days later, it killed some of my fish.

03-20-2013, 04:24 AM	#10
assasin6547 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Broomfield, CO Posts: 599	How the heck do they get in??? I use (fake) dragonfly nymphs for fly fishing __________________ How I feel about non-planted aquariums.

03-20-2013, 05:07 AM	#12
Kyguylal Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Boston Posts: 304	It's acturally a damselfly larvae. Close relative to the dragonfly. They are just as bad to have in a tank. Eat the same as dragonfly larvae. May have come in as an egg. If so, you have more. Don't worry, because they're a larvae, they can't reproduce.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode