What's that bug? How to recognize them

[crimsonbull57]

somehow mayfly or stonefly larvae got into my cycling 20 long, how should I get rid of then? will they kill fish or shrimp?

[B16CRXT]

Originally Posted by jaidexl

http://www.planetinverts.com/killing...and_hydra.html

dude this site worked 3 days ago. I checked last night because I finally got around to buying some safe guard and a digital scale, and the site is down. I just need to know the dosage amounts this particular guy used. I think he said like .1 gram per 10 gallons, but I want to be sure before I go tossing this stuff blindly into my tank...Any ideas on another site for killing hydra? EDIT: This resembles his exact accounts of the ordeal: http://www.fshfanatic.com/?p=134

[jaidexl]

That's right, 0.1gm/ 10gl. If you have the 1g packets you can just separate it into ten equal parts and add one per 10 glns.

[jourdy]

Anyone know what these are?




I caught 2 of them today and 1 yesterday.
They swim quite slow, wiggling motion.
They have tails that look like those of swordtails, except that instead of vertically parallel, it's horizontally parallel.

[jumpman7]

I have an 8g tank w/ aquasoil and driftwood from my LFS;nothing else.
Today I noticed what appears to be a small, clear bodied almost flea shaped critter.

It has less a dozen legs (I can't really count), definite eyes, some sort of heart/brain, and a tail-that it likes to tuck underneath itself similar to the way a crawdad would curl its tail.

It likes to crawl, but can jet around occasionally. Size wise, it's about the same size as a medium sized piece of aquasoil. I can see segments in its body, but I'm not sure if it's friendly or not.

Does not appear to be a dragonfly/mosquito and doesn't seem to have any sort of appendages that would be used to attack. I can't take a clear picture of it.

Any ID?

Thanks

[jaidexl]

Jourdy, if you're still out there, they look like damselfly larvae.


Jumpman, at first your description sounded like a water flea, Daphnia or Bosmina. But I think you may have a mosquito pupa, not a larvae but pupa, kind of looks like a little shrimp. If so it won't be there for long, will probably be on the back of you neck instead.

Crawling doesn't really support that theory, though.

[jumpman7]

Thanks jaidexl. I don't think they're pupa, they're pretty complex even at that small size and they have about a dozen legs and aren't worm like-as the mosquito pupa. The walk around the substrate and pick on things. I tried to squish one, but they are quite fast when agitated. I drew this pic w/ my mouse.... not sure if it helps.

They're easily visible, about the 1/2 the size of a bb and they do not like to swim to the surface, total ground dwellers.

[jumpman7]

Nevermind, I figured it out. It's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gammarus_pulex. Anyone have experience w/ these or how to get rid of them?

[jaidexl]

Ah, ok, commonly known as an amphipod or "pod". You see a ton of these in SW aquariums.

Your pic really stumped me, I was going to say Diaptomus, maybe.

[jaidexl]

Originally Posted by jumpman7

Anyone have experience w/ these or how to get rid of them?

They are good fish food. Only way to get rid of them besides adding fish would probably involve destroying everything in the tank. They're beneficial anyway, good detrivores... and fish food.

[jumpman7]

sorry about the pic...

Will neon tetras eat them?

[B16CRXT]

I doubt Neons will eat them unless they swim into the water column. My neons wont touch anything unless its floating in the water. Not on top or on the bottom. Has to be floating around in the middle. lol picky little things.

[jumpman7]

Yea, these scuds like to hang around the bottom. Any suggestions?

[jaidexl]

My rummynose are awesome bottom scavengers. Danios have a mean appetite, too, once saw a planaria on my glass, enjoyed it for about 2 seconds and a danio swam up and swallowed it.

[jumpman7]

Thanks again jaidexl. What about a dwarf cory? Are do you think they're fast enough?