[Amazonfish]

I found this thing living in my java moss! I freaked out the way I freak out when I see a spider. I caught it with a spoon so I could get a good picture. Then I flushed it. Has anyone seen one of these before? It has definitely been living in my moss rocks for awhile.

 

[EdTheEdge]

Dragonfly Larve....... At least that's what it looks like to me.

 

[J.B.]

That would be a dragonfly larvae...Kill it! Make sure you check the remainder of that moss to ensure there are no more. That's a BAD thing to have in your tank, they'll stay hidden and eat up all your fish.

 

[Amazonfish]

Oh no! How is that possible!? I've had the moss for months now. Where would the eggs have come from? i know for a fact that there were no dragonflies in my house... I live on a 3rd floor apartment and all my windows have screens. Plus, If there was a dragonfly in my house, I definitely would've freaked out.

Could it be anything else? (though, I admit, it really does look like all the google images I saw...)

How do I make sure to get rid of them? I don't know what the eggs look like, and actually, I only have 2 moss rocks in the tank. I suppose the eggs or larvae could be anywhere though? It's a small tank, only 5.5 gallons. But I do have 3 other tanks. Help!

 

[Amazonfish]

I was just looking online and it says that dragonfly larvae don't have the three tails (they're gills, apparently). damselfly larvae do though.

 

[essabee]

It is indeed a damselfly larva. Just see how life manages to survive and get into "impossible" places.

 

[boon]

That's friggin awesome. Just a few steps away from having a ecosystem in your home.