What is this bug ?

[badflash]

Yes, I think the little crayfish eat them.

[iturnrocks]

I finally got a new digital camera, and I took some new pics of Ostracods. Its still a point and shoot, so this is pretty good for something that is 1 mm long. These photos show the true color of these critters much better.






Heres one sitting at the waters surface- the big line.

[iturnrocks]

Be wary of these little guys. If you get enough of them they will attack things much larger than themselves. I had a bunch of these take out 2 full size fairy shrimp this week. They just swarmed the fairy shrimp like little pirranahs. I had no idea these little guys were even carnivores.

[badflash]

I don't think they are, it just may have looked that way. Did you actually see them tearing up the shrimp? It could be the shrimp was covered in some sort of bacteria they were going after.

They are filter feeders and not equipped.

[iturnrocks]

I don't think they are, it just may have looked that way. Did you actually see them tearing up the shrimp? It could be the shrimp was covered in some sort of bacteria they were going after.
They are filter feeders and not equipped.

I did see them swarming one fairy shrimp while it was still alive. Previously, I had seen them devour fairy shrimp after they had died, but this is the first time I have seen a group of them attack a live fairy shrimp. I had seen single specimens latch onto the legs of a swimming fairy shrimp before.

I did not see them attack the 2nd fairy shrimp, but it was completely gone when I got to work this morning.

[RCSGuy]

Yeah I have these guys all over my tank as well as some hydra and Nematodes, lol I have so many things in that RCS tank ... I think they gradually go away if you stop feeding for a while, but I don't think you can really rid the tank of them completely without starting over.

Really good reference:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/shrim ... -them.html

[Ted Peate]

Which "toy" microscope do you have?

I have the Qx5. I took out the bulb underneath and the plastic diffuser, and I stick a 5 LED flashlight underneath. It really helps. I tried rigging something with a screw in fluorescent light bulb, but I just couldnt direct the light well enough. The focused light of the flashlight works good, but you need a hole in your desk or you have to hang it off the side a little which is awkward.

You stick a 5 LED flashlight underneath. The targeted mild of the flash mild performs excellent, but you need an opening in your table or you have to hold it off the part a little which is uncomfortable.