Need help to identify this critter
Moderator: Mustafa
- MoltenLava
- Egg
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:56 am
- Location: Mountain View, CA
Need help to identify this critter
Hello,
I am a newbie trying to start out a small Cherry shrimp tank. I have started with about 20 baby shrimps a month ago. They have been molting, and growing steadily, and I think I have several females in the population.
Today I even noticed one of the female started carrying eggs. The pregnant shrimp looks a little pale now, but it used to be bright red. Maybe she's exhausted after the long labor.
Also today, I noticed a strange critter in my tank. It's the size of adult Cherry shrimp. It might have come into the tank with the plants, but anyways I was very surprised that something this large went unnoticed until today. It's brown in color, long stick figure, and has three pointy tails. To me it looks pretty benign, but I don't want to take any chances if it could harm the shrimps especially with pregnant shrimps and pretty soon lots of baby shrimps. I'm wondering if someone could identify this critter. Can it coexist with the shrimps in my tank?
I am a newbie trying to start out a small Cherry shrimp tank. I have started with about 20 baby shrimps a month ago. They have been molting, and growing steadily, and I think I have several females in the population.
Today I even noticed one of the female started carrying eggs. The pregnant shrimp looks a little pale now, but it used to be bright red. Maybe she's exhausted after the long labor.
Also today, I noticed a strange critter in my tank. It's the size of adult Cherry shrimp. It might have come into the tank with the plants, but anyways I was very surprised that something this large went unnoticed until today. It's brown in color, long stick figure, and has three pointy tails. To me it looks pretty benign, but I don't want to take any chances if it could harm the shrimps especially with pregnant shrimps and pretty soon lots of baby shrimps. I'm wondering if someone could identify this critter. Can it coexist with the shrimps in my tank?
- Shrimp&Snails
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- YuccaPatrol
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- MoltenLava
- Egg
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:56 am
- Location: Mountain View, CA
Thanks all. It indeed looks like damselfly larvae. I'll remove it from my tank asap and maybe look for a pond nearby to release it.
Perhaps it wasn't the best thing to have purchased pond grown plants for my fishtank. I have another infestation problem with something else. They are so small, and I can't even capture with my camera. They are the size of pinhead or a dust. It looks like tiny little bugs. They are so small, and can't see them unless you sit inches away from the fishtank and look. At first I noticed just a few, but now I can see hundreds of them on the glass. They seem to be cluttered around algae, maybe feeding off them. I don't even know how to begin to get rid of them from my tank..
Perhaps it wasn't the best thing to have purchased pond grown plants for my fishtank. I have another infestation problem with something else. They are so small, and I can't even capture with my camera. They are the size of pinhead or a dust. It looks like tiny little bugs. They are so small, and can't see them unless you sit inches away from the fishtank and look. At first I noticed just a few, but now I can see hundreds of them on the glass. They seem to be cluttered around algae, maybe feeding off them. I don't even know how to begin to get rid of them from my tank..
- Shrimp&Snails
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These fellas come in when we introduce pond or wild plants into our tanks. I got a couple of damselfly larvae in my tank through buying plants on ebay that weren't listed as being plants grown in a pond. The damselfly larvae I had must have been much younger as they were a pale sort of white colour.
Pretty scary looking though.
Pretty scary looking though.
- MoltenLava
- Egg
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- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:56 am
- Location: Mountain View, CA
If I put guppies in the tank wouldn't they try to eat the Cherry shrimps??
BTW I have a couple of apple snails in the Cherry shrimp fishtank. I wanted them to clean up algae. But it's not quite working out, as they are eatting my plants instead. (see the snail thread) What are the other good ways to control algae in the shrimp fishtank?
BTW I have a couple of apple snails in the Cherry shrimp fishtank. I wanted them to clean up algae. But it's not quite working out, as they are eatting my plants instead. (see the snail thread) What are the other good ways to control algae in the shrimp fishtank?
- badflash
- Master Shrimp Nut
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The little bugs are probably copepods and are harmless if thatis what they are.
As to control of algae- do more water changes and reduce the light. Shoot for at least 25% per week, but 50% is better. The snail you have is likely a Cana. Brigs won't eat your plants. Nerite snails do a better job, but the best algae eater I've had so far is a bristle nose pleco.
As to control of algae- do more water changes and reduce the light. Shoot for at least 25% per week, but 50% is better. The snail you have is likely a Cana. Brigs won't eat your plants. Nerite snails do a better job, but the best algae eater I've had so far is a bristle nose pleco.
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- YuccaPatrol
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- badflash
- Master Shrimp Nut
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I have both and the plecos do a much better job. I've tried about every fish and snail that is supposed to eat algae and the nerite is tops for snails, the pleco is best for the fish. Plecos also have a lot more personality and the bristlenose don't get too big. Both do fine with shrimp.Otocinclus do a better job than bristlenoses do
I agree with badflash, on the Bristlenose Pleco.
If you know some that breeds them, try and get some very young ones, for the young do the best job on algae. they are like little lawn mowers.
I can not say for the adults and Shrimp. For I do not keep them long enough, I trade them in for the younger models.
John
If you know some that breeds them, try and get some very young ones, for the young do the best job on algae. they are like little lawn mowers.
I can not say for the adults and Shrimp. For I do not keep them long enough, I trade them in for the younger models.
John