dragon fly baby help!!!!!!!!!

j-man the skater-man · 10-22-2005, 08:49 AM

i found a dragon fly baby (i say baby because it looks like a developed dragon fly but not as large) and i removed it i have had a few cherry shrimp die lately and i assume that the dragon fly did it is that posible? is it likely thier are more dragon fly larve?? i always have the tank hood closed and the doors are always shut....how could it have gotten it the tank???

help asap

fishboy · 10-22-2005, 09:59 AM

thats oddd, the larve may have been related to the deaths but the bigger questio is how it got there...a plant hitch-hicker maybe, is the tank planted?

j-man the skater-man · 10-22-2005, 10:24 AM

the tank is planted but i havenot added a plant in about 1 to 1 1/2 months

shev · 10-22-2005, 11:24 AM

Im putting my money on the dragonfly larvae. they are carnivorous and will eat eat small fish, frogs, tadpoles, crstaceans, and other things. except dragonfly larvae dont look like dragon flies at all. dragonfly larvae of different species will look quite a bit different, but generally look like this:

j-man the skater-man · 10-22-2005, 01:01 PM

that looks like what i found exsept what i found has a longer thinner body and seems to be growing wings....if i found 1 would it be likely there are more i checked but didnt see anymore

amelia · 10-22-2005, 03:10 PM

Dragonfly larvae are mainly carnivorous, as they are when they are adults. They will kill shrimps and eat mosquito larvae, and are notorious for attacking small fish. Keep an eye out for more, but don't go crazy cleaning. If you find more, simply remove them.

Fish Friend · 10-22-2005, 03:35 PM

kill it..destroy it lol, they eat loads of stuff...ive seen one eat a lil poor stickleback in the river at the back of my house

drosera · 10-22-2005, 10:09 PM

The dragonfly larva defnitely could have come in on the plants you last bought, or with plants, decor such as driftwood, or live food, from anywhere up to 3 months ago. You only noticed it now because it was large enough to be noticed. They are very small, and often translucent during their first few weeks of life.

It definitely could have eaten your shrimp. But I also wonder what it must have been sustaining itself on until now. When very young, they will feast on the normal microorganisms in a tank (worms, Cyclops, etc) But it would take a heck of alot of them to sustain older larvae. It' is to be noted that they will eat each other as well, so it is unlikely that you have many more.

I agree that you shouldn't do anything major to the tank. Keep observing to see if there are others, and just remove them if you see them. It's handy to look at night with a flashlight, as that's when they tend to venture out more.

TAke care!

micstarz · 10-22-2005, 10:46 PM

They could be caddisfly larvae

micstarz · 10-22-2005, 10:47 PM

search google images for caddisfly larvae and see if they look anything like that

j-man the skater-man · 10-23-2005, 05:05 PM

its not a caddis fly larvae and i havent seen more but i will do the flashlight check in a lil while

Brett_Fishman · 10-23-2005, 11:35 PM

LOL, this is very coincidental, but I found one of these in my filter tonight alive:

Here's a small write up on them

Brett_Fishman · 10-23-2005, 11:52 PM

Or maybe it was a Mayfly larva.

drosera · 10-24-2005, 05:29 AM

Brett,

That first picture you showed is actually a damselfly larvae. (Dragonflies = 4 wings, damselflies = 2 wings, and usually much smaller) Damselfly larvae have those feathery extensions at the end of the abdomen. Regardless, they are treated the same if found in an aquarium.

I still have to wonder where you guys got these critters from in the frist place. I'm always one for a good mystery

Take care!

j-man the skater-man · 10-24-2005, 03:49 PM

the mayfly looks like what i found but its october and we live like 7 miles from the lake they are at around here

**Fishfirst** · 10-25-2005, 07:43 AM

if it has 2 long flexible extensions coming from its abdomin then its a mayfly larva, if it has 3 short extensions that look like pinchers its a dragonfly larva

micstarz · 10-26-2005, 04:07 AM

did you feed your fish daphnia any time from 8-1 weeks ago? They can come with the daphnia as eggs y'now

j-man the skater-man · 10-26-2005, 05:32 PM

nope no daphnia

micstarz · 10-27-2005, 02:12 AM

ok then forget it

10-22-2005, 08:49 AM	#1
j-man the skater-man invert freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: whiteville NC Age: 18 Posts: 345 User Feedback: (0)	dragon fly baby help!!!!!!!!! i found a dragon fly baby (i say baby because it looks like a developed dragon fly but not as large) and i removed it i have had a few cherry shrimp die lately and i assume that the dragon fly did it is that posible? is it likely thier are more dragon fly larve?? i always have the tank hood closed and the doors are always shut....how could it have gotten it the tank??? help asap

10-22-2005, 09:59 AM	#2
fishboy Custom User Title Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 16 Posts: 1,655 User Feedback: (0)	thats oddd, the larve may have been related to the deaths but the bigger questio is how it got there...a plant hitch-hicker maybe, is the tank planted? __________________ It is only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything

10-22-2005, 03:10 PM	#6
amelia the ami Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: missouri Age: 19 Posts: 270 User Feedback: (0)	Dragonfly larvae are mainly carnivorous, as they are when they are adults. They will kill shrimps and eat mosquito larvae, and are notorious for attacking small fish. Keep an eye out for more, but don't go crazy cleaning. If you find more, simply remove them. __________________ Forever we are. Forever we've been. Forever we'll be crucified to a dream --unstoppablegeneration-- They write [s]about[/s] this sort of thing. GOLDFISH & KOI - 2 red/white ryukin - 5 comet - 12 common - 2 shubunkin - 4 koi CATFISH - 2 common plecostomus - 1 rubber nose plecostomus - 3 albino cory catfish OTHER - 78 guppies - 2 bluegill

10-22-2005, 03:35 PM	#7
Fish Friend Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 234 User Feedback: (0)	kill it..destroy it lol, they eat loads of stuff...ive seen one eat a lil poor stickleback in the river at the back of my house __________________ "Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it." ================================================== 32g:Freshwater Community 10g: Rearing tank soon to be upgraded to a 15g and turned into a nano setup!! -Parky

10-22-2005, 10:09 PM	#8
drosera Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 61 User Feedback: (0)	The dragonfly larva defnitely could have come in on the plants you last bought, or with plants, decor such as driftwood, or live food, from anywhere up to 3 months ago. You only noticed it now because it was large enough to be noticed. They are very small, and often translucent during their first few weeks of life. It definitely could have eaten your shrimp. But I also wonder what it must have been sustaining itself on until now. When very young, they will feast on the normal microorganisms in a tank (worms, Cyclops, etc) But it would take a heck of alot of them to sustain older larvae. It' is to be noted that they will eat each other as well, so it is unlikely that you have many more. I agree that you shouldn't do anything major to the tank. Keep observing to see if there are others, and just remove them if you see them. It's handy to look at night with a flashlight, as that's when they tend to venture out more. TAke care! __________________ http://www3.sympatico.ca/drosera1/fish/fish.htm Last edited by drosera; 10-22-2005 at 10:10 PM. Reason: missing info

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10-22-2005, 10:24 AM	#3
j-man the skater-man invert freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: whiteville NC Age: 18 Posts: 345 User Feedback: (0)	the tank is planted but i havenot added a plant in about 1 to 1 1/2 months

10-22-2005, 11:24 AM	#4
shev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montana Age: 19 Posts: 1,561 User Feedback: (0)	Im putting my money on the dragonfly larvae. they are carnivorous and will eat eat small fish, frogs, tadpoles, crstaceans, and other things. except dragonfly larvae dont look like dragon flies at all. dragonfly larvae of different species will look quite a bit different, but generally look like this:

10-22-2005, 01:01 PM	#5
j-man the skater-man invert freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: whiteville NC Age: 18 Posts: 345 User Feedback: (0)	that looks like what i found exsept what i found has a longer thinner body and seems to be growing wings....if i found 1 would it be likely there are more i checked but didnt see anymore

10-22-2005, 10:46 PM	#9
micstarz I'm Back! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Earth Age: 13 Posts: 658 User Feedback: (0)	They could be caddisfly larvae

10-22-2005, 10:47 PM	#10
micstarz I'm Back! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Earth Age: 13 Posts: 658 User Feedback: (0)	search google images for caddisfly larvae and see if they look anything like that

10-23-2005, 05:05 PM	#11
j-man the skater-man invert freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: whiteville NC Age: 18 Posts: 345 User Feedback: (0)	its not a caddis fly larvae and i havent seen more but i will do the flashlight check in a lil while

10-23-2005, 11:35 PM	#12
Brett_Fishman Captain Highlander Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 45 User Feedback: (0)	LOL, this is very coincidental, but I found one of these in my filter tonight alive: Here's a small write up on them __________________ Freshwater fishing enthusiast ‘Fish Nerd’ – According to my girlfriend

10-23-2005, 11:52 PM	#13
Brett_Fishman Captain Highlander Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 45 User Feedback: (0)	Or maybe it was a Mayfly larva. __________________ Freshwater fishing enthusiast ‘Fish Nerd’ – According to my girlfriend

10-24-2005, 05:29 AM	#14
drosera Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 61 User Feedback: (0)	Brett, That first picture you showed is actually a damselfly larvae. (Dragonflies = 4 wings, damselflies = 2 wings, and usually much smaller) Damselfly larvae have those feathery extensions at the end of the abdomen. Regardless, they are treated the same if found in an aquarium. I still have to wonder where you guys got these critters from in the frist place. I'm always one for a good mystery Take care! __________________ http://www3.sympatico.ca/drosera1/fish/fish.htm

10-25-2005, 07:43 AM	#16
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,489 User Feedback: (1)	if it has 2 long flexible extensions coming from its abdomin then its a mayfly larva, if it has 3 short extensions that look like pinchers its a dragonfly larva __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

10-24-2005, 03:49 PM	#15
j-man the skater-man invert freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: whiteville NC Age: 18 Posts: 345 User Feedback: (0)	the mayfly looks like what i found but its october and we live like 7 miles from the lake they are at around here

10-26-2005, 04:07 AM	#17
micstarz I'm Back! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Earth Age: 13 Posts: 658 User Feedback: (0)	did you feed your fish daphnia any time from 8-1 weeks ago? They can come with the daphnia as eggs y'now __________________

10-26-2005, 05:32 PM	#18
j-man the skater-man invert freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: whiteville NC Age: 18 Posts: 345 User Feedback: (0)	nope no daphnia

10-27-2005, 02:12 AM	#19
micstarz I'm Back! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Earth Age: 13 Posts: 658 User Feedback: (0)	ok then forget it __________________

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