dking271

This morning while doing maintenance on one of my tanks I found one in my tank. I was using my Python with the 24" gravel vac, I picked up what I thought was debris, but then I saw it violently swimming back down the tube against the current. I got a good look at it, but was afraid of it escaping back into the tank, so I watched him go down the drain. This was no Ghost shrimp. It looked like a Damselfly nymph, legs out the side, definate predator head, about 3/8" in length. How could something like this get in my tank? It is completely covered? Now I'm worried there might be more of these evil things. Tank consists of Angels, Rams, Cory's, Clown Pleco, pair of Pearl Gourami's (temporarily housed), 2 Otos (3rd mysteriously died yesterday). Could this thing have killed my Oto, could it hurt my other fish?

Alessa

otos are quite sensitive, but i think it is definately a possibility.

dking271

I know Otos are sensative, but this tank houses a pair of my German Blue Rams, so it receives a little extra attention. My Rams were protecting eggs, so I thought they may have gone after it, but now I'm not sure. I found the nymph around/under a piece of driftwood were the Otos often hang out. It was fine all day, fat tummy and all. I know these thing are nasty and will suck the blood of fish. I'm just surprised this thing managed to evade my Angels, because I'm sure they would have gobbled it up in a heatbeat. I'm really hoping that was the only one.

Annabelle

Im thinking it might be a nymph of sorts which is why I took it out and put it in my fishless QT. The problem is that I picked up my panda cory on friday and ended up with another betta (I cant help myself) and I had to put them into the QT. I still havent seen the creature so it could very easily either be good at hiding or dead. I need to do a water change so should I take out all the decorations and have a really good look for this thing and try to remove it or just wait and see? If I have to I can take out all the water, put it in buckets and the put everything back in including most of the water after I find it.

dking271

I would do whatever you have to do to get that thing out of the tank. I did a heavy cleaning yesterday on my main tank and found 3 more of the little buggers. That brings me to a total of four (all between 1/4" - 3/8" in size). My research indicates that these things can live for a year + in your tank before they exit to become an adult.

Annabelle

Yikes, looks like I may be dismantling my tank then. Its a shame I have to have fish in it right now cause it would be kinda cool to raise this thing.

Austin {Aquarist}

I have studied macroinvertebrates as bioindicators for a long time and that is most definitely a mayfly larva soon it will crawl out of the tank and change into a mayfly. U ussually find them in fast moving streams and I am very suprised it has survived because they prefer very cold water. They are a very tolerant species though meaning they can adjust well to change

That is REALLY cool that you found one in your fish tank xD

rubberneck

that is cool to find and i wouldnt worry about it http://www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/109/Inse...ng/Mayfly.html

dking271

As an avid fly fisherman, I am very familiar with a Mayfly nymph, and mine were definately Damselfly nymphs. I got two more out of my tank this evening, which brings me to a total of six. They have grown in size to about 1/2 inch. So far, I haven't seen any in my three other tanks.