What in the world...?

[Janmitch22]

While I was cleaning one of my tanks I found this creature (pictured below) hanging out in the sink. Anyone know what bug this is? It seems to be aquatic; it's in a small test tube with water.

 

[Richard]

Isn't that one of those little critters from 'Men In Black' who smoked, drank coffee, and tried to pick up Will Smith's girlfriend?!.. just kidding, could it be some kind of larva ?

 

[Stradius011]

I can't really see it clearly...but it looks like a shrimp...well, to me at least

 

[Dino]

Not sure, but if there are small fish, I would be concerned.
I would check the tank over very well to make sure that is the only one.

Dino

 

[Isabella]

LOL ... no idea what it is, but it looks COOL! Looks like some tiny-bitty shrimp, or something of the sort! Hmm, did it come from one of your tanks? Or was it just there in the sink? Does it move/swI'm fast? Would it be possible for you to take it out into some larger container and take its picture again (without the glass distorting the view)?

Do you have any adult shrimps in your tank? Maybe they had babies?

Whatever it is, feed it so it doesn't die. If you have some kind of mesh, keep it in your tank in the mesh. It probably needs the same water quality as fish do.

 

[Janmitch22]

I think it's someone's larva too. No idea where it came from,though.
Dino, I have lost a few small fish in the past few weeks, which puzzled me. Could that thing have been the culprit? Or it and its five million brothers and sisters? But then again, the fish disappeared around the time that I put in a couple of powerheads, so I really don't know. I think an overhaul may be in order.

It's still in the test tube with a tiny flake of food. I taped it inside the tank so the water could be kept warm enough. I can't find another clear container for it that isn't rounded. I really, really don't want to touch it; it moves strangely! :-\ I had a hard enough time getting it out of the sink and into that test tube. It was wiggling and things...bleh, but I'll try to get better pictures.

 

[Janmitch22]

Not much better....

 

[jrod]

It may be a mosquito larvae. Maybe

 

[Stradius011]

Does it have legs like a shrimp?

 

[Isabella]

I've NO IDEA what this creature is :-\ Is it still alive? It looks dead on the paper towel!

 

[Tumbleweed]

Kinda looks like a dragon fly without wings.

 

[Patchspud]

That is weird. As it's in a test tube and obviously transportable - would it be possible to take it to your LFS for any clues? If they don't know I'd be taking the Men in Black statement a little more seriously!!!

 

[Stradius011]

It kind of looks like a mosquito larvae

 

[Janmitch22]

Oh well, it's dead.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Ever figure out what it was?

 

[Isabella]

Oh well, it's dead.

:'( It was kinda cute ...

 

[Janmitch22]

No, I never figured out what it was. Some kind of water bug, we're all agreed on that bit. I guess it had a sort of bugeyed cuteness.... :-\

 

[Phonemonkey]

The mosquito larvae thing seems farily likely...

BTW, you realize you will soon need a huge tank for that knifefish, right?

 

[Janmitch22]

It wasn't a mosquito larva; it didn't look at all like those pictures or the ones I've seen. I guess we'll never know because I poured it down the sink drain.

Yeah, I know I'll have to upgrade for all of them. I'm prepared for it. I've had the BGK for a year now, I'm watching its growth. We're up to about twenty centimeters. I'm excited for the move. That means I can buy more fish.

 

[ewolfe315]

It looks like a bass bug to me. When ever I go fishing at my local river here in Pa. I always run into them under the rocks while I'm looking for live bait.

John