captured this critter in my tank

[Coursair]

If you keep it, put it in a separate tank with a net over it. They are Predators and will go after your fish when they get big enough !!

 

[maldo691]

I use a bucket to water changes i keep it outside it mayb got in from there i was thinkin

 

[Scottyhorse]

That thing is pretty cool and kinda cute!

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Yes it is a dragon fly I'm almost positive I've caught one at the beach before I was sitting at a bench and happened to look down and see something crawling so I picked it up raised it and couple weeks later I had a blue dragonfly in a bug cage coolest thing ever

 

[katiebug]

aren't dragonflies good luck?

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Ooooo I wanna look that up

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

This Is what I found...
The dragonfly represents:
prosperity
good luck
strength
peace
harmony
purity
Here is a website I found it on:
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-symbolism-dragonfly.html

 

[wildroseofky]

I was getting my 10 gallon fish less tank ready to be used as a QT tank and found a dragonfly larva in it too. That makes two I have found in tanks with nothing new added in a month. I relocated the other one back outside. I may let this one grow to maturity in the Ten gallon. I am planning on QT'ing 5 black khuli loaches so they should be alright. I am going to feed it dried shrimp and blood worms. They eat other insects so it should do good. I have seen plenty of dragonfly larva in my pond but have never seen one transform to an adult.

 

[Coursair]

I was getting my 10 gallon fish less tank ready to be used as a QT tank and found a dragonfly larva in it too. That makes two I have found in tanks with nothing new added in a month. I relocated the other one back outside. I may let this one grow to maturity in the Ten gallon. I am planning on QT'ing 5 black khuli loaches so they should be alright. I am going to feed it dried shrimp and blood worms. They eat other insects so it should do good. I have seen plenty of dragonfly larva in my pond but have never seen one transform to an adult.

Don't mix it with ANY fish. They are major predators. They will kill fish if they can.

 

[Oohitsae]

Pleaseee kill it asap!!

Damsel's are a horror to have in your tank! I've known people that have had their entire tanks wiped out by them!

Also, if you see one, its very likely there will be more hiding. Not trying to panic you, but its something you'll really want to keep an eye out for. like Coursair said, they are MAJOR predators, and can live underwater for a year or two from what I've read. (I've read about them a lot because of all the horror stories I've heard on other forums)

If you have driftwood, remove and boil it asap, from everything I've seen and researched of them, adults will lay their eggs in them, but can also lay them in plants.
Copper is the best and safest route to go with treating the rest of your tank (if you dont have any shrimp or snails), it'll easily kill the rest of them if you have any.

 

[Cactuspixie]

I'm grateful for this thread. Yesterday I scooped some detritus from my guppy pond and found one of these creatures. Heeding the advice given here, he met the sole of my shoe pretty darn quickly.

 

[clearancepuppy]

Oh joy. Another thing to add to the nightmare list. 0_o. Good to know, however.

 

[Scottyhorse]

Oh joy. Another thing to add to the nightmare list. 0_o. Good to know, however.

LOL pretty much. I can just imagine a giant bug eating all my fish!

 

[wildroseofky]

Dragonfly larvae cannot eat anything bigger than they are. The average size of a dragonfly larvae is around 1/2 inch. In the wild they eat tadpoles, water bugs, and mosquito larvae. A small tetra or similar size fish may be at risk but not much else. Fish in fact will eat them. Here is an interesting study done by a group of scientist that shows dragonfly larvae will die around fish from stress.

Dragonflies Are Literally Scared to Death of Fish | Insects, Larvae, Fish & Fear | Fear & Survivial | LiveScience

Return it to the wild if you can. Any still body of water would do. They are way more beneficial than they are a threat.

 

[LostInFish]

Holy moly that thing is huge had to be from outside contaminate looks crazy. Not a parasite to big for that lol WOW! Feed it to your fish lol my redtail catfish would eat that lol. Just saying

 

[Oohitsae]

Dragonfly larvae cannot eat anything bigger than they are. The average size of a dragonfly larvae is around 1/2 inch. In the wild they eat tadpoles, water bugs, and mosquito larvae. A small tetra or similar size fish may be at risk but not much else. Fish in fact will eat them. Here is an interesting study done by a group of scientist that shows dragonfly larvae will die around fish from stress.

Dragonflies Are Literally Scared to Death of Fish | Insects, Larvae, Fish & Fear | Fear & Survivial | LiveScience

Return it to the wild if you can. Any still body of water would do. They are way more beneficial than they are a threat.

I've actually heard of and seen pictures of one of these eating an oto and even a fully grown male betta before.
I'm not sure how much larger than that they will try to eat, but in an aquarium they will become desperate and try to eat what they can. In the wild, sure, they'll go for easier/smaller prey, but in an Aquarium the rules of engagement are changed since they don't have anything else to go after

 

[Miyavp]

Oh my gosh....as if I was paranoid enough about my fishtanks.....Eeek!

 

[wildroseofky]

I would check your tank thoroughly for more of them. I did a thorough vacuuming of the 10 gallon tank and found 10 more. I removed them from my tank and will be relocating them outside. Haven't found anymore in the 29 gallon besides the one. I have two mollies that eat everything though so if they were in there they were eaten.