Identification Please

[manth1975]

Please could someone tell me what this might be? This was my small heated tank that had guppy fry in it. Turned things off about a week ago (due to snail infestation) but have been I'll so not cleaned it out. I really do not want to put my hand in with this. Yuk!

 

[Rivercats]

That is interesting.... it looks like some kind of larval or nymph stage of a dragonfly, mayfly, or any other number of flying insects that lay eggs in water. It could have easily come in as an egg on a plant and is in it's aquatic stage. Just net it out. See these kinds of things in our ponds and stream all the time.

 

[tarpon]

Doesn't look like a dragonfly nymph to me but yeah I'd net it out. It could munch on your fry

 

[matty2085]

+1 for dragonfly type larvae. We get them in our pond all the time.

 

[tarpon]

Okay so I googled dragonfly larvae and it looks exactly like it

 

[manth1975]

Thanks folks. Must have come in on plants. I'm emptying out whole tank so I think I will put it all down an outside drain. Fish have already been moved to community tank. Just gave me a turn lol. Thinking about starting it up again from scratch with a few neons from main tank then getting some sort of single showy fish. Possible a beta. : )

 

[manth1975]

Going to wash filter casing and heater in hot water. Will washing gravel in hot water kill off any remaining snail eggs or should I get fresh?

 

[huma-huma]

Going to wash filter casing and heater in hot water. Will washing gravel in hot water kill off any remaining snail eggs or should I get fresh?

Copper sure will kill them

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Copper will do the trick but it will also kill any other inverts you may have

 

[chrismiller21]

If you are restarting your tank, get a big stainless steel pot, throw your gravel in hot boiling water followed by everything else you want cleaned. Then turn the stove off and let sit for 10 minutes. Nothing will survive. let cool or rinse with cold water and restart your tank. I do this to get start a tank over with no snails.

 

[meegosh]

I would advise against using copper. If you want to keep inverts later down the road they will die off from the residual copper in the system. Snail overpopulation usually comes from overfeeding. Try cutting back on feedings and/or squish the eggs/snails. If you don't have any snails and just egg clutches, just remove them with a credit card or something similar.

 

[manth1975]

Thanks Chris. I will do. No I didn't fancy putting copper or anything in. Just want to sterilise it so I don't get more snails popping up. I actually put the snails in the big tank for loaches to eat when I catch em. : )