Aquatic insect in my tank! HELP!

There is some sort of aquatic insect in my bristlenose tank! It's the first time i've seen it and i have no idea where it came from because i haven't added any plants to the tank in about a month!!

It's white, with bulging eyes, almost looks like a mini praying mantis and has 3 stinger like protrusions from its rear

What is it? Is it a threat? Should i remove it when i see it again?

can you take a photo and post ? cheers jk

possibly mayfly larvae?

wow praying mantis insect in your tank...lol

can not wait to see the first photo's

anything like this http://www.krisweb.com/aqualife/mayfly.gif It's a mayfly larva. I would get rid of it.

parkadge wrote:

anything like this http://www.krisweb.com/aqualife/mayfly.gif It's a mayfly larva. I would get rid of it.

that is one bad ass shrimp they would probably say in the District 9 movie, which I have to say is the worst movie I saw of last year...

hmmm just glad I have not had any predators like that in any of my aquariums

I wouldnt think its a mayfly larvae...I would think its a damselfly larvae. they are more common in tank than mayflys as mayflys dont like tanks too much, not enough current etc.

the way to tell is if the three tails (its gills) are just like simple tail like things or if the gills are more like leaves when viewed from the side.

either way they are harmless in the tank unless you have small fry (bristlenose fry are too big).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD5wsoycsqI just dont let it near any fry

kfenk wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD5wsoycsqI just dont let it near any fry

That's one nasty little creature you don't want in your fry tank

i haven't seem it again since my last post but i'm keeping a close eye out for it. I will catch it and take some pics when i isolate it.

Thanks for all your help guys, parkadge i checked mayfly and thought that's what it was, but then i saw doug's post and kfenk's link to the damselfly and that is a splitting reflection of what i saw in my tank.

So, Doug, you think i should leave it in the tank or remove it because I temporarily have 6 peppermint fry in there atm and that clip almost brought me to tears

I would take it out, there are predators after all

Take it out ASAP

I know someone who lost over 300 Black Corydoras fry to a Dragon fly Larve in the tank it ate them in 6 days and he never even knew it was there

i finally caught the darn thing but it has gotten to my baby shrimps! While doing a water change yesterday and vaccuuming the gravel i found the remains of half eaten shrimps! I knew things weren't adding up when half the shrimps were pregnant but i couldn't see any offspring. It must of been in the tank for a while because there was a fair bit of carnage I did the humane thing and and let it go outside in my drainwater barrel where there's plenty of mosquito larvae for it :P

Sorry for the picture quality but it's the best i could do :P (i'm no mooo)!! :P

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WOW

That is one ugly assed thing LOL

Naww, I love them!

but then again studying them for 3 plus years does crazy things to someone's mind :geek:

816johnv wrote:

Take it out ASAP
Author
I know someone who lost over 300 Black Corydoras fry to a Dragon fly Larve in the tank it ate them in 6 days and he never even knew it was there

there nasty u dont even know there ther till its to late it was me who lost 300 cory fry in a matter of 24 hours
i thought my ex did a good job at wipeing me out after i got divorsed lol
i bought 10 plants from pets at home wish i never now
there propper peditors at the larva stage :|