# Is that a Damselfly nymph in my tank? HELP!!!  :-0



## Zak Rafik

Hi everyone,

OK, a few days back, while I was appreciating my Red Cherry Shrimps, I noticed a small strange “insect” like creature swimming at the lower bottom of the tank. I was too shocked by the sight of it to act quickly and catch it. Within a matter of seconds, it “swam” or “slithered” away deep into the dense plantation. I did not get a chance to see it again until 2 days back.

By chance I came upon the identification of this “insect” through a YouTube channel by a German guy who keeps shrimps and from there, I learnt that I had actually seen a Damselfly nymph in my tank!

It seems that not only can one introduce snail eggs but also Damselfly or Dragonfly eggs via aquatic plants. Go figure!
My plants were planted about 50 odd days ago so I don’t know how long it took for the nymphs to hatch from the eggs.

This morning I found a leaf from my Lobelia cardinalis floating and noticed some kind of “egg” like stuff attached to the underside of it. I have taken a close up of the “egg” like stuff. I don’t know if this is unhatched Damselfly eggs. It could be Damselfly eggs or something else.

Can any member identify this “egg” like stuff? Are these really eggs or some sort of fungus or something else?

Do Damselfly nymph pose a danger to my planted tank? I know the nymphs are carnivorous but can’t harm the Otos or the SAEs in the tank due to their size factor. But I’m very concerned for my Amano/Yamato shrimps and Red Cherry shrimps. What do you think?

How can I catch this nymphs?

Thank you in advance.

Warm Regards

Raffik

http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b631/Zak_Rafik/eggs-on-leaf-what-is-it_zpsa980e1cf.jpg

http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b631/Zak_Rafik/damselfly_2_zps7b9fb5b4.jpg


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## MirandaB

Unfortunately it's quite likely that they will predate on the shrimp,particularly the Cherry shrimp  they are devils to catch and if your tank is well planted it's going to be nigh on impossible.
I don't think there's anything that you can add to the tank to kill them due to the livestock you already have.
I'm not sure about the "eggs" on the leaves,Damselfly eggs are usually laid in clusters similar to caterpillar eggs.


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## Zak Rafik

Even adult Cherry Shrimps?

OK worst case scenario, how long do these nymphs live given that fact that I have only algae eaters and shrimps in the tank? The only food I feed the algae eaters are parboiled zucchinis or lettuce leaves.
Can they attack the adult Cherry Shrimps or Amano shrimps?

I have read that one should quarantine plants or do a potassium permanganate / bleach bath on plants to get rid of snail eggs before planting but nothing on Damselfly or Dragonfly eggs.

Regards
Raffik


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## MirandaB

The complete life cycle for a damselfly is I believe about 12 months but most of this is spent as a nymph.
I don't know whether turning up the temperature,dependant on your livestock of course,would speed up the cycle....I'm thinking in your average tropical tank it would speed up anyway.
They may not attack adult Cherry shrimp but I can't be certain of this although I would think adult Amano's would be safe.
You could always chuck a few daphnia or midge larvae in every so often in the hopes that any nymphs would take those first.
I've never quarantined my plants but then I am careful where I source them from,usually from reputable suppliers such as Aquaessentials etc.
The bleach solution dip is often used by people to solve the snail problem and would work for the Damsel/dragonfly eggs too


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## Zak Rafik

MirandaB said:


> The complete life cycle for a damselfly is I believe about 12 months but most of this is spent as a nymph.


Not exactly good need news to hear, is it?



MirandaB said:


> I've never quarantined my plants but then I am careful where I source them from,usually from reputable suppliers


I never quarantined my plants either as there was nothing in the tank to start off with at the time of planting. And as for the "reputable", the source where I bought from, it is the biggest in my country with branches in Malaysia and China!! There was an interesting article about this "reputable" company in Practical Fishkeeping magazine. It seemed that they used pesticide chemicals which are no longer allowed in EU.

Now I think about it, I think this is KARMA.
When I was little, I would catch these Damselflies and tie strings onto their tail as fly them as "kites"
And NOW it's PAY BACK TIME, I guess.

What goes around, comes around.

Cheers
Raffik


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## MirandaB

I know I shouldn't laugh but yes it's looks like payback time!!!!  have to say it looks like their pesticides don't work very well!
The nymphs aren't strong swimmers so if you have good flow it's likely that they will spend a lot of time lurking in the plants or tucked under hardscape so they'd be the places to look for them


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## Zak Rafik

MirandaB said:


> The nymphs aren't strong swimmers so if you have good flow it's likely that they will spend a lot of time lurking in the plants or tucked under hardscape so they'd be the places to look for them


True. I spotted it twice. Once at the very end of the tank, where there is a gentle flow and once under the rock cave. Today henceforth, I keep a small net handy nearby just in case it is spotted.

Oh BTW, I just read in a forum that one seldom finds more than one or two in a typical tank.Is this true? PLEASE say this is true!

Regards
Raffik


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## MirandaB

For the most part it's true......BUT I did have a friend who fished about 20 out of her newly set up tank


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## Zak Rafik

OK.


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## MirandaB

Thought you might appreciate a little pic I took a couple of months ago


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## Mr. Teapot

I didn't see a drop in the population of my cherries and I had two adults eventually emerge:


 
I'd keep him and watch it grow up


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## Zak Rafik

Hi MirandaB
Cute guy and fantastic shot.
Why can't he be cute also when he is inside my tank.

How did you get it to stay still?

Hi "Mr.Teapot"
Wow! Good shot.If you have more, I would luv to see them too.
Glad to hear some glad tidings about my situation. 
So there is hope?
Cheers
Raffik


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## MirandaB

I'm lucky enough to have a river at the bottom of the garden, I spend a lot of time in there when the weather's hot enough so I think the Damselflies are probably used to me  this is my favourite shot I've ever taken of them,wish I was more of a photographer but I'm a snapper


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## Zak Rafik

MirandaB said:


> ,wish I was more of a photographer but I'm a snapper


Oh my word! You're being too humble. I bought a Canon 600D 2 years back and till today, I'm struggling to get decent shots.

I think this photo may just change my impression of Damselflies. 
BTW fantabulous photo.

Still, I wonder if any members here can tell me what those "egg" like stuff found under my leaves are? 
1.Eggs.
2.Fungus.
3.Some form of sloooow moving parasite .
4.Totally nothing to be concerned about and stop being so paranoid and just get on with life.

Cheers
Raffik


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## MirandaB

Have you tried poking the stuff about to see if there's anything inside? 
Think I'd be tempted to advise option 4


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## Zak Rafik

Yeah I did. Its covered with some jelly like stuff. 

OK then. Option 4 activated.
Thanks and take care.
Raffik


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## Zak Rafik

Ok this morning, this is what I saw among the plants at the back of my tank. A half eaten Cherry Shrimp. 

Nymph?



http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums...C-B05C-45B5-B5CA-8011282907D1_zpswoo9zgej.jpg


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## prdad

Cut the top off a small plastic bottle and reverse it into the body creating a small trap. Pop the half eaten shrimp in there and leave it in the tank. And cross your fingers.


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## Zak Rafik

Humm.....Sounds workable. Will try thanks. 



prdad said:


> Cut the top off a small plastic bottle and reverse it into the body creating a small trap. Pop the half eaten shrimp in there and leave it in the tank.


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## dw1305

Hi all, 
I don't think a dead shrimp will work. Damselfly nymphs hunt via vision, and this is triggered by movement (bit like spiders).

cheers Darrel


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## prdad

Swap dead shrimp for live shrimp?


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## Zak Rafik

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> I don't think a dead shrimp will work. Damselfly nymphs hunt via vision, and this is triggered by movement (bit like spiders).
> 
> cheers Darrel



Hi Darrel
Ok. Is there no way to trap these nymphs or get rid of them?

Cheers
Raffik


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## Martin in Holland

Don't try to catch it, just kill it by cutting it in half with scissors...that's what I did...they try to hide and this will give you a chance to get it and just cut...sounds brutal but that's nature for you.


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## ltsai

I once siphoned it out and fed my angel fish in another tank.


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## Zak Rafik

Martin in China said:


> Don't try to catch it, just kill it by cutting it in half with scissors...that's what I did...they try to hide and this will give you a chance to get it and just cut...sounds brutal but that's nature for you.



I had the bugger very close to my scissor but escaped. Due to the heavy plant load it's a hide n seek we're playing.  A photo of the tank taken this morning. 


 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ltsai

Nice thank!


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## Martin in Holland

That's going to be difficult to even find the little bugg'rrrr..... love your tank though, can't blame the guy for liking it there


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## ian_m

This will get it....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suitcase_nuke


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## Zak Rafik

Martin in China said:


> That's going to be difficult to even find the little bugg'rrrr..... love your tank though, can't blame the guy for liking it there



Thanks. So nice of you. 



ian_m said:


> This will get it....
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suitcase_nuke


Hi ian_m
Ok!! you got laughing so hard I ran out of breath. 
Making someone laugh is gift and you have got it
Thanks.

Oh and by the way, I asked a few LFS for the suitecase nuke, it seems, they don't have stock right now.


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## ian_m

Zak Rafik said:


> Oh and by the way, I asked a few LFS for the suitecase nuke, it seems, they don't have stock right now


Should be back in stock soon, as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 allowed them to be made again.

Also this is very effective, but has a light side effect on other animals present, as well as you having extreme supply difficulties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_cyanide


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## ian_m

On a more serious note, make a bottle trap. Search Google images for "fish bottle trap" to get the idea. I've done it to catch a clown loach, using a coke bottle, neck cut away to make larger entrance hole and some food in the bottle. Attach string lift out when prey is on bottle.

You could make quite a few to better your chances of capture, however you will need to monitor as I suspect the traps will also catch your shrimp.

There is a video on UkApps somewhere of a nymph scoffing a fish that someone filmed in their tank.


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## Zak Rafik

ian_m said:


> There is a video on UkApps somewhere of a nymph scoffing a fish that someone filmed in their tank.



Thanks for the tip. Sounds similar to what member prdad posted a while back.

As for the video, yeah I have seen it. It's like the Top Ten videos. Seems very popular in many forumes.
I can already see it "And the nominees for the category Being A Pain In The Butt are: damselfly nymph from Raffik's tank, damselfly nymph from the popular YouTube clip........ And the winner is......"


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## Zak Rafik

Hi Everyone,
At last, I managed to catch the Damselfly Nymph from my tank this evening. 
He was hiding among the Christmas moss. Netted it and a made short video of it.
Sadly I can see that he has eaten one or two Red Cherry Shrimps judging from the reddish colour in his translucent abdomen.
After reading the benefits it has on the ecosystem, I didn't kill it but rather released it into a pond nearby my home.
Will keep a look out if there are more in my tank but I don't think so.Fingers crossed.

Cheers and take care.
Raffik


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## MirandaB

Well done!!! Fingers crossed it was the only one in there


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## sparkyweasel

Nice to hear you released it into the wild.


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## Martin in Holland

Well done...releasing it is better than killing ofcourse.


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## Zak Rafik

Hi everyone,

This what I saw near the spot where I caught him or her near the moss plant.
I think the reason I was able to catch the guy easily was because he was happily munching away on my beloved Red Cherry Shrimp.
The photo below is of the half eaten shrimp. And judging from the size of the shrimp. the small nymph was tackling something bigger than him. Its was like a "BIG MAC" for that guy.




MirandaB said:


> Well done!!! Fingers crossed it was the only one in there


Nope! there was one more. I found it inside the Eheim skimmer where it was helping itself to a shrimplet which managed to get inside.

Today henceforth, I declare war on these nymphs.
If I can catch them easily, then I shall most kindly release them into the pond 
*
BUT* 

If they're stubborn then I'm sorry! 

Good day
Raffik

http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b631/Zak_Rafik/IMG_7616_zps106545e8.jpg


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## Zak Rafik

Just a quick update.
Till now, it seems there are no more nymphs in the tank. Yahooooo!


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## Aqua360

Zak Rafik said:


> Just a quick update.
> Till now, it seems there are no more nymphs in the tank. Yahooooo!



good job  I am absolutely paranoid about these things now; after discovering some in my 10 litre, and even in my large 350 litre.


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## george29

Hi,

Was just watching my tank, only 6 weeks old and saw this little beasty, though could only photo its white forked tail in the center of the pic.

Though it looks like two forks  to its tail in the pic, sure I could see three;    it was about 15mm long, white in colour with two small black eyes.

Seen mention in this post  of a bottle trap but wondered if anyone has use other methods to catch them ?

Though I do not have any shrimps, did recently add some little dwarf Corys, just 15-20mm, will they be safe with this Damsel nymph around ?

It it likely there will be more Nymphs around or do they typically just turn up alone ?


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## george29

Yikes !   just going to feed the fish this morning and noticed something on the inlet pipe, closer inspection and could see it was an adult Damsel fly just about ready to take off. 
Managed to net it and take a very quick blurry photo before I let it go outside, though not sure if it will survive the current 4c temps.

Thought the nymphs stayed in the tank for years, though this one clearly just emerged,  do wonder how I missed seeing such large creatures on the plants when introduced 6 weeks ago.

Just a bit concerned how many more are in the tank ?       non of the fish appear to be troubled, though have not seen the Assassin snail since I introduced it a few weeks ago the help control the little pond snails.


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## Konsa

Hi
I transferred some moss with Asselus aquaticus,Californian black worms  and Crangonyx Pseudogracilis from my out door bucket to start food colonies for my new setup before stocking with fish.The damselfly eggs must have been in it.Ended up  with 7 nymphs I caught on my prefilter sponge and fed to my SAP Puffers and another 5 hatched and were found in top of my floaters under the hood also fed to my puffers .All black worms,Crangonyx Pseudogracilis  and asselus  were eaten plus few juvenile red cherries.Had to restock them all.Nasty, greedy little buggers they are.
Regards Konsa


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## Ken Loach

george29 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Was just watching my tank, only 6 weeks old and saw this little beasty, though could only photo its white forked tail in the center of the pic.
> 
> Though it looks like two forks  to its tail in the pic, sure I could see three;    it was about 15mm long, white in colour with two small black eyes.
> 
> Seen mention in this post  of a bottle trap but wondered if anyone has use other methods to catch them ?
> 
> Though I do not have any shrimps, did recently add some little dwarf Corys, just 15-20mm, will they be safe with this Damsel nymph around ?
> 
> It it likely there will be more Nymphs around or do they typically just turn up alone ?
> 
> View attachment 119509



Damsel nymphs have three tail appendages that look rather like little feathery leaves. That forked tail doesn’t look like a damsel nymph. I know these things from being a fly fisherman for 40 years and also tying my own flies, many of which represent damsel nymphs.


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## dw1305

Hi all, 





Ken Loach said:


> Damsel nymphs have three tail appendages that look rather like little feathery leaves. That forked tail doesn’t look like a damsel nymph.


Stonefly (Plecoptera) nymphs have two tail appendages, but that would be a fairly unlikely in a tank.

cheers Darrel


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## Konsa

Hi
It may be dragonfly nimph still a predator and needs removing 
Regards Konsa


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## george29

Hi,

Though only two apparent in the photo, as mentioned, the nymph  did have three tails .

Thankfully it stayed in the crown of that crypt so I could get a siphon tube running and sucked it out first time ,  . lucky   

With that one actually hatching into a fly  just a couple of days later , wonder what else is in the tank !   - but being a new tank. they can only have come from the plants but clearly  I must have  missed  any signs of eggs or wiggly things ...


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## Parablennius

Are we not looking at and emerged adult?? I think the pic shows the body, lower, and the folded wings, upper. I've had them emerge into my lounge before, just like that.


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## dw1305

Hi all, 





Parablennius said:


> Are we not looking at and emerged adult?


On this page we are. It was the nymph picture on the previous page.

cheers Darrel


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