MOSSY STREAM: Dooa Mizukusa wall

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Yes I’ve looked into the mealybug ladybird that eats mealybugs etc

Although I tried putting them on an aphid infested Hellebore and the wretched things kept wandering off!)

I bought <"Cryptolaemus montrouzieri"> for the glasshouse. It started well, but they soon decided to leave and they fly really strongly when it is warm. If I put a mealybug effected plant in the glasshouse, it is pretty quickly cleaned up, but I have no idea what eats them.

The parasitoid wasps of the genus Aphidius <"are much more effective">. I never bought these, they just arrived on their own, I'm not sure how they would do in a house. In the glasshouse there are usually a few aphids in the spring, but they all end up parasitised as the temperature climbs.

I also purchased the midge <"Aphidoletes aphidimyza">, they persisted for a long time but I'm not sure I have any left.

cheers Darrel

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Thanks Iain, yes it’s been doing really well to be honest until very recently where I now have a massive black aphid outbreak which are slowly killing my maidenhair ferns 😢
I am trying Diatomaceous earth to treat the aphid infestation but it’s so messy. I may try alcohol as a more direct method of killing. It’s tricky to get suitable treatment with it being over a tank with fish and inverts. Fingers crossed something will work as I’ve been loving it and the chilli rasbora are perfect fish 😍

A recent image….
View attachment 223089

love it mate, feels like a real slice out of nature! You could just cut the maidenhair down entirely, you might be surprised how quick it comes back, in a few months you would never know (going way back in time but recall Alistair documented doing exactly that and how long it took to grow back in his chocolate puddle journal although all the photos have now gone so tricky to find)

 

[Ady34]

Hi all,


I bought <"Cryptolaemus montrouzieri"> for the glasshouse. It started well, but they soon decided to leave and they fly really strongly when it is warm. If I put a mealybug effected plant in the glasshouse, it is pretty quickly cleaned up, but I have no idea what eats them.

The parasitoid wasps of the genus Aphidius <"are much more effective">. I never bought these, they just arrived on their own, I'm not sure how they would do in a house. In the glasshouse there are usually a few aphids in the spring, but they all end up parasitised as the temperature climbs.

I also purchased the midge <"Aphidoletes aphidimyza">, they persisted for a long time but I'm not sure I have any left.

cheers Darrel

Thanks Darrel, yeah those are the ladybirds I have been looking at, however I do have a single 🐞 ladybird appeared in house recently which I brought into the living room. He’s been here for a few weeks now and tonight I actually saw him eat some of the black aphids so it seems normal ladybirds eat aphids too. Ironically just watched a David Attenborough plant documentary this morning which was about Kew gardens and pest bug treatment. The parasitic wasp was one they actively use and those specific ladybirds mentioned too.

love it mate, feels like a real slice out of nature! You could just cut the maidenhair down entirely, you might be surprised how quick it comes back, in a few months you would never know (going way back in time but recall Alistair documented doing exactly that and how long it took to grow back in his chocolate puddle journal although all the photos have now gone so tricky to find)

Yes, based loosely on a Borneo stream.
Trouble is the aphids aren’t just on the maidenhair ferns, they’re over everything so I really need to eradicate. I’m not being super pro active to be honest, but I’m going to try spraying with vodka, if that doesn’t work I’ll buy some rubbing alcohol, then final resort purchase some aphid hunting ladybirds.

Still looks nice, but the maidenhair’s definitely not as vibrant….

 

[shangman]

You could try some SB Invigorator, it is a physical action killer like the d. earth but easier to apply and doesn’t have any nasty toxic stuff in it. I found it didn’t hurt any of my livestock (fish, shrimps, snails) underwater when I tried it above my tank, though the emergent plants were too far gone (mostly pennywort where it was too easy for the aphids to hide under the leaves). My dad uses it on his house plants all the time and it works great for all the common pests there.

 

[Ady34]

You could try some SB Invigorator, it is a physical action killer like the d. earth but easier to apply and doesn’t have any nasty toxic stuff in it. I found it didn’t hurt any of my livestock (fish, shrimps, snails) underwater when I tried it above my tank, though the emergent plants were too far gone (mostly pennywort where it was too easy for the aphids to hide under the leaves). My dad uses it on his house plants all the time and it works great for all the common pests there.

Thank you, I’m going to give this’s a try. Sounds like a really good product to have anyway for all my houseplants.

 

[Wookii]

Tanks look awesome as always Ady. I've lost all my Maidenhair ferns to aphids so I feel your pain!

You could try some SB Invigorator

Thats a great shout Rosie I'll be checking that out too - even though I've switched to mostly aphid resistant emersed plants, they still plague my Boston fern - it just happens to grow faster than they can suck it dry!

 

[Maf 2500]

SB Plant Invigorator is great stuff, I use it on all edible plants against mites, whitefly, aphids and the like. Never risked using it near an aquarium or pond, but good to hear it can be safe to do so @shangman

However, I do want to point out that it contains the surfactant Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate which is basically a detergent, so would advise trying to limit the amount that enters an aquarium.

Retail Concentrate Safety Data - SB Plant Invigorator Retail

 

[VarunA]

Hi Ady,
Fantastic tank... definitely looks super natural, mate. I have had enough battles with bugs in my plant collections. Even on my DOOA h36 setup, I noticed white root mealybugs or scale. I hate bugs... and I would rather deal with them first and replant the top section. The fern is super resilient, and it would re-colonize in no time. The best way to ensure you don't affect your fish is to perhaps move them to a separate tank, put saran wrap all over the surface of the tank... trying to block off all exposure to the water surface, and use a neem oil-based spray to kill the aphids (I would repeat this treatment at least 2-3 times). Do a large water change after every treatment to ensure the neem oil isn't affecting the aquarium portion. Then once the aphids are gone, I would slowly reintroduce the fish. From what I have seen, you are one of us who has multiple tanks, so I think that moving the rasbora to another small tank might be the best way to ensure you don't lose your shoal.
cheers,
V