Who is eating her plants? Or is it?

[Ravenswing]

A member of local aquarium forum asked help. My best bet was that the main issue is something else than a pest, but what do you think? Something is definetly going on, but what? She described that a pest or some kind of insect is monstrously eating her plants. Fast. The insect is very small, covered by a black shell, they also have some kind of (light green?) pincers, but later they were said to be maybe antennas. The only thing that comes into my mind is Acroloxus lacustris (or Ferrisia clessiniana) but they dont fully correspond to described insect and as far as I know, they usually dont harm plants. Any ideas?

She described destroyed plants (holes, rotting, melting, marble leaves) but what came into my mind when I red about damages, it sounded more likely a nutrition problem than pest issue. Could it possible that the pest, whatever it is, is harmless itself, something we know well like some snail or so, but now it has started to eat plants in poor condition? Im pretty sure that if (IF!) there were such a monster with such a distastrous appetite, we would already know it. I found some mistakes in plant maintenance routines (Easy Carbo + just micros, poor water circulation, stucked filters) but has these two things, pests and poor plants, something in common or not?

 

[roadmaster]

Well, I believe the easiest thing to fix immediately would be nutrient availability.
No mention is made of lighting used which dictates how much CO2/nutrient's might be needed.
I have more than a few snail's and seldom see them damaging healthy plant's.Perhap's said critter's may not be problem at all other than from aesthetic standpoint.
Regular tank maint,filter cleaning could bring condition's that the pest's don't appreciate?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

? She described that a pest or some kind of insect is monstrously eating her plants. Fast. The insect is very small, covered by a black shell, they also have some kind of (light green?) pincers, but later they were said to be maybe antennas.

something we know well like some snail or so, but now it has started to eat plants in poor condition?

Odds on it is a Snail, Lymnaea stagnalis? would eat living plants, and the young specimens are quite dark and speedy. My suspicion would be that you and "Roadmaster" are correct about plant health being an issue as well.

cheers Darrel

 

[Ravenswing]

Thanks Darrel and Roadmaster.

Roadmaster: wise words from you, thats what I suggested too, take better care of her plants and the problem will be gone.

Darrel: I will ask her to check L stagnalis, maybe it fits and maybe it is eating her plants now.