A creepy critter in my tank!

[Joby]

Ok have had some wierd things happen in one of my tanks the last couple of days and think I know why now

Last night I discovered a 5 week old guppy with her eye missing and some of her face. Also have had two week old platy babies and two 10 day old guppy babies (the only tiny ones in the tank) go missing yesterday which weren't being chased by the other fish in the tank as they knew they were too big.

Only things in the tank are 5 week old guppy fry, one adult platy and some neons. Now as I say the fish hadn't been trying to eat the fry for days and they had been coming out into the open and feeding etc.

So this morning when I fed them this horrible looking creater scuttled out in the open and started chasing the fish! It had really long legs and was very very fast so it seemed like a predator

Took a picture of it but its not very clear. I hoofed it down the garden in disgust . Poor little fish. I'm now going to replace the gravel as I think there might be more in there and I don't want to risk my fish getting hurt again. Anyone recognise what it could be and do you think it could be responsible for the missing fish and the injuries?

edited as picture didn't show

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Hi Joby,
How long is it? What colour? Maybe post the picture anyway, even just the outline could give us an idea. Hopefully there is no more! Good luck!
Sean
EDIT: Sorry, I didn't wait for the picture to load... ) Have you added anything, and I mean ANYTHING to the tank in the last little while?

 

[Joby]

It was about an inch long and its legs were really long but you can't see that in the picture. It was a rusty orange colour and sort of ridged down its back

ugh! it gave me the creeps. But when thinking about about it I remember hoovering up some very tiny black things that were similar some weeks ago but they were like a 100th of the size this thing was

I'm going to replace the gravel with sand as I'd been thinking of doing that for a while and now its given me the chance. I just wonder if it was responsible for the missing fish etc ?

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Could it have been a cyclops? Some picture of them look quite similar, though I don't think they get to an inch long, but I have read that you shouldn't feed them to fish when fry are present, because they will eat them, and it could have quite possibly started in on the other guppy, then realized it was too big. I would suggest doing a substrate change. And if possible, change the filter pads as well, although that might cause an nitrate and ammonia peak...I would get other opinions, I don't want to be responsible for killing your fish...
Sean

 

[Joby]

ewwwww!

I just googled some water insects and its a dragonfly larvae which does indeed eat young fry my poor babies

Am going to have to completely strip the tank down and insepct the filter pads rigorously for signs of anymore of them

I fed live food for the first time last night but it was only daphina and this thing certainly wasn't hitching a ride. The last time they had live food was some weeks ago as they mostly have frozen stuff along with pellets and flakes. Is it possible it came on plants at all I wonder?

 

[Sean_Buckley]

I wondered if it was dragonfly larvae, but they only time I've ever seen them, they were longer, and it could have quite possibly hitched a ride on the plants. Or if there was a lot a while ago, it could be the dragonfly laid the eggs right in the water. I'm sure if there was any left, they would be as big as the one you just had, so if I were you, I would just inspect the tank thoroughly, especcially the gravel, and if there is no more, just put some screen or something over all the opening on the tank so that damn dragonfly doesn't get back in!
Sean

 

[Joby]

I live in the UK and we don't often see them around here but I also have a condensation tray across my tank and there are no gaps so am confused at how it got there at all

It was quite long and very quick and I'm just shuddering thinking about it

Thanks for the helps Sean

 

[Sean_Buckley]

I really wasn't much help. It wasn't a cyclops, which is what I thought it was, but o well. Eggs could have come in on plants, quite possible actually.
Sean

 

[Joby]

You did help actually by making me think to google cylcops and then onto other water insects and also for realising that it was this thing that attacked my guppy and there wasn't really anything else I could have done.

I can't believe I've never seen it in there before as I watch my tanks a lot.

I've just transferred all my remaining guppy and platy to my large tank and just left the neons in there for tonight. Will replace the gravel tomorrow and rinse out the plants carefully in tank water

I know I'm gonna scream if I see any of these horrid things in there

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Ya, I'd be pretty freaked out too! I think I would start carrying a can of Raid around, and if I saw a dragonfly *psssst*! O well, I guess they do eat mosquitoes!
Sean

 

[Never2Bknown]

Being into aquatic entomology, I don't usually say this about aquatic macroinvertebrates such as these which all look very creepy, but EEEEEEEEEEEEW!! You found it in your TANK!? I don't mind finding them in rivers and streams, but your tank--eeeew!! Yeah, I was going to say it did look quite a bit like a dragonfly nymph; I couldn't think of what else it might be, especially if it was trying to eat your fry. At least it wasn't a helgramite/dobsonfly larva. Those things are a lot worse. Imagine a wide black three-inch long centipede which HUGE mandibles, and you'll know what I mean. It's very likely that the nymph came in on your plants; careful to wash any more new plants very very carefully! Don't want that happening again.

 

[Joby]

Nooooooooooooo not a 3 inch monster in there! Will be having nightmares all night about cleaning out this tank tomorrow

It seems that it slowly ate my newish born fry over the last week or so and then started on this other guppy last night. Poor female was indeed the next smallest of the fry

She is actually managing to eat even though she's lost an eye and part of her "cheek" so to speak. I have melafix in there and so far she doesn't appear to show any infection.

Will be washing plants rigorously from now on

 

[Never2Bknown]

Don't worry. If there was a helgramite in there, your guppy--along with more of your fish, no doubt--would have already dissappeared. Those are creepy, though, even for me.

 

[nakomis90]

OMG, ok i always watch my tank, but now im going to watch like 24/7
ohhh this had to be awfull... i don't know what id do!
eeeew

 

[fall-apart-dave]

It would have been interesting to isolate the nymph and let it grow into a dragonfly. They are beautiful creatures when matured .