Help Identifying These ' White Things'

[MoreCoffee]

Here is a pic of some strange little 'white things' that are in my shrimp hatching tank ....

This is the largest one I could find and is about 1mm in length from head to tail. You can get an idea of their size in relation to the surface bubbles.

I'm assuming 'head' and 'tail' ends based on how they swim. There are also quite a few smaller ones (less than 0.5mm) that dont seem to have the two lumps towards the tail end.

I'd be interested in knowing what they are ...... I dont think these are shrimp larvae, I have a feeling they arrived in some moss that is now in the shrimp tank !

Can anybody identify these ? They dont appear to be causing any problems, but there do seem to be more of them now than when I first saw them

Al

P.S. - The pic was taken by putting a jewellers eye-glass up to the lens of my camera (I was quite impressed it worked) !

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Its a cyclops, commonly found in ponds and any puddles or water traps.
They are completely harmless, and provide food for fish and baby fry, you will probably find after you add fish they will reduce in number.

I had some recently in a new setup, after adding the fish I cant find them any more.

The two oval parts at the base of the cyclops are ( i think!!!) their young still in the developing stage, these get released and thus new baby cyclops.

Google them!!!!!

Here its in this link, lots of info.

http/www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexm...es/cyclops.html

 

[MoreCoffee]

Many thanks Moody,

Yeah that's them alright !

Hmmm ....... I wonder if my new carniverous Utricularia graminifolia would like a 'snack' once it settles into the new tank

It'd be nice to see those bladder traps in use !

Thanks again

 

[Themuleous]

Hmmm ....... I wonder if my new carniverous Utricularia graminifolia would like a 'snack' once it settles into the new tank

Guess this is the kinda thing they eat in the wild! They could even have got into the tank via the plant when you added it

Sam

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Not sure how big the bladders are on your meat eating plant but i would think adult cyclops would be to large to be eaten but not thier young.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Not sure how big the bladders are on your meat eating plant but i would think adult cyclops would be to large to be eaten but not thier young.

Sam,
I dont think it came in on the graminifolia, they are a Tropica plant and are grown emerged ... I think it came in on some moss I got recently from somewhere else.

Moody,
Having looked more closely at it ..... I think yr right.

Apparently, if you can easily see it with the naked eye ... it's probably too big for the U. graminifolia to capture, however the young might just end up as Plant 'food'

I was starting to feel like some kid wanting to feed a venus fly trap

 

[Themuleous]

good point