Beetle Hitchhiker In Fw Tank!

[xxBarneyxx]

I have just found a beetle walking around in my Planted FW tank! I'm not too sure what he is. Looks a little like a cricket, six legs, small mouth parts about 1 cm long with a brown striped back.

Can someone please ID him for me and tell me if he is safe or not?

Pictures below, I think he has moulted ad I see some shell there that looks like his (unless there is another one which is dead!). I have taken him out for the moment but if he is a safe critter I will put him back in.

Sorry this is posted in the tropical fish emergencys section too. not too sure where the best place to put it so someone who knows will see it

I think he came in on some crypts I bought from the LFS last weekend.

 

[jourdy288]

Harmless. He's actually the larvae of an aquatic insect larvae. He'll feed off of whatever scraps are in the tank. Grow him up! (don't overfeed)

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I have him in a large container at the moment with a bit of substrate and have dropped a crushed up fish flake in there. Will see what happens

 

[fishboy619]

he looks intresting. keep us updated to see what he turns into.

 

[three-fingers]

Harmless. He's actually the larvae of an aquatic insect larvae. He'll feed off of whatever scraps are in the tank. Grow him up! (don't overfeed)

That looks like a young dragonfly larvae to me....so if you mean small fish when you say 'whatever scraps', your right .
I don't know what species or even genus that larvae is in however, so it may not grow large enough to take small fish.

If your going to keep it in the jar, try to keep the water quality up, and feed it live foods like bloodworm .

 

[jourdy288]

Dragonfly larvae...you might want to google that. I'll check right now. Uh-oh, powers ot due to hurricane Dean, I'm in St Lucia. I have to wait before sending this. Nevermind, internet still works. Wait, looks more like a stonefly larvae. Is he benthic(bottom dwelling) or staying in plants? Yipes! Sorry, a moth just flew on me. Attracted to the light of my screen, only light around in the hotel. look, afemale winged ant, a little gnat!?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

From the pictures I have seen on the net the cloest looking was dragonfly lavae (wasn't an exact match though). It has a dragonfly shaped head (not that that is much to go by ). When I found him in the tank he was walking on the bottom. In his current home his doesnt have any plants so has no choice but to walk on the bottom.

 

[33moths]

How's your dragonfly baby doing?

 

[jourdy288]

What does WTF stand for? Anyway, has s/he molted? Be sure to have plants sticking out of the water. As it becomes an adult, it will need to leave the water and fly. Also, have a descent cover! Reminds me of my betta fry tank, I got lots of stuff from a vernal pool(similar to a pond, look it up) and gots insect larvae, worms, and lots of good conditioning live food.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I put him in my sisters pond as it didnt seem to eat anything that I put in with it. I did find another one in my tank which is a bit worrying (he joined the first one in my sisters pond). I guess if there is two there are probably more so this might end up being a complete nightmare. So far all my fish seem ok and there are at least a few shrimp still in there (hard to see these guys anyway so they are probably ok) but will keep a watch on them.