Damselfly nymph

[Wills]

Oh no... a second damselfly larvae and now hydra too?? Dude, I'm sorry. I'd definitely message her. You don't have to put her on blast publicly if it makes you uncomfortable, but I would see how she handles it, whether she posts a warning on her ads that the plants are grown outdoors and may contain eggs and predatory insects! I mean, come on. You're experienced enough to at least know what these things are and that they're bad news, to remove them. But what if other buyers have no idea why their shrimp and baby fish are vanishing? I'd be really unhappy to have paid for plants, only to wind up with this.

But, I'm also stubborn and have a mean streak, and I understand that you're not going to be nasty about it


They'd snag shrimplets if they find them, sure. A large molly might try to eat an adult shrimp, not sure, I never actually put them together. But mollies are greedy and like live food and insects, so can imagine them going for shrimp if given the chance.


Dang, that sucks. I watched mine eat one once. But mine were also huge, around 7 years old and had grown really big, maybe that's why hydra were easy for them?

Its not worth it TBH, her facebook page has 12 likes so yeah. Live and learn situation.

Are Hydra a big deal? I've had them before but fish have eaten them, not kept shrimp before so don't know what they do?

Wills

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Its not worth it TBH, her facebook page has 12 likes so yeah. Live and learn situation.

Are Hydra a big deal? I've had them before but fish have eaten them, not kept shrimp before so don't know what they do?

Wills

Those wavy tentacle things are stingers. They grab and sting small fish fry, or shrimplets, kill and eat them. Sorta horror movie monster in miniature. Your shrimp colony won't thank you for having hydra around...

 

[Colin_T]

I doubt anybody can guarantee you perfectly clean plants for an aquarium unless they grow the plants hydroponically in a sealed room so insects can't get in.

You got a damselfly larvae and some hydra, it happens to everyone at some point. It's not going to cause too many problems because you know it's there. Remove the damselfly larvae and treat the hydra. Next week you won't even be thinking about it.

 

[Wills]

Thanks guys I've just read that Ramshorn snails eat them so my 2 hitch hikers can stay for a bit longer.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Those wavy tentacle things are stingers. They grab and sting small fish fry, or shrimplets, kill and eat them. Sorta horror movie monster in miniature. Your shrimp colony won't thank you for having hydra around...

Hmm, think I might have been confused. Hydra are definitely a risk to shrimplets, but I don't know whether they're big enough/able to take down fish fry. It was this video I saw a long while ago that I was thinking of, where a damselfly larvae catches and eats a tiny fry. Warning that the video is pretty gross, and might be upsetting to some viewers.

I doubt anybody can guarantee you perfectly clean plants for an aquarium unless they grow the plants hydroponically in a sealed room so insects can't get in.

You got a damselfly larvae and some hydra, it happens to everyone at some point. It's not going to cause too many problems because you know it's there. Remove the damselfly larvae and treat the hydra. Next week you won't even be thinking about it.

Way to be mean about it! He's allowed to be annoyed. Most of the time you buy from a store or a fellow hobbyist, the plants aren't loaded with damselfly larvae and hydra, and he does have shrimp in his tank. He's allowed to vent about it even if it's not a big deal to you.

Of course no one can guarantee that they're grown under lab conditions except the plants that were grown in-vitro. But there's a difference between "oh no, a damselfly somehow invaded my fishroom", and just scooping a load of duckweed from your back garden pond and charging money for it.

 

[Wills]

Hmm, think I might have been confused. Hydra are definitely a risk to shrimplets, but I don't know whether they're big enough/able to take down fish fry. It was this video I saw a long while ago that I was thinking of, where a damselfly larvae catches and eats a tiny fry. Warning that the video is pretty gross, and might be upsetting to some viewers.

Way to be mean about it! He's allowed to be annoyed. Most of the time you buy from a store or a fellow hobbyist, the plants aren't loaded with damselfly larvae and hydra, and he does have shrimp in his tank. He's allowed to vent about it even if it's not a big deal to you.

Of course no one can guarantee that they're grown under lab conditions except the plants that were grown in-vitro. But there's a difference between "oh no, a damselfly somehow invaded my fishroom", and just scooping a load of duckweed from your back garden pond and charging money for it.

I think Colin is right here can't believe he is the rational one this time haha! The Hydra is not a big deal over all I can sort it out. It was a post more that its interesting than being too worried, though the nymphs are quite terrifying haha!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I think Colin is right here can't believe he is the rational one this time haha! The Hydra is not a big deal over all I can sort it out. It was a post more that its interesting than being too worried, though the nymphs are quite terrifying haha!

@Colin_T right not to panic and try to burn the tank down or anything, but you also have to bear in mind that he's Australian. Where everything wants to kill you, even fuzzy kangaroos can end you, and they have spiders the size of dinner plates that they say are the GOOD spiders Australians don't know fear, and laugh in the face of danger! Right, @Colin_T ?

 

[GaryE]

Hydra are actually interesting. I have had several species over the years, of different sizes. The large ones are fry, but only of really dumb fish groups (ie, rainbows). The one that appeared here a couple of weeks ago, and is almost gone, could take really miniscule fry, but generally didn't. I might have lost a couple of fry to them. If they get in, they thrive on baby brine shrimp, but really small fry need smaller foods than that, so it tends to hit a balance.
They do sting fish, and from the look of it, it hurts. I have a syringe I fill with peroxide, and I shoot them. A direct hit with a tiny bit of H2O2 kills them.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've never had hydra. I have had seed shrimp, copepods, and assorted worms and snails. I tend to let all of these be, since they make good fish food. Hydra would be fun to watch for a while, but having them eat the babies would get old. Same with damselfly larvae. (Dragonfly larvae are even cooler, actually) Fun to watch, but you probably don't want them in there for too long.