Terrie Lee Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 I woke up to my swordtail female looking a lot thinner. So I went looking for fry in my java moss. Instead of fry I found a critter. Unfortunately I do not have a camera, so I was unable to get a pic. It looked like a damselfly nymph. It had a elongated body and grasping legs. Big bulbous eyes and a three-pronged tail. It swam with a wiggly motion, like a snake. I killed it immediately. Is this a risk to my fish? Did it eat my tiny helpless fry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 One of the most effective preditors in the pond, damselfly/dragonfly nymphs are notorious for killing fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrie Lee Posted February 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 That little jerk. I am glad I squashed him good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krystle Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 :chair: What an awful sounding little thing! I need to go hunting in my guppy tank for some of those, cuz I've had thse babies for months now, watched my females get big and fat and then suddenly thin, and yet I have NEVER seen a single fry in there O.O I don't have real plants in that particular tank tho, only plastic. Hopefully they're easy to spot :grr: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Where would a dragon fly nymph come from, especially in the winter? Krystle- ARe you seperating your females from the rest? The adult guppies could be eating the fry before you find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 A lot of insect larvae stay larvae for years before morphing into adults. My guess is that adult damselflies laid eggs where the Java moss was - the egg/larvae hitched a ride from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcy Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Everyone has heard of the Venus Fly Trap. Are you ready for the Ukranian Fry Trap? It's a simple container from Wal-Mart that they sell Bettas in. Just fill 1/4 way with gravel top up with aquarium water clamp on the lid and lay it on it's side in behind your java moss or plants. When the little buggers are scared they swim in but can't swim out, And the big fish can't get in. If you notice the big fish banging there heads ond the container you might want to check for fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krystle Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Krystle- ARe you seperating your females from the rest? The adult guppies could be eating the fry before you find them. LOL funny story - I'd wait until the female guppies get really fat and kinda boxy looking right, and then I'd separate them, either to another tank or in a breeding trap... Here's the funny part lol - They'd just stay pregnant for like a week, never dropping fry, and eventually I would get impatient and release them >.< I fail at guppies :cry: Everyone has heard of the Venus Fly Trap. Are you ready for the Ukranian Fry Trap? It's a simple container from Wal-Mart that they sell Bettas in. Just fill 1/4 way with gravel top up with aquarium water clamp on the lid and lay it on it's side in behind your java moss or plants. When the little buggers are scared they swim in but can't swim out, And the big fish can't get in. If you notice the big fish banging there heads ond the container you might want to check for fry. I'm sooo gonna have to try that :thumbs: Think wal mart will give me one of those cups for free? :eh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 I never used to remove the adults when I had live bearers I kust used lots of hornwort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windeindoiel Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 So what I think is funny about this story is that I tried keeping dragonfly larvae alive but it just never worked for me, they'd always die after a week or so. That sucks it ate all your fry though, I'm sorry to hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slough Shark Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Little bugger :banned: I can definitely see how they got there though, dragonflies are EVERYWHERE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcy Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Not sure if they will give you one of those cups for free. I just bought the fish and then got that strange idea of using it for a fry trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vapor Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Too bad you lost your little ones. Does sound like an interesting critter though, have never seen one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadiancray Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Krystle- ARe you seperating your females from the rest? The adult guppies could be eating the fry before you find them. LOL funny story - I'd wait until the female guppies get really fat and kinda boxy looking right, and then I'd separate them, either to another tank or in a breeding trap... Here's the funny part lol - They'd just stay pregnant for like a week, never dropping fry, and eventually I would get impatient and release them >.< I fail at guppies :cry: Those breeding traps are terrible. They stress out the guppies to no end. This is why they don't drop. I have even seen them explode from not releasing fry. Best thing to do is to seperate them into a small 5 gallon tank & fill it with hornwort. I also have some friends that use the plastic pot scubbers. Then cut the tie & unwrap them. Put those in the tank & it gives them a great place to hide where the adults can't get them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krystle Posted February 8, 2007 Report Share Posted February 8, 2007 Krystle- ARe you seperating your females from the rest? The adult guppies could be eating the fry before you find them. LOL funny story - I'd wait until the female guppies get really fat and kinda boxy looking right, and then I'd separate them, either to another tank or in a breeding trap... Here's the funny part lol - They'd just stay pregnant for like a week, never dropping fry, and eventually I would get impatient and release them >.< I fail at guppies :cry: Those breeding traps are terrible. They stress out the guppies to no end. This is why they don't drop. I have even seen them explode from not releasing fry. Best thing to do is to seperate them into a small 5 gallon tank & fill it with hornwort. I also have some friends that use the plastic pot scubbers. Then cut the tie & unwrap them. Put those in the tank & it gives them a great place to hide where the adults can't get them. That's a great idea, and it makes sense why the females wouldn't drop their fry... She looked extremely cheesed off at me in that breeding trap >.< I have a 10 gallon with some female bettas in it. I will move them to a betta barracks in a bigger tank and put some of my female guppies that look pretty preggers in the ten with a whackload of those unraveled pot scrubbers. I'll also get one of those betta cups next time I go to wal mart to keep in the main tank so I can get any babies that do drop in there :thumbs: ((sorry for the highjack Terrie Lee O.O)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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