Jump to content

Latst tank visitor from Nth Queensland


wayne6442

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone, I found this fascinating little creature in one of my tanks. It arrive a couple of weeks ago with some detritus accompanying some native caridina shrimp from Nth Queensland. At first I thought I was imagining things when I saw this little piece of wood ( about 12.5mm) moving around on the bottom of my tank with the shrimp. Today my curiosity got the better of me and "whala" Now all I have to do is to find out Just who and what this little guy is??? BOB UP TO YOU< have you any ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty sure it is a Beetle larvae, there is a few Caddis fly up here to, there could be any thing in the leaf litter Wayne so keep an eye out.

Move it any way as it will eat shrimplets, then you can see what it becomes.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

( Google information Caddis fly nth Qld) Hi Guys, Well if it is a Caddisfly, depending on what sub species ,(12000 varieties) and it's preferred habitat. Slow water or swift running streams, will depend on how dangerous it will be to the shrimp. They both can be carnivore's, but the little guys from the still/slow waters are mainly algae and detritus, eaters, live in constructed camouflaged homes while the guys from the swift water usually don't have any home, As they are the stronger ones they could hunt down small shrimp but usually stick to scraping algae from rocks etc to eat. As you can see the little bloke I have, has a great little stick home, so I am guessing that he is from a quite slow stream. I intend to keep him where he is for the time being and watch him closely. Thanks again for you thoughts on his identity Regards Wayne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wrong Wayne

It is from a fast stream about 2mts pr second flow speed, that is why I said most likely a Beetle ( I am wrong often). Hatch it and see. It is a predator regardless so keep it away from your shrimp.

North QLD goes from Mackay up, FNQ is Cardwell/Tully up.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bob, Thanks a heap for your info, actually I was re thinking your advice from earlier, so I have just started to set a small couple of ltr tank for him. It will be an interesting experiment for me. If you have any other funny little things up your way send them down please! Wayne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now you have opened a can of worms, there is tons of them and every time I go out there is something new to look at. i am going chasing bugs for a customer tomorow.

You don't want big ones I am thinking? some of the bugs are 7 or 8cm long and 3 across.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No Just small ones ( hopefully won't attack my shrimp or me haha:D) and possibly some Zebra shrimp as well. should be fun Wayne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ever seen a water scorpion? Now that is a bug worth keeping. Or the large diving water beetles. Its a shame both are highly predatory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Ben

We keep the Green and gold beetles with fish and have no issue, so long as the fish is Blue eye or large Neon size or bigger its all good and they are clowns, most amusing.

The giant water bugs are awesome but dam they can put a bight on you and it hurts.

Must get some photos and put them up

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Join Our Community!

    Register today, ask questions and share your shrimp and fish tank experiences with us!

  • Must Read SKF Articles

  • Posts

    • beanbag
      Update to say that after a few gravel vacs, front wall scrub, moss / floating plant trim, that the condition seems to have improved.  My current theory is that it is due to waste / debris management, where "stuff" like that brown mulm accumulates in the substrate and behind the HMF filters.  Maybe some tanks can somehow deal with it, but mine can't.  Also another experienced shrimper suggested that maybe those "shell bugs" don't just live on the shrimps but also in this debris.  Maybe this is the reason some tanks fail due to "old tank syndrome" where all they need is a good gravel vac? Also, I am guessing that plant trim helps too because now more of the nutrients and light go into growing algae instead of more plants? Well anyway for this tank I will try weekly water change and monthly gravel vac / plant trim.  For my next tank, I'm thinking of something like an under-gravel system where this mulm can fall down and I vac it out.
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Good to have an update and good to hear you are getting shrimplets, so hopefully your colony will continue and you may not get to the point where you have to cull some to stop over population. These type of shrimp only live 12 - 18 months so the adult deaths may be natural? If you have the time I would do weekly 25% water changes, adding the new water via a drip system and do some vacuuming clean of the substrate each week, even if only a different bit each week! See if that helps in a few months and if it does then stick with that regime? It should help reduce any build-ups that may be occuring!
    • beanbag
      Hello again, much belated update: The tank still has "cycles" of 1-2 month "good streaks" where everybody seems to be doing well, and then a bad streak where the short antenna problem shows up again, and a shrimp dies once every few days.  I am not sure what causes things to go bad, but usually over the course of a few days I will start to see more shrimp quietly standing on the HMF filter, and so I know something is wrong.  Since I am not "doing anything" besides the regular 1-2 week water changes, I just assume that something bad is building up.  Here's a list of things that I've tried that are supposed to be "can't hurt" but didn't prevent the problem either: Dose every other day with Shrimp Fit (very small dose, and the shrimp seem to like it) Sotching Oxydator Seachem Purigen to keep the nitrates lower Keeping the pH below 5.5 with peat Things that I don't do often, so could possibly "reset" the tank back to a good streak, are gravel vac and plant trim, so maybe time to try those again. One other problem I used to have was that sometimes a shrimp would suddenly stop eating with a full or partially full digestive tract that doesn't clear out, and then the shrimp will die within a few days.  I suspected it was one of the foods in my rotation - Shrimp Nature Infection, which contains a bunch of herbal plant things.  I've had this in my food rotation for a few years now and generally didn't seem to cause problems, but I removed it from the rotation anyway.  I don't have a lot of adult Golden Bees at this point so I can't really tell if it worked or not. Overall the tank is not too bad - during the good streaks occasionally a shrimp will get berried and hatch babies with a 33-50% survival rate.  So while there are fewer adults now, there are also a bunch of babies roaming around.  I guess this tank will stagger on, but I really do need to take the time to start up a new tank.  (or figure out the problem)
    • jayc
      If that is the offspring, then the parents are unlikely to be PRL. I tend to agree with you. There are very few PRLs in Australia. And any that claim to be needs to show proof. PRL genes have to start as PRL. CRS that breed true after x generations doesn't turn it into a PRL. Neither can a Taiwan bee shrimp turn into a PRL despite how ever many generations. I've never seen a PRL with that sort of red colour. I have on Red Wines and Red Shadows - Taiwan bee shrimps. So somewhere down the line one of your shrimp might have been mixed with Taiwan bees and is no longer PRL. It just tanks one shrimp to mess up the genes of a whole colony. 
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Sorry, missed this one somehow! The PRL look fantastic and the odd ones look part PRL and part Red wine/Red shadow in the colour. They are still very beautiful but ideally should be seperated to help keep the PRL clean if you can do that.  Nice clear photos!
×
×
  • Create New...