# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Bugs in my tank, please help!



## oocfish (Jul 5, 2005)

I discovered this in my shrimp only tank, and I am thoroughly grossed out. Is this something that I can get rid of? Looks like there are tiny little baby ones crawling around on the sand substrate and stuck to the walls of my aquarium.

First of all, how do I distinguish between these and possible baby shrimp? Secondly, how can I get rid of these without having to take all my shrimp out and put them back after cleaning my tank, seeing as how there might be shrimp babies in there?

Please help!


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

I dunno on the shrimp, but that looks like a dragon fly larvae to me. and those are predatory. I've read they eat small fish, so I'd bet they'd eat your shrimp too.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

That's a dragonfly nymph for sure. No doubt. I don't know if that particularly species will eat your tank inhabitants because it depends. But yes, they are predatory by nature; catching small insects, tadpoles, or fishes. But if you don't have any fish or don't really mind a few casualties then they are really quite amazing as you get to observe them going through various stages before metamorphing into adult dragonflies. A very cool sight!


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## oocfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Thanks for the help guys, I have decided based on all the advice I've received about this to just take the wait-and-see approach and try to take out whatever dragonfly nymphs I identify along the way. That way I don't have to unnecessarily kill any shrimpy babies.


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