Detect dragonfly larvae
The presence of one or more dragonfly larvae in the aquarium can be noticed with careful observation. The little larvae look similar to us mayfly out of. They slowly move on the ground and are there in search of lining. They don’t just steal the fish food.
André Karwath aka Aka, Aeshna cyanea – larva (aka), CC BY-SA 2.5
They can also eat larger animals kept in the aquarium. This predator is therefore often first recognized by its effect. Smaller residents disappear. The amount of fish food is suddenly no longer sufficient for the fish. If larger animals are attacked by the dragonfly larvae, they are slowly eaten.
Where does the dragonfly larva come from
In the rarest of cases, the eggs from which the animals grow are laid directly in the aquarium. Most of the time, these larvae have moved in as unwanted guests with new aquatic plants. If you get your decoration or live food from the field yourself, you can also bring in the subtenants in this way.
The dragonflies lay their eggs on the plant stems. There they can live in the larval stage for a few months up to years, until the transformation into the large dragonfly takes place.
Why is this a problem
Even in the larval stage, the dragonfly is a predatory carnivore. As such, this creature is a real predator for fish and invertebrates in the aquarium. The long phase in which the larva can live in the tank makes them a danger to the other animals. It eats the live food away from the fish. Small fish are attacked directly. Larger animals can be eaten alive.
In this way, the voracious larvae can destroy the entire population of the aquarium. At the same time they are very frugal. The resilient creatures can only be caught from the aquarium. It is also possible to relocate all the fish. The larvae can then be starved. However, this process can take many weeks. Manual collection is therefore the faster option.
legal position
When removing the dragonfly larvae, the origin is always an important indicator. The native animal species must be protected from foreign dragonflies.
The protection of the local fauna must always be given priority. It is therefore strictly forbidden to release non-native dragonflies into nature.
Catch and release dragonfly larvae
If native larvae were discovered in the aquarium, they must be released again after being caught. In the best case, they are brought back into the body of water from which the live food or decorative items were taken. In this way, species protection is implemented professionally.
Since all native dragonfly species are protected, they must not be killed without good reason. If alien dragonfly larvae are in the aquarium, they must not be released. Captured animals may only be passed on to owners who can keep them in a species-appropriate manner. Once the alien larvae have been secured, they can be killed as quickly and painlessly as possible. Ways to remove snails
In some cases molluscs can become a real nuisance. A few of the animals like to be settled in the aquarium. They help eat algae and purify the water. If there are too many animals, they can disturb the biological balance. There are several methods by which the animals can be removed.
pick up
The simplest way to thin out the population is to collect the surplus animals. They can be left to another owner as feed animals or for another aquarium.
feeding glass
The aquarists can also fill a glass with food tablets. They place this container on the ground. At night some snails will gather in the jar. The snails can easily be removed the next morning.
Lining bag
It is also possible to use a coarse mesh bag as a fishing gear. A zucchini or a carrot can then be filled in these. The snails are attracted by the smell. They are then also taken out of the aquarium with the food after the night and passed on.
Conclusion
In any case, dragonfly larvae should be removed as soon as they are discovered. These creatures can very quickly prove to be a nuisance. Since they cannot be fought with predators or by other means, they have to be collected individually.
So that no more dragonfly larvae appear as a result, new decoration and plants should initially be kept separately. In this way, the pests can be easily discovered.