500 gal hydroponic system [load warning]

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Today, I was working the tank, replanting and trimming and found this in the tank!

Dfly3.jpg

Dfly2.jpg

Dfly1.jpg
 
It is a dragonfly nymph. Very much alive. I tossed into a 5 gal empty tank to watch it grow.

Very dangerous for smaller fish (larger and it could eat a minnow) and I have a feeling at that size it was feasting on my Red Cherry shrimp. Grrrrrr :swear:

I tried to feed it to the puffers but the cowards took off! :screwy:
 
Really? That doesn't look like the dragonfly nymph I had in my RCS tank. I guess yours looks different because of the close-up shot you took
 
at this stage the are under the substrate. they just feed on what passes by and are not actively hunting. Later, as the abdomen elongates they emerge and hunt around, go on land etc.. I the 1st pic you can barely make out the 2 wings and the short 3 pronged tail. If the prongs on the tail were longer, and the abdomen were skinny it would be a damsel fly.

alien-2.jpg
 
why jealous?

It is not without its headaches.

If I could have done things differently I would have.

I just did a small / troublesome upgrade today:
* Installed a pond skimmer because I had an oily film on the surface
* Took out a mag drive pump and instilled a zoo Med power head
* Connected my main pump and the Zoo Med to the pond skimmer.

Many bruised knuckles later & lots of swearing I finally got it all hooked up and running.
 
I have separated 3 SAEs the other day because they were harassing the puffers, got a new Zoo Med sweeping powerhead, and a pond skimmer!

While installing the pond skimmer I was fighting with it and getting all bruised up because I couldn't get it into the gap between the 2 tanks when my wife says "turn it upside down" .. LOL!! It worked like a charm!

I then had to cut some pipe and get the fittings in place. I really stressed out the fish cause I took a hammer to the thing while it was in the tank. In the end it works! Now my main pump and the power sweeper are both connected to the the skimmer. I did this because my old skimmer stopped working then the water level dropped below a certain point and would heat the mag drive pup up too much. This skimmer has a floating hinge so regardless of the water level it will constantly filter. Also, it adds a larger surface area for filtration vs the old sponge wrap around the pump intakes.

The main problem I had with it, was that it tended to float so I use 2 thinks I have lots of, balls (bio balls) and rocks to keep it from drifting around the tank. It works like a charm and I've had a noticeable water quality improvement in 24 hours
 
For the first time since Oct 09 I had the chance to actually sit down and watch the tank and enjoy it!

My wife was watching some videos and I watched and Fatty the SAP was wandering around the plants hunting the little critters without being harassed by the SAEs. For over an hour I just sat there watching the hunting action. The other 2 SAPs were still in the corner of the tank, but, this one, was captivating.

It would wander in and out of the growth and sometimes it would spot something.. try to get it.. sometimes it would catch something and sometimes it would miss. This was the moment I was waiting 6 months for

The tank is still not perfect. My skimmer still floats and the evap needs to get under control. I also need to get those SAEs out of the tank; but all in all.. I was more than pleased!

My next thought was: I need a bigger tank... something on all 3 walls with a swivel chair :D
 
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