Weird bugs in my shrimp tank

Crazyfishgirl

Feeder Fish
Jul 15, 2018
4
3
8
So I have a 10 gal red cherry shrimp and crayfish tank (crayfish doesn’t give a crap about the shrimp, they climb all over her she doesn’t care) that used to be a catch all tank. Lately I’ve been doing lots up updating on this tank so it doesn’t look like a thrown together with whatever left over pieces we have left kind of tank (even though it was). A while back I added a sponge filter, some hornwort, and a few pieces of driftwood. About a month or so ago I added some java moss from petco and now I’ve noticed lots of weird looking bugs all over, if anyone knows what they are, or if they are harmful to my shrimpies or Clay?? I’ve been taking them out as I see them, and I checked my tank levels, ph was slightly high but not bad, nitrites were zero, nitrates were slightly high but again not bad. I was planning on doing a water change today when I found a whole bunch of the wiggly stick looking ones. Any info is helpful!

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skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
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Hello; I have an idea but need to check it out. I think both are aquatic insect nymphs. The one with three tails might be a mayfly nymph. Not sure about the other.
 
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kno4te

MFK Moderator
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Looks like damselfly and dragonfly larvae.
 
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Crazyfishgirl

Feeder Fish
Jul 15, 2018
4
3
8
So I’ve googled both damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, and I think your right, the stick one is definitely looks like damselfly and the round one looks like a very young dragonfly nymph. Is it weird that I kind of want to grow them up and see what happens?
 
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kno4te

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Dec 24, 2005
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So I’ve googled both damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, and I think your right, the stick one is definitely looks like damselfly and the round one looks like a very young dragonfly nymph. Is it weird that I kind of want to grow them up and see what happens?
Not wierd. Different strokes for different folks!
 
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