What is this creature?

[JD_GT]

Recently I have built a refugium in my sump. I keep finding new critters that I haven't put in myself. A couple of pond snails and then there is this critter. I had a couple of bamboo shrimp and one died. I thought maybe it was a baby bamboo. Can anyone identify?

 

[elting44]

Looks like the larval stage of some invert, but I am by no means an expert. It may have tagged along on one of the plants?

 

[kno4te]

Damselfly larvae.

 

[JD_GT]

Definitely a damselfly lavae I just looked it up. Thanks Kno4te. So I should probably remove this then right?

 

[duanes]

Your's is still young, so you've found it in time, because they get quite large (the one in my pic is about 3"), so if you have small fish in the tank, they will be eaten.
I kept having beanii fry disappear in a grow put tank until I found, and got rid of this.
they can blend in quite well.
I fed it to large cichlids.

 

[elting44]

Your's is still young, so you've found it in time, because they get quite large (the one in my pic is about 3"), so if you have small fish in the tank, they will be eaten.
I kept having beanii fry disappear in a grow put tank until I found, and got rid of this.
they can blend in quite well.
I fed it to large cichlids.

Wow! That is both awesome and terrifying at the same time. Head looks like a mantid. Thanks for the pics!

I was thinking along the lines of like a mayfly larva cause of the 3 tail like appendages......

 

[J. H.]

You can put it in a 3gal tank and have a real monster as a pet, but I think they only eat live food.

 

[JD_GT]

Thanks for the info everyone. I've lost him now. It blends on too much with the plants. Ill keep an eye out for it and feed it to my cichlids when I find it.