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Critters

J

Jorge O'Reilly

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2023
Messages
199
Location
Argentina
Good evening.

So I've been wanting to add some non-fish inhabitants, other than those that occur without our intervention (copepods, in my case, I haven't seen much else). I've already scooped up some "pest" MTS from a LFS that refused to sell them to me, they just gave me a handful. The other thing I thought about was seeking out some Trichoptera larvae, cocoon and all, and just send them in. Any other small critter type that might be intentionally targeted?
 
Hi all,
Jorge OPL said:
Good evening.

So I've been wanting to add some non-fish inhabitants, other than those that occur without our intervention (copepods, in my case, I haven't seen much else). I've already scooped up some "pest" MTS from a LFS that refused to sell them to me,
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There should be some Isopod, or Amphipod, crustaceans you can add. I'll see what I can find for S. America.

Cheers Darrel
 
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seedoubleyou said:
Not sure on their requirements, how about freshwater clams?
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Freshwater mussels tend to be large and will plough threw the tank. As filter feeders they are difficult to keep alive and a big body to rot.
However Orb-shells and Pea-shells are only about 1cm fully grown (I think the largest in the family is about 25mm) and would be a better bet. They are detritus and benthic diatoms feeders. Can be sexually mature at a few mm and are live bearers.
I think once introduced never to be removed.
 
Oldguy said:
Freshwater mussels tend to be large and will plough threw the tank. As filter feeders they are difficult to keep alive and a big body to rot.
However Orb-shells and Pea-shells are only about 1cm fully grown (I think the largest in the family is about 25mm) and would be a better bet. They are detritus and benthic diatoms feeders. Can be sexually mature at a few mm and are live bearers.
I think once introduced never to be removed.
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I just meant the Asian gold ones.
 
Hi all,
Jorge OPL said:
The other thing I thought about was seeking out some Trichoptera larvae, cocoon and all, and just send them in. Any other small critter type that might be intentionally targeted?
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Trichoptera (Caddis) may be all right, although the adults may drown. I've had them in the tank (unintentionally) a couple of times.

There are quite a few freshwater Decapod crustaceans listed for Argentina, some of the shrimps might be suitable <"SAdelPlata">, but I couldn't find many details about them. This is for Brazil <"- - Planeta Invertebrados Brasil -"> I'd be very wary of any Macrobrachium spp.

cheers Darrel
 
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These are already in! Two of them. They molted a few days back and are currently hiding though.
 
Oldguy said:
@Jorge OPL may be able to collect these from the wild. Apparently an invasive species and can be found the both north and south Americas.
Your suggestion about clams took me back to my childhood and pond dipping, used to collect a few for my tank.
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I would usually avoid clams (boring bioload taxers) but a small one actually hitchhiked on the last piece of wood I got.
 
Hey, I pulled up some Alternanthera plants the other day for a bit of maintenance. Apart from the huge root systems, which were oddly satisfying (try to explain that to someone not on the hobby) I found some interesting worms. I remember some being in the roots when I pulled the plants from the riverside, but as they were emersed I figured they'd eventually die and fertilize everything. Well, they are alive, and big. Like, small-earthworm big, and red. Anyone seen the like? I'm actually thrilled. Did not think of taking a pic, but they must be doing one hell of a job down there. I'll see if I can take a picture when I get to the river again, I don't want to pull up plants just for this.
 
I just saw the L.V. description, it does not fit. Tubifex I had seen, and it might be it, but I've never seen their heads poke from the substrate.
 
Eiseniella is a genus within the Lumbricidae family of earthworms that includes the aquatic earthworm Eiseniella tetraedra, commonly found in the UK. I don't know whether it is found in your part of the world, but it does look similar to terrestrial earthworms.
 
Hi all,
Simon Cole said:
that includes the aquatic earthworm Eiseniella tetraedra, commonly found in the UK.
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We have a thread <"Some sort of worm???">
Jorge OPL said:
Like, small-earthworm big, and red. Anyone seen the like?
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You get aquatic lumbricid "earthworms", some of them are quite happy submerged <"pretty much permanently">. I've fished one out of the tank recently, I don't know how long it had been in for, but it was pretty lively when I removed it and it looked likely to be Eisenella tetraedra.

cheers Darrel
 
That looks more like it. I might actually get some more. I like the idea of them moving the substrate around, and if they've lived a few months they'll last indefinitely, I suppose.
 
So, I've added some small mussels from the river (set them side to side, they did not agree and did the weird tower thing there)

IMG_2538.JPG



And a pygmy river crab I found when inspecting a water hyacinth.

IMG_2537.JPG



Also, I set up a state-of-the-art mosquito factory, which I check daily for mosquitoes. The large ones are few, they don't usually stay undetected for long. So far, no pupae, so I've clearly been thorough so far. The Jenynsias go NUTS whenever I drop them in. I turn off the pumps for a couple of minutes and as the survivors try to go up for air they get dispatched.

I also got some Gammarus sp. from the river, but I do not think they made it. If they did, they are well hid, so no chances of getting a picture.
 
They're limpets all right. Never seen them, but then again, it's pretty much impossible to do so unless it's on a glass pane, absolutely transparent and tiny. Perhaps they're growing, though, because this is the first I've seen them so I assume they've hatched days ago. We'll see. Tried to toss one into the large tank and the Jenynsias ripped the poor fellow to shreds...
 
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