killifan Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 I've set up my bucket with water/grass clippings and now look to have plenty of mosquito wrigglers, but there is also something else. Started off as a little clump of things then that broke up and they look a bit like tadploes with one end thicker and the other a little whip like tail. Can anyone tell me if they are goodies to feed my fish or what they might be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Sound like the egg rafts of the Mozzie larva... all good grub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 By the sound of it, they are the maggot, I call the 'septic tank' maggot. Is it about 10mm long with a tail the same lenth? Course that depends how mature it is. That's about it's full size. They are okay to feed to your fish. A bonus. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Killifan said... > ... they look a bit like tadploes with one end thicker and the > other a little whip like tail. If they're really tiny, then the description could fit 'cyclops'... Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Wow... not seen Cyclops for a great number of years... great food if you can get them. If they 'are' maggots, then the body would be milky looking almost transparent looking with blotches of black showing through the skin.. plus they have a thin tail of sorts. They stretch and shrink as they swim about, and don't dart off to the bottom like the mozzie larva do. The maggots only usually appear if there is something edible to eat... like rotting meat or something... and grass clippings are certainly not on their diet. You may find bloodworms in the bottom of the container once it has been set up for a while. All my mozzie tubs have heaps of em :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 what is the egg raft? In my mozzie tank I notice some jelly like substance with what appears to be eggs in it. the eggs look a bit like brine shrimp eggs (obviously not brine shrimp eggs as it is freshwater, and I am not aware of brine shrimp flying - no other way for them to get into my tank) crossed with snail jelly. They float in the water column. I have isolated some to see what they are when they hatch, but if any one knows it would be appreciated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 I believe that the egg mass will be from the blood worm fly. It looks a bit like a mossie, but doesn't bite. The egg raft of mosquito is about four mm long, two mm wide, dark brown, floats on top and is bent like a banana, hence the name 'raft'. If squeezed between the fingers in water, it will break into 100's of tiny segments, the eggs. I use the rafts in newly ,well, a few days old, killies, it is like a meal on the hoof for them. They change from a wriggler, having only one breathing tube, from the end of its body, to a 'tumbler', breathing from two tubes of its head. From this state it backs up to the surface, s plits its back open and emerges as an adult mossie. It uses its old body shell as a float as its wings dry, then when ready off in search of a feed of blood, which it must have prior to it having the ability to lay more eggs. One good thing tho, only half the mossies bite and suck blood. Wouldn't you know it ! ! Yes, It's the female. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killifan Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 these things swim with a similar motion to a caterpillar on the ground, not transparent but are milky white with a black/brown stripe along their back. Have loads of mosquito larvae so better start scooping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killifan Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2003 You may find bloodworms in the bottom of the container once it has been set up for a while. All my mozzie tubs have heaps of em :) The grass clippings have made the water really black, how do you get the blood worms out without losing all the water and the crawlies now in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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