HummingBird Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 I've got some Hornwort in my WCMM breeding tanks just because it's a fine leafed plant that they'll like to lay their eggs on, well it turns out that there were some Backswimmer eggs, and these hatched at about the same time as my WCMM eggs. I thought I had caught all of them but two eluded me, and I just witnessed a 2mm Backswimmer holding onto and presumably injecting venom into a 1mm baby WCMM! When I started to chase it with a net it let the baby go but it was already dead :-? so beware backswimmers everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelers Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 They are two different things - I just finished a 2nd year entomology paper lol. Back swimmers actually swim on their backs, while water boatmen dont and are a little more rounded. They are actually quite hard to tell appart even when they are next to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 And they are both predators. Good for bigger fish tho. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 There great food as Alan said. my larger killies and cockatoo cichlids love them so much they chase then round the tank untill they get em - CHOMP - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 I find that my striped lineatus like small guppies as food. CHOMP... one mouthful of guppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Yes WOK, Just the other day someone came round and said they had a guppy prob not any more :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 It definitely is a good way to solve those problems :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted November 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Actually Water Boatmen are harmless filter feeders, much the same as Daphnia. From http://www.flyfishalberta.com/entomolog ... immers.htm: "Waterboatmen are dendritic feeders, meaning they mainly feed on dead and decaying organic matter such as dead vegetation, algae, or even algae of other species." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo1 Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Don't let Biosecurity know about the hornwort - it is highly illegal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dally Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 lol i picked some out of a stream 2 days ago and its already got 2 cm sprouts of new growth. btw: the best live food, for large cichlids, are dragonfly larvae things. anyone know what im talkin bout? they look realy nasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaymann Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hey! Hornworts cool ... best plant for raising baby fish just watch the growth ... but to the boatmen/back swimmers .. which one is a mid/top water dweller ... have seen these guys attack mossie larvae .... the bottom dwellers look like they carry a shield on their back and anchor to the bottom ... the midwater I always thought where boatmen and bottom dwellers as back swimmers but goin' by posts must have it around the wrong way.. hmmm am I wrong here ??? :-? and lets not mention damsel/dragonfly larvae ... or the cool little red swimming spider like dudes... ( ah .. memories) .... 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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