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Gang,

Am I in trouble? I just bought a Crypt with very thin leaves (sorry, have to find the name) and after carefully rinsing it under water I planted it in the tank.

A few minutes later I observed a whitish structure, about ½ an inch long, on one of the leaves, looking almost like a snail egg group except it was long and skinny. I grabbed it with my fingers and pulled it out. It totally looks like a caterpillar, even moves on land (was still alive about 40 min later) like one.

Do you know of a caterpillar that lives under water?

Ingo

Here is a picture; on land it actually looks green

LITTLE_FISH attached this image:

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

And here is another one while it was walking

LITTLE_FISH attached this image:

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Looks like an inch worm. Dont' know if they can live under water, but probably came in on your plant. They eat plants. It may have been where you ordered it from, it got on the plant there.

Oh, forgot to add, lol, I posted in your thread LF, roflmao

Last edited by ACIDRAIN at 15-Nov-2005 19:20

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There is always a bigger fish...

Marc, or should I call you HTH ,

I got the plant at the LFS where it was in a tank, fully submersed. That means that the animal must have been able to survive below the water for some time.

And if you would like to, I have a plant identification question on page 20 (and another one on page 19) in [link=My Log]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/64425_20.html" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link], maybe you can help.

Glad I could amuse you ,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I think the most important thing is that you removed it.

Do you have a Clown Loach in that tank if so it will quickly remove all the eggs.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info


[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Keith,

No Clown Loach here, just a bunch of Harlequin Rasbora Espei and Otos.

Are you suggesting that this animal could have hatched in the plant? I wouldn't like that .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Not sure about the exact name of the crypt, as the long leaves could be due to it might have been under some low lighting in the recent past. As for the first one, I really can't tell, but looks like it could be money wort, or penny wort? Just a guess, as that is the first thing that comes to mind. As for the inch worm, I have no idea of them living under water or know much more about them other than they are a leaf eater, and they can spin a rope like out of their bottom for climbing down from things. Rope like thing to them, kinda like a spider lowers themselves down. Scary thought if they can live under water and lay there eggs there.

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There is always a bigger fish...

I am suggesting that if it is the only thing (plant) introduced into the tank is must be the carrier. The other slight chance is it came via the water supply.

They regually do a water pipe testing opposite our home and the amount of muck that they collect makes you think, do we actually drink that stuff.

I have known a small FW eel to jam a water meter think of that coming out of a tap.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) larvae are known to survive below water for extended periods of time.

Here in Europe, the Large Copper, Lycaena dispar, has larvae that feed upon the Great Water Dock, Rumex hydrolapathum. The larvae are capable of tunnelling into the plant and migrating below the water surface for extended periods. At least one European micro-moth has larvae that live by tunnelling into the leaves of Water Lilies, and these too sometimes migrate down the petioles or leaf stalks.

It would be worth your while taking the caterpillar to a local natural history museum, and asking any invertebrate zoologists on the staff to identify it for you. It might prove to be an interesting find. If your plants were imported, you could have an exotic on your hands. If, on the other hand, they were grown outdoors in a place such as a Florida fish farm, then chances are you have a US native. Either way, that photo, though blurred, looks as if it could be a Lycaenid larva (i.e., a relative of the Large Copper I cited above). Be interesting to know which one!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Calilasseia,

Unfortunately your entry comes 8 days too late as I “disposed” of the creature the same night .

If I remember that right then the plant came from a Florida Farm. Your detailed information is very interesting and somewhat scary. So there are even more creatures messing up your plants ]:|

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club