Archivarium 2004

[Hasi]

I have spotted this worm type of insect? bug? parasite? in my tank in a 'nest' made out of what looks like a leaf.

Can anyone identify and tell me what this is and how it got in my tank? And what to do with it if its bad?

http://members.optusnet.com.au/mutluel

Sorry bout the large pic

[Enlighter]

link broken. And if it doesn't seem to be bothering anything keep it :: ) because it sounds kinda cool thus far.

Fix the pic though so we can see it

[jynxy]

um..is that a snail on the leaf, if so, problems solved, you have snail eggs.

[Hasi]

That is a snail but I find the snail eggs on the live plants, they are a group of tiny clear balls and I remove the leaf straight away.

I don't know if this is a nest of snail eggs because there seems to be some sort of worm or something in it, like a cocoon for a butterfly before it develops, if that makes sense

[2la]

It's probably the larva of a bromeliad weevil or some other bug that constructs protective shelters out of bits of leaves. Remove it if you don't want any more bite-sized chunks taken out of your plants.
_________________

[Hasi]

Thanks 2la I'll remove it now. But do you or anyone else know how it got in my tank? I'm' guessing from the live plants...

[2la]

Yes, from the live plants. Most aquatic plants in the trade are grown in Florida and are grown emersed, where aerial and terrestrial insects may have access to them.
_________________