Strange creature in tank

[tim watson]

hello!

I have had my 3 gal set up for about 2 months now, which used to house a betta... it died. anyways when i was looking in the small tank which is full of snails, i noticed a shrimp think that is white, about 1 cm long, has 3 little spiky things coming off the tail ,and he has six little legs.
anyone know what this thing is? his eyes glow under torchlight and i tthink he is quite active at night. i put a few flakes in there, and the next day they were gone, so i think he ate thm...
ps. he cant swim
cheers

[wetmanNY]

He's an insect larva, but RTR will be the one to say which kind of insect...

[tim watson]

will they breed in there??
could i feed it to my fish?

[Serrateeth_2002]

An introduced by luck animal,all shrimps can swim,a beetle larva?
a dragonfly or damselfly larva?

[Tom.E]

Mayfly larvae have 2 cerci and a terminal filament extending from the rear abdomen.
http://www.ephemera.no/english/bilder/ephemeroptera.jpg

Dragonfly/damselfly larvae also have 3 gill filaments that extend from their abdomens.
http://www.eclipse.net/~sbwa/images/Image26.gif

If the ‘3 spiky things’ are whip-like, than it’s a mayfly. Featherlike, than it’s a damselfly. And if your fish are big enough to eat them...they’ll eat them.


Tom

[pinballqueen]

Now that's cool....only thing is, it'll turn into a dragonfly/damselfly...kinda neat, a little like raising caterpillars....

[waterspirit]

I'd be careful with that little guy. Some insect nymphs ie. dragonflies are predatory. If he gets bigger, he might go after some of your fish.

[tim watson]

he looks like the picture on figure c of the first link posted by tom.e, hes not a shrimp but that was the only way i could explain it...
there is actually about 3 of them in there now, and there is a cover on the lid with only a small hole. but i guess he could have come in with a plant i put in there??...
thanks for info
TIM