Chemical warfare? (against dragonfly larvae)

[Piranha86]

As some of you may know, I had a problem with dragonfly larvae that ate all of my shrimp. I had thought they were all out (I removed 3 or 4 manually), but I found another one last night. I removed it and killed it with tweezers. Besides being dangerous to small fish/shrimp(grr...), they freak the hell out of me. I also have some pond snails that I want gone, and I moved all my ramshorns.

So if I put a normal dose of CopperSafe in the water, would that kill them?

PS: I have 2 otos in the tank, would that do anything to them? (If so, I can move them.)

 

[kj5kb]

Only if you never want to have shrimp or any inverts in the near future, and don't care what it may do to plants. Copper sulfate is used as an algaecide/herbicide in ponds FYI.

Pick-n-squish is my recommendation. I googled how to eradicate them and only found many results on how to use them to eradicate mosquitoes!

 

[Piranha86]

Not sure if it matters, but turns out these are damselfly larvae, not dragonfly. Idk if that makes a difference.

Only if you never want to have shrimp or any inverts in the near future, and don't care what it may do to plants. Copper sulfate is used as an algaecide/herbicide in ponds FYI.

Pick-n-squish is my recommendation. I googled how to eradicate them and only found many results on how to use them to eradicate mosquitoes!

I really hate shrimp actually. And I already have enough inverts, so I think I might do it.

And the pick n squish is what I have been doing, but they keep appearing. They're kind of hard to find and I worry I'll miss one. And yeah, I did some googling too, and didn't find much.

 

[user_name]

try getting a small predator like mosquito fish, I'm surprised that they haven't been eaten yet...

 

[Cerianthus]

Even small mosquito fish may fall as prey.

 

[fish-n-chips]

Save em and send them to me. Perch and panfish love them and they cost $2.50 a dozen up here. With ice fishing fast approaching, I wish I had a tank full. Good luck with ridding them from your tank.

 

[Tom.E]

Finding them is much easier at night after the tank lights have been off for an hour or two. That's when they're most active.


Tom

 

[Piranha86]

try getting a small predator like mosquito fish, I'm surprised that they haven't been eaten yet...

They're humongo. As larvae go. They're like 2-3 inches long and they freak me out really badly.

Even small mosquito fish may fall as prey.

Yeah, I can picture that.

Save em and send them to me. Perch and panfish love them and they cost $2.50 a dozen up here. With ice fishing fast approaching, I wish I had a tank full. Good luck with ridding them from your tank.

Hmm... didn't know that. Haha maybe I'll just feed it to my puffer.

Finding them is much easier at night after the tank lights have been off for an hour or two. That's when they're most active.

Then just turn the lights back on and find them? I think I'll try....

 

[Dangerdoll]

Not sure if it matters, but turns out these are damselfly larvae, not dragonfly. Idk if that makes a difference.

I really hate shrimp actually. And I already have enough inverts, so I think I might do it.

And the pick n squish is what I have been doing, but they keep appearing. They're kind of hard to find and I worry I'll miss one. And yeah, I did some googling too, and didn't find much.

Just be absolutely certain, Pir... you never know what you might think is cool a few months from now... if it were me, I wouldn't use it...

 

[Piranha86]

Just be absolutely certain, Pir... you never know what you might think is cool a few months from now... if it were me, I wouldn't use it...

If I reallyreally want them, I'm sure I can find some space for them. I had them in this tank before, and it's my room tank, so it's kind of boring to look at. I'm going to try Coppersafe tomorrow.