Nymph

[timebomb]

Hi, fellas,

Ronnie gave me a batch of Austrolebias nigripinnis 'Villa Soriano' fry a couple of weeks ago and they have been eating well and growing fast in my tank. I already have 2 breeding bowls inside but this afternoon, I thought I should put in one more as the ratio of males to females look pretty equal. The fish seemed to be getting fewer in number though but I didn't think much of it.

After I had put in the bowl, some peat floated out. I saw a particularly big piece stuck to the Hornwort so I tried to remove it by using my hands. But the moment my fingers went near the peat, it swam away

Good Grief, I thought, what on earth is that!!!!

I netted it out and horror of horrors, I have a dragonfly nymph in my tank.



Damn critter must have feeding on my fish. No wonder there seems to be fewer fish now than before

Loh K L

[stormhawk]

Well it must have made a meal out of the nigripinnis. Sometimes its not just disease or malnutrition that kills our precious fish. Sudden disappearances can also be put down to the presence of predatory creatures such as this.

KL, my suggestion is to cover your tanks with a lid to prevent the adult female dragonflies or damselflies or anything else that has a predatory aquatic larval stage, from laying eggs in your tanks.

[timebomb]

Thanks for the good advice, Jianyang. I'll see if I can rig up some sort of cover for my tanks in the balcony.

On a happier note, the fish have taken to my breeding bowls well. I have 3 bowls now and there's always a male guarding each bowl. I managed to get some louzy pictures:



The bowl is actually what the Japanese use for drinking sake. I bought it for Sing $2 at the 2-dollar store at IMM.



This is the new bowl I put in this afternoon. A male has already reserved it as his own and he's been cajoling the females to dive into the peat with him. The females aren't the loose sort though. They have been very reluctant

Loh K L

[RonWill]

heh heh... I have damsels, you have dragons. Sounds like a medieval story but do we have to share the same snafus?

I'm also working on tank covers for my 3tier 4ft rack and might use Styrene, widely used as diffusors for false-ceiling florescent lights. These need to be adapted from stock 2ft x 4ft panels and I've yet to receive quotes for 10pcs. Hope their costs aren't astromical!

Kwek Leong, whereabout did you get that new bowl? I like the shape of it and if you happen to pass by that shop, I'd appreciate about 6 for my Simps (they look a tad small for my longish peruensis).

Come to think of it, get a few dozens! I'd bet these will sell like hot cakes at the Gathering (it isn't everyday that one find a vessel that's perfect for spawing annuals!).

[stormhawk]

Ron, KL mentioned "the two-dollar store at IMM". Catch the hint?

Looks like I've got to give that place a visit. Tomorrow perhaps?

KL, how tall are those vessels? I've been using the ice-cream tubs with good success rates so far but a new version is always worth trying out.

[RonWill]

I believe it was the Japanese sake bowls that were from IMM, not the narrow-neck terracotta-type vase but if you do see it at the $2 shop, call me!!!

[stormhawk]

Well the sake bowls are pretty nifty. Looks good. And if it was glazed, even better. Looks much nicer, especially in earthen colours.

The narrow-neck terracotta vase might have been made by Mrs Loh perhaps?