Not a Critter...Yet?

[dapjwy]

Anyone know what this is? Or what it may become?




My first thought was that it was the eggs of something...but, it looks perfectly clear.

[havalotta]

Do you by chance have some sort of small air pump as in like a fish tank pump?
If so, Set the seaweed? gently into a container of the same water from which they came with a LITTLE air circulation on an end away from the eggs...You do not want them bouncing about. The addition of circulation should prevent fungus from forming upon them.

In a few days to a week you should be seeing something forming within if it is some sort of egg.
If it turns out to be snails...Do not set them into your pond as the WILL plug up filtration intakes!!!

If you do not have a pump, about all you can do is to isolate them in a bucket (set in the shade) in an edge of your pond and hope for the best...

[dapjwy]

Thanks, hava...I've not had an aquarium set-up for over 10 years, so I don't have an airstone or pump.

I'll try to isolate it...but, this morning, I went out and didn't see the plant at all! (I didn't search for it, so it might just be behind some floating wood. Yesterday, I overfilled the top pond with my hose (I have well water, so no worries about chlorine) to see how the water will spill into the second phase pool/tub/pond...then we had rain all night, so, I'm just a *little* concerned it could have washed away.

[Equilibrium]

Uh huh.... not a critter. That plant looks an awful lot like watershield. It's got glands that produce that gelatinous coating. If we were playing the ole animal vegetable or mineral game.... this woulda been a good 1!!!!

[havalotta]

Nice to find out what it is..Is it worthy of him keeping????

[Equilibrium]

It's a "keeper"!!! They all have those glands so most end up encased in that slime as the season progresses... it's a sign of a happy watershield!!! The slime makes it fun handling em too!!!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

Uh huh.... not a critter. That plant looks an awful lot like watershield. It's got glands that produce that gelatinous coating. If we were playing the ole animal vegetable or mineral game.... this woulda been a good 1!!!!

Thanks, Equil.

I thought it seemed to coat the entire plant which seemed a bit odd for any eggs.

I assumed that the gelatinous coating was a way to protect the plant because it was out of the water...but, after looking it up just now, it seems that is the natural state of the plant. Also, it looks as though it is a floating plant--I assumed it was rooted in the muddy bottom, but I guess that is not the case. Now I have more faith that it will survive...maybe I'd better go out and look for it.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by havalotta

Nice to find out what it is..Is it worthy of him keeping????

Yup, after doing a search, I found it is a native. The first search brought up "watershield *control*"...so, I switched to "watershield native range" and found it is a native.

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

It's a "keeper"!!! They all have those glands so most end up encased in that slime as the season progresses... it's a sign of a happy watershield!!! The slime makes it fun handling em too!!!

I hope it will be "happy" here as well.

[havalotta]

Looks pretty once it matures..
Kind of like a small, oval shaped water lily.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by havalotta

Looks pretty once it matures..
Kind of like a small, oval shaped water lily.

I hope it does mature here...and survive the winter as well.