Bad luck

[JDHoage]

This morning i woke up to find my TBS mantis dead under his rock. This is the second mantis that i have lost thus far they don't seem to last much longer than a week or so for me. I tested my water and everything looked fine. Even with them gone i am hearing a loud clicking... i'm sure that they were dead and that it was not just a molt skin. Could i have a hitch hiker mantis in there that is killing the others? I didn't look too closely but i didn't notice any obvious wounds or anything. I would be happy for any input, i want to have a mantis tank that last for more than a week!

Jason

 

[Diet Plain]

One problem I didn't notice for a while was that they dont take change in salinity well at all. I lost 2 N.Wen's this way. If you do have a hitch hiker mantis, you could probably set a trap and see if there is one. Did you notice anything strange about the mantis before he died? behavior?
-Danny

 

[JDHoage]

The first mantis left his cavity while molting and didn't make it molting in the open. I have no idea why he left his hole. The second one was active and acting well. He was eating and appeard to be perfectly healthy. I keep up on my top offs so i don't think the salinity was a problem. I'm thinking about setting a trap because i'm still hearing the clicking. No hermits or snails have gone missing though so i don't know whats going on.

 

[Diet Plain]

Yea that's a good idea. You just found him dead under a rock huh? If the salinity change did kill them, they suaully just sit prone and move around thier swimmerettes, or freak out and take off around the tank, or both..

 

[JDHoage]

I didn't see him freaking out or anything i saw him moving sand out from under his rock and he was bashing away at some barnicles thent he next thing i know he's dead. my salinity is 1.024. Thanks for your input Danny.

 

[DanInSD]

I just had a similar thing happen, but with two Peacocks

This tank had lots of other life in it -- zoa's, 'shrooms, a small damsel, various other live rock critters, some star polyps, and hermits and snails. Everything was open and happy.

Basically, stomatopods are very much more sensitive to toxins (detergents, glass cleaner, organic solvents, heavy metals) than just about any other invertebrate.

In the end, I think the cause of mine was a bad heater (heavy metal poisoning). The only real option was to break down and start over. I threw away 40 lbs of live sand, 20 lbs of live rock, three powerheads, the contents of the refugium, and started over. Tank is cooking now, it'll be ready within a month to try again.

Best of luck,
Dan