Molt concern?

[351winsor]

I have had my new mantis since 3-1-2009 and the previous owner had him for about 3 weeks, and still no molt?? Is this normal for a 3" to 4" n. chiragra?? He is very active and eats alot of varied foods. He has eaten (estimated) 5 margarita snails, 10 small nassarius snails, 2 to 3 pieces of krill, 2 ghost shrimp, a hand full of hermits, 2 gorilla crabs, and over the past two days he took out two thumb sized sand sifting crabs from saltwaterfish.com. So he's eating fine and very, very active, but no molt yet Is ti possible for them to molt in one day?

 

[Tangalong]

I have an O.Scyllarus and she didn't molt until I had her over a month. There is a sticky thread at the top of this Forum about molting that might help. I don't think a one day molt is possible...there is a lot going on under that skin!!! yours sounds like he is feeding up to a molt...mine did that. ...when he starts getting really busy moving sand and rocks and things then he is probably preparing to hibernate in his burrow and molt. I would make sure you have done a partial water change since he has eaten so much so that is out of the way before he molts. Dr. Roy says they should not be disturbed during their molting process . I think top-off water. is ok to do as that is necessary.

Hope I have helped some.

 

[Koshmar]

I'm assuming that's Wolf? Have you found a new name for him yet? Sounds really active for a G. chiragra but while I had him he was the same way. Might not be a G. chiragra, like I said I assumed that he was because of the size, sounds more like a large N. wennerae but I didn't think they got that big. My 1ish inch N. wennerae can molt over night, he's crazy fast when it's that time again. I wouldn't worry much about it, it took my Squilla around a month before he/she molted. I found part of the telson floating in the water column one day and it popped right out of its burrow to look around and darted back in. Keep us posted.

 

[lionbacker54]

sometimes i wonder if they can molt without closing their burrow for days on end. i have only noticed one obvious molting period with my mantis that i've had since january. he was holed up for like three days, all burrow entrances closed up. since then, the burrow entrances are only closed at night, never at day.

yet there is evidence that he has undergone at least one additional molt. when i got him, he was missing his left rapt. after the one molt, he had a new tiny left rapt. now, his left rapt is noticeably bigger. i asked around, and roy confirmed that rapts cannot grow without molting. so.... he must have done an overnight molt, or molted without closing up his burrow.

 

[Wildinside]

My mantis (O. Scyllarus) has had molts before where he never closes his burrow at all. He no longer closes his burrow at night or at all for that matter and he continued this trend through his last molt.
I know he molted because he enacted all of the pre/post molt symptoms and was not using his rapts for a few days (he was laying low in general usually only poking out far enough for his eyes to scan the area when he thought something was going on) but he is happily back at it now smashing stuff with renewed vigor.
He really went at it with his last molts pre-molt activities. We were in a day-to-day battle over my brain coral. Every day I would find it stuffed underneath the rock his main burrow entrance exits under. It was totally in the shade, so I would take it out (while fighting his fiesty butt off) and would try and find a place that he wouldn't get it. I would come home from work and it would be back under the rock and he would be smiling at me sayin "that right!". I would then fight him off and attempt to save my brain again from jeopardy. This continued to go on for a couple days until I finally put it on the highest rock in the tank where it resides today. Apparently he is scared of heights haha (+1 ME). However, he officially stole some Zoo's I had and stuffed it so far back that I was unable to recover it and by now they are likely dead and gone (+1 MANTIS).

Score: 1-1

So far the slate is even...until his next molt.

Duhn duhn DUHNNN!!
(scary music)

 

[Mentat]

Have you read Dr. Roy's Molt Thread ? Period between molting can take months, as long as 2 to 6. Also, since some Mantis eat or bury the molted skin, you could easily miss one.

 

[351winsor]

he had a complete list of molt symptoms, but never locked him self up for a few days. He has been digging alot and moving rocks around, but mostly really early(before the light are on) or really late(after lights out). And yes Koshmar is is Wolf, still no new name yet, but my girlfriend is stuck on "Manty" im assuming its her variation of Monty?? Who knows. Here are a few pics to see if i can get an ID thanks .

 

[lionbacker54]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14700269#post14700269 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wildinside
My mantis (O. Scyllarus) has had molts before where he never closes his burrow at all. He no longer closes his burrow at night or at all for that matter and he continued this trend through his last molt.
I know he molted because he enacted all of the pre/post molt symptoms and was not using his rapts for a few days (he was laying low in general usually only poking out far enough for his eyes to scan the area when he thought something was going on) but he is happily back at it now smashing stuff with renewed vigor.
He really went at it with his last molts pre-molt activities. We were in a day-to-day battle over my brain coral. Every day I would find it stuffed underneath the rock his main burrow entrance exits under. It was totally in the shade, so I would take it out (while fighting his fiesty butt off) and would try and find a place that he wouldn't get it. I would come home from work and it would be back under the rock and he would be smiling at me sayin "that right!". I would then fight him off and attempt to save my brain again from jeopardy. This continued to go on for a couple days until I finally put it on the highest rock in the tank where it resides today. Apparently he is scared of heights haha (+1 ME). However, he officially stole some Zoo's I had and stuffed it so far back that I was unable to recover it and by now they are likely dead and gone (+1 MANTIS).

Score: 1-1

So far the slate is even...until his next molt.

Duhn duhn DUHNNN!!
(scary music)

very entertaining post. reminiscent of densityman's classic tim the supermantis post. thanks for taking the time

 

[351winsor]

today he smacked the skewer a few times, but only with one clubber! I hope that the he didnt injure the clubber in the battle with the sand sifting crabs? The mantis was out for just a few hours this morning and i havent seen him since? I hope he is molting soon!

 

[Koshmar]

Naw, I think he's fine. My G. chiragra uses only one rap to smash open shells. I'm glad he went to a good home though, keep us posted on the molt. It's always a rough time for both the mantis and the keeper. Hang in there.

 

[351winsor]

Im am allmost 100% sure that he is molting!! He didn't click once yesterday, so hopefully he is molting, he also dug sand into his two favorite holes. Im assuming that he is hiding because he is molting! I cant wait for him to come out of a molt last night i added a live saltwater clam and i found two crazy looking crabs, i think one is a red mithrax and the other a gorilla crab! Hammertime!!

 

[351winsor]

Well it's been six days, they mantis is out, but not one click! He seems tired and slow, like he cant focus. i have not added or changed anything to the tank other than adding snails for him....He even had a hard time taking the krill of off the skewer. OH YEAH, I also fed him a piece of krill saturday night. So he taken(im not going to say eaten, because he hides, but i haven't found the krill either) two pieces of krill at 5 and 7 days after he locked himself up. Has anyone else experienced this?? Im just worried about my little buddy!!

 

[cobaltplasma]

Molting takes a lot out of a stomatopod so perhaps he's just a bit more discombobulated. He's a good size, so the molt process from start to finish will take longer, it wouldn't surprise me, too, if he's waiting for his rapts to fully harden before getting back to smashing things, that and his mouth parts to solidify fully before tackling firmer foods; might also be why he was having trouble pulling the krill off the skewer.

For now I'd sit back and leave him be, aside from feedings I guess, try not to agitate him too much and to let things settle down for him more, post-molt. Molting is always a very arduous before, during, and after the process

 

[351winsor]

He's big IMO, i did hear a few light clicks just a few minutes ago, but nothing like im used to hearing. I will try and feed him another piece of krill tomorrow afternoon, maybe this will help him keep his strength up! How does everyone feel about soaking the krill in Kent Zoe?? I also did a two gallon water about 6 hours ago and he's looking more active and more "himself". I really hope he pulls through this!

 

[351winsor]

He's was out all day cruising the tank, but he never stopped to smack a snail or a crab? I have managed to give him a piece of krill everyday for the past three days. I'll stop that as soon as he starts killing again. Do you think that small golden astreas are to strong for him to break?? I know that cerriths aren't. I'll keep you posted on his "funny" behavior!!

 

[Mentat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14790984#post14790984 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 351winsor
He's was out all day cruising the tank, but he never stopped to smack a snail or a crab? I have managed to give him a piece of krill everyday for the past three days. I'll stop that as soon as he starts killing again. Do you think that small golden astreas are to strong for him to break?? I know that cerriths aren't. I'll keep you posted on his "funny" behavior!!

Hold off on the krill for a couple days. Once the food source is gone... it will probably go for the snails. Mantis are smart and will eat the "easy" food first.

 

[351winsor]

Good point, i guess im just trying to make sure that he has food in his belly to keep his strength up. thanks. I feel like an over bearing mom!!