New to Stomatopods and looking for input
- Thread starter jason2459
- Start date
jason2459
Well-known member
Not good news.
As you know Friday night the mantis was curled up under the internal filter but looked like it was moving. Saturday morning I didn't see any movement but I left it alone all day in hopes it was just hiding out and being shy. By Saturday evening it was drifting along the bottom of the tank. I tapped it a few times with a prod and no movement. So, I pulled it out and it smelled pretty bad. It definitely was not a molt and was the full mantis. So, I'm assuming it might have died some time Friday night into Saturday morning.
My water parameters were:
Temp: 78
Salinity: 35ppt
pH is 8.01
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
I even did a copper test even though all my crabs, corals, and anemone would be dead too and it came back as 0.
Not sure what could have caused it to die. I did a drip aclimation for a good 1-2 hours. I have plenty of small blue leg crabs and I guess snails still thriving in the tank along with some macro algae that looks good and not going sexual at all. My zoa's and polyps are doing great.
I did a decent sized water change last night and changed out my carbon after pulling out the G. Smithii just in case it contaminated the tank.
I emailed bluezoo and gave them some pictures of the dead mantis. Should get a reply from them on Monday.
:worried:
As you know Friday night the mantis was curled up under the internal filter but looked like it was moving. Saturday morning I didn't see any movement but I left it alone all day in hopes it was just hiding out and being shy. By Saturday evening it was drifting along the bottom of the tank. I tapped it a few times with a prod and no movement. So, I pulled it out and it smelled pretty bad. It definitely was not a molt and was the full mantis. So, I'm assuming it might have died some time Friday night into Saturday morning.
My water parameters were:
Temp: 78
Salinity: 35ppt
pH is 8.01
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
I even did a copper test even though all my crabs, corals, and anemone would be dead too and it came back as 0.
Not sure what could have caused it to die. I did a drip aclimation for a good 1-2 hours. I have plenty of small blue leg crabs and I guess snails still thriving in the tank along with some macro algae that looks good and not going sexual at all. My zoa's and polyps are doing great.
I did a decent sized water change last night and changed out my carbon after pulling out the G. Smithii just in case it contaminated the tank.
I emailed bluezoo and gave them some pictures of the dead mantis. Should get a reply from them on Monday.
:worried:
ritter6788
Say no to clove polyps
Sorry to hear that. I had bad luck with a couple of mine. No explanation for the death and everything else in the tank was fine.
rachel060186
New member
That's awful, I'm so sorry! XX
jason2459
Well-known member
Yeah, I wasn't to happy. Still have no idea other then it either didn't acclimate well or was to stressed out from the shipment. There were some white spots on the back of the tail end, which you can see in the very first picture, but doubt that had anything to do with anything like this.
Blue Zoo emailed me back and is issuing a refund. I guess I'm still on the look out for a G. Smithii.
Blue Zoo emailed me back and is issuing a refund. I guess I'm still on the look out for a G. Smithii.
jason2459
Well-known member
Thanks Koshmar. I can only think of temp swings and stress of the shipment. It did get pretty cold that night and then pretty warm during the day while it was in shipment. But I'll definitely try again.
Luckedout, I love the 20l for a small mantis tank. I almost enjoy my 20l more then my main tank even with out the mantis. Can't wait to find another G. Smithii and try again.
Luckedout, I love the 20l for a small mantis tank. I almost enjoy my 20l more then my main tank even with out the mantis. Can't wait to find another G. Smithii and try again.
MrMorton
New member
Aww man...I am really sorry about your mantis.
One really good place to buy is from Cramer's Caribbean critters
http://ccritters.com/
They have a 10$ n. oerstedii and the shipping (to my place in Texas at least) is only $14.
My oerstedii is VERY active and best things about these guys is A: they are tolerant of high lighting (says Dr. Caldwell) and B: mine is very tolerant of other animals ( I have two harlequins, 4 large hermits, and a plethora of snails that get along fine in my 10g).
:fun4:
One really good place to buy is from Cramer's Caribbean critters
http://ccritters.com/
They have a 10$ n. oerstedii and the shipping (to my place in Texas at least) is only $14.
My oerstedii is VERY active and best things about these guys is A: they are tolerant of high lighting (says Dr. Caldwell) and B: mine is very tolerant of other animals ( I have two harlequins, 4 large hermits, and a plethora of snails that get along fine in my 10g).
:fun4:
Peter T
Gallantly Forward
Wow, that sucks. I know it is a little old but haven't been on in a bit and just read about your smithii. I wouldn't be surprised if bluezooaquatics gets another shipment in sometime. Would you think about ordering from them again? FWIW, I ordered my graphurus from there and it is very healthy.
jason2459
Well-known member
Thanks. I have credit with them so if they get another one in before I find one someplace else I'll order it from them. I don't blame them at all. It looked good and was alive on arival. I can only think of the stress of shipping and the temp swings.
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Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
VacavilleFC3S
New member
last mantis i ordered from ccritters turned out to be a P. Ciliata
VacavilleFC3S
New member
no thanks, i actually had to wait through most of spring for her to find it because of that cold spell last year.
