Odd Mantis Behavior

[travisurfer]

Over the past two weeks or so, my G. graphurus has been acting very odd. He has been hiding under a rock only to come out for one night to swim around. Neither of these are normal behavior for my mantiid. This morning I found him curled up on top of a rock with his back facing upward and only his uropods moving. He seemed to be unresponsive to me looking at him. This does not seem like normal molt behavior for him at all since he normally closes up his main cave, the area under the rock is nor part of this system, and although he doesn't eat during this time, he is normally back to his old self in under a week. I have some pics and a video that I will upload in a bit. I also may try feeding him soon to see if he responds.

Well, I just tried feeding him and he was afraid of the normally appetizing shrimp on a stick. He ran/swam away from it and tried to bore through some rocks(yes, his smashers do work). Right now he is sticking his face in yet another crevice but is still out in the open and seemingly unwilling to hide. I really have no idea what could be wrong.

 

[DanInSD]

The only thing I could suggest is to check water parameters and make sure everything is A-OK.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Sounds like a molt going bad. There is nothing you can do except leave the animal alone, keep the lights low, and hope. It will probably be dead in a day or two. (Hope I'm wrong, but this is the typical way that most aquarists lose their animals.

One general comment. Whenever people have trouble with their stomatopod, it seems like one of the first things they try is to offer food. That is not a good idea. It simply stresses the animal more. Stomatopods can go for weeks without eating and when they are hungry, they usually make it obvious by the way they take food (except for some species that immediately back off if the food offers any resistance). If an animal is acting strangely, I make it a point not to feed it until the problem is resolved.

Roy

 

[travisurfer]

Thanks Dr.Roy. I'll cut the lights for awhile and hope for the best Yesterday I had my caulerpa colony go sexual so that may be part of the problem although things started long before that.

 

[andromedia226]

My G smithii died this exact same way. He came out into the open and lay on his back, walking legs jerking, for hours till he died.

Sort of sad, and I hope yours pulls through. These guys are hardy, but their molts really are their Achilles heals!

 

[travisurfer]

Well, a friend of mine suggested a last ditch effort to dose iodine. I made a single Kent brand Iodine recommended dosage and he is back in action. I cannot actually confirm a molt but he is back out hunting and ate just now. No more twitching, just smooth predator action so the Nano-Reef celebrity mantis is back in action. Special thanks to those who posted.

 

[mattyice]

well in order to make sure the iodine method will work in a failed molt we would need to see more cases happen the same way travis

 

[travisurfer]

I know, it has worked for me and he is back to normal but I can't even prove his molt myself. But it did appear to help, so...

 

[psychodave]

how fast did he recover after adding the iodine? I would think that the results wouldnt be instantanious, that it would take a while, a few days perhaps, for the iodine to have an affect...but im no scientist so I dont know.

 

[travisurfer]

it was only a few days, can't remember exactly how many though. i added it monday night and by around wednesday or thursday i think he was doing better again but thats just a rough guess.