Peacock is acting wierd! PLS HELP!!!

[eisaiasjr]

Hello:

I bought a 5" Peacock about 6-8 months ago, everything has been great, water parameters are tip top and I have never had any issues with them either. In essence I have never had a problem with this tank or with my mantis... today I saw something very wierd.

I noticed today that the shell of my mantis has gone from a vibrant green/red peacock mantis color to a dull brown/green color It also has some whitish coloring at the end of its tail. what is going on??? This transformation happened overnight!

I have seen pics of shell rot and they tipically are large black spots on the shell, my peacock doesnt have any black spots anywhere that I can see.

Furthermore, In the last week he has covered up his burrow so in essence he doesnt have a burrow anymore, he just hangs out on the top of the sand, underneath a large rock ledge I created when I put the rock in. He seems interactive and friendly, still comes up to the glass when I put my finger against it.

I havent tryed to feed him yet but I will do so later today.

Could he be molting??? arent they supposed to "lock" themselves in their burrow when they molt?

Also, I have a 4-5" damsel in therewith him they have lived together since the begining of the tank and they dont seem to bother each other too much. if he is planning on molting outside of the burrow (basically in the open) should I remove this damsel?

Please let me know what you guys think!

Regards,

Estefano


P.S. if you need any other information or pics let me know and ill get these ASAP!

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

well aslong as he's acting healthy i wouldn't worry too much.

pics are always helpful

 

[eisaiasjr]

acting healthy

acting healthy

He is still acting "healthy" however the color doesnt look good. If anything is about to go wrong I would like to know ahead of time to try to correct it before its too late!

Can anyone shed some light in this matter?

Regards,

Estefano

P.S. I will try posting some pics soon.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

well it's a possibility it's getting ready to molt, read the thread above this on molting written by Roy aka "gonodactylus" that may give you some good ideas of what it's going through.

i really wouldn't worry about it based on color change alone,
and theres so few of us that own mantis intentionally and watch this sub forum your probably not gonna get much more help unless Roy checks up on us.

get some pics up quick so atleast we know what your describing in the color change

 

[eisaiasjr]

Here are the pics

Here are the pics

Hello:

Here are the pics of the mantis, you will notice the brownish coloration on the body as well as the white coloration at the end of the tail.

Also, I just fed the mantis and it readily accepted the food.

Dr. Roy help me out!

Regards,

Estefano

 

[eisaiasjr]

1 more pic

1 more pic

Here is 1 more pic of the white spot on the tail

regards,

Estefano

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

looks normal to me,

i dunno what to say i don't really see a "white" spot, i do so a part of it is lighter colored than the rest, was it attacked by something??

 

[cobaltplasma]

My P.Ciliata's color darkened quit a bit before her first molt with me, going from a speckled sandy red to a dark, dark red, almost a dark wine color. Post-molt though, she was a little darker but not as dark prior to the actual molting. If she seems to be acting okay, perhaps he is, in fact going to molt, and will unplug his burrow when it's time.

As far as his safety goes if he molts outside, I'm unsure. Do you think his burrow might be too small or tight to allow him to molt, and therefore has sought a more spacious area?

 

[eisaiasjr]

No idea

No idea

I have no idea.. that is what I am thinking, that he couldnt make himself a good enough burrow and therefore decided to cover it up and molt outside... however I can DEFINETLY see a difference in color in the last few days. something is going on!

Regards,

Estefano

 

[Gonodactylus]

Your O. scyllarus has already molted. That is the only way you will see a color change in a day. It is common for animals in aquaria to become less green and more brown. If you look around the tank, you will probably find the molt skin buried - or, if it has already dug it up and eaten it, at least a few hard parts such as the raptorial appendage dactyls. The while area of the uropod is fairly typical coloration.

Roy

 

[eisaiasjr]

tkx!

tkx!

Well,

That would explain alot... I guess that is why he covered his burrow and changed colors overnight!

Tkx again Dr. Roy!

Regards,

Estefano