Plea for help, shell diease?

[Frozen Roadkill]

My tank is a 12 gallon nanocube DX, and I'v had it since March of last year. Right now, my coral is doing better than it ever has. My acanthanstrea is bigger and fleshier than ever, zoas and palys are multiplying, my single mushroom suddenly became 4, and even my incredibly lazy black hawaiian turbo snail was moving around.
But the reason for my tank, my 3" Wennerae mantis, is not doing well. Iv had her since april of last year, shipped in from Florida. She has been very healthy, outliving a few fish and a tank leak and subsequent change, eats food from your hand, and doesnt harm any of my other inverts, even the normally devored hermits.

Since yesterday, my normally shy mantis has been completaly out of her hole, somtimes just standing but usually curled on her back. Her color is also more pastel and light. My older brother, thedude15810 of Kingfish Aquariums, told me it is most likely shell rot, and the old chance she has is to molt, and fast (a slim chance at that). Is there anything else I can do to help her?

Pictures of her as a healthy mantis

 

[Angel7989]

if it does have shell disease the only thing you could do is get a UV sterilizer, turn off your lights, and feed it a lot to try to induce a molt.
thats pretty much the only thing you can do with shell disease.
the uv steralizer kills bacteria so if it does molt it gives it a good chance that it wont get it again.

 

[Frozen Roadkill]

I think its probably past the point of a UV. It isn't really eating much, ill hand her food and she will push it away.

 

[justinl]

unless you actually see rotting sections on the mantis' carapace, it isn't shell disease.

the behaviour you describe is a worrisome thing. It's happened before and sometimes they recover and do fine, but more often not. cut the lights, dont try to feed, and leave the thing alone (ie do everything you can NOT to stress it out). certainly dont scoop it out of the tank for a photoshoot again.

 

[Frozen Roadkill]

He is still alive today, though he can't seem to stay upright and just lays on his back. There is no way to tell for sure, but he just looks like he is in agony.

 

[Angel7989]

have you checked all of the tank parameters?

 

[DanInSD]

Could be a bad molt, toxic exposure, sudden change in temperature/salinity, low dissolved oxygen... Only thing you can do is wait, keep the lights down, and ensure optimal water quality.

 

[Frozen Roadkill]

He is pretty much going into death throws now. I think it is a bad molt because he looks like he is in agony, trying to get out of a tight molt.

I figure if it were parameter problems, my coral wouldnt look as good as it does. When my calcium was dangerously low, nothing but my acanthanstrea looked bad, but right now everything looks FANTASTIC! I have never seem my coral look better.

My mom and I were comtemplating freezing him or hitting him with a hammer really quick, because he looks like he suffering so badly, but I decided it would be worse to take him, a marine animal, and take him out of water or put him in a little bag to freeze than it would be to let nature take its course. But now basically i have no hope left for him pulling through. I need a miracle.

 

[Titan*69]

Don't smash it with a hammer, just let nature take it's course.

 

[Frozen Roadkill]

I know smashing it with a hammer sounds horrible but what faster way is there? But I'm not going to, ill let it die or live on its own terms

 

[abrahamcho]

Dude i know how you feel. It tugs at you, just give it a chance. I in a situation like that, but luckly mine survied and it is now doing great, so try to let nature take its course.

 

[BALISTIK]

Very cool looking mantis. I hope everything goes well!

 

[Angel7989]

correct me if im wrong? but if it was a bad molt wouldnt it be dead within like 2 minutes? I thought the reason as to mantis shrimp dieing from a molt is because they get traped in thier own skin and sufficate.

 

[justinl]

"bad molt" is a broad term. lots of things can go wrong during a molt and yes a few will kill a mantis fast, but not all.

 

[Frozen Roadkill]

Still alive, his eyes are clouded over and when you look at his back, it seems each segment is busting at the seams, and when you look sideways it looks like a clear shell is crammed on the top of him, because from sideways he is almost see through. He cannot walk right, he crawls upside down, but that could be becuase he cannot see. He wont eat either. My water was super salty, but I have it back within normal range but the mantis looks just terrible.

 

[Frozen Roadkill]

Alright, I retract what I said earlier. I went to target at 8 o'clock tonight and came back now at 9 and my naccarius snails were out so I knew. Like i figured I lifted up the rock and found him being eaten. The big top carapace was lifted up, I don't know if it was from a snail of he busted his seams. But I am convinced it was a bad molt, possibly triggered by my high salt. Thank you all for you help.

 

[abrahamcho]

Sorry fo the loss.

 

[Angel7989]

jeeze that sucks,
im really sorry to hear that.

 

[Angel7989]

btw, how high was your salt anyways?