Is my mantis shrimp dead? =/

Hello Guys, just picked up a mantis shrimp late Sunday afternoon (2 days ago). I purchased him from the same supplier that I buy my R/O salt water. I also bought two crabs with him. After acclimating him, i placed him in the tank and about 1 hour later he already killed and ate one of the crabs. Last night, the mantis shrimp finally got to the second crab and ate him as well. I woke up this morning and took a peek in my aquarium and noticed he was fine and actually looking at me(He is tremendously active, but relatively small probably around 3-4 inches). HERES THE DEAL, Its been 8 hours since I've been home and now i noticed him behind these rocks (its really hard to see him), but he's not moving. I have nothing in the tank besides about 40 pounds of live rock. The tank is a 30 gallon and has been setup for 2 months for the cycle to proceed. I checked the water with the LFS and everything was on point. I'm just worried, is he dead? Molting? Should i leave my lights on or off? Is he sleeping? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Don;t do anything IMO, check on him tomorrow.

 

most likely he is molting. Normally a mantis will den themself prior to molting. It can take a week to 2 depending on the size of the mantis. It is very stressful when they molt so do not do anything.

They go through a spell in the begining of the molt where there shell is very soft and the shrimp is very vulnerable. This is when they will go into their den. However since the shrimp was just rehomed, I would think it probably went into a stress molt.

I personally turn off all my lights during a molt. I have gone so far as to cover the tank with a towel to prevent all light from entering the tank. Try as hard as it is to not look in the tank or disrupt him what so ever for at least next several days.

I will say molting is the most dangerous time for a mantis. As I said it is very stressful and not to make you worry, many will die during this time. That is why it is best to just let be at this point.

What kind of mantis did you get?

 

also after he molts, leave the shell in the tank. They will eat the shell and get a lot of the nutrients and iodine needed through this.

DO NOT EVER DOSE IODINE with a mantis. It will cause a mantis to go into a premature molt and increase the likelyhood of dying during the molt. They get enough iodine with regular feedings

here is a good website on mantis care etc

http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/

 

The mantis was sold as a "rainbow mantis" but resemebles:

these two:

Roy's List of Stomatopods for the Aquarium

and

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthro...acostraca/royslist/species.php?name=g_smithii

Its still pretty small.


Alright great advice. I cant lie, before i looked at it a little with a light so hopefully I didnt make matters worse. I just covered the tank with a towel. Temperature says 80 degrees.

My lighting is this

Coralife Aqualight High Output T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture 2X31W 30 inch Coralife T5 HO

 

I would lower the temp to around 78 degrees.

No you didnt hurt it any looking.

I will be interested in seeing a picture once the molt is complete. A rainbow mantis is another name for a peacock mantis. If it is small, it might be mislabeled. Mantis are often labled as one thing and is really something else.

If it killed a crab it is definately a smasher. A peacock is a smasher/piercer. Smashers do require crabs/snails often to keep their smashers healthy.

the lighting is good. You dont want to have too much lighting as it can cause shell disease. I will try to find some of my old post on Bob, my peacock. I had her for 2-3 years. Unfortunately her molts became more stressful on her (she was 10-12 inches) Right before she died, she layed eggs and then went directly into a molt. Unfortunately this was too much for her

 

Ya its definitely a smasher, he cracked the plastic container that he was in when i first got him -_-


Alright i lowered the temperature. Is there a heat limit I cant exceed? Now im thinking what if it this happened because it got too hott?

 

nope, it had nothing to do with that at all. 80 isnt all that high, i just like to keep my temp around 78 degrees or so. Molting is a natural thing that happens to matis. and smaller the mantis the more they will molt. If it is small, it might only take a couple days to finish the molt.

 

Alright, I will give it time. While a mantis is molting, will it look completely motionless? Would he or she move any body part in the process. I couldn't fully make him out but when i did his tail and fins(if thats what its called) were not moving.

 

btw schackmel,

I adore your dog!