mantis not looking so good

Simran · #1 12/06/2007, 07:06 PM

So yesterday I moved my O.S Mantis shrimp out of her 25 gallon tank and into the sump of 74 gallon reef tank. Th reason i did this is because in her old tank i had no skimmer and the water quality was pretty bad. so anyway I took her out and acclimated her for around 2 hours and she was seeming ok. the second i put her in the sump she started to freak out and dart around the tank and just ended up on her back with her swimmerets moving extremely fast. so this is day 2 and she doesnt look any better. she has moved a little but is on her back again, she is eating and her raptorial appendages are all the extended.
btw the tank perimeters are perfect. i am completly stumped.

Simran · #2 12/06/2007, 09:33 PM

typo, I meant she isn't eating. Ive considered moving her back to the old tank but I think touching her would just make it worse. is there anything i can do?

Simran · #3 12/07/2007, 12:43 AM

i would really like some help with this one....

abrahamcho · #4 12/07/2007, 01:29 AM

My did that, too. Whenever my mantis does that i know there is something wrong with the water right? So i get new salt water and I add stabalize. this one medicine that adds nitifying bacteria so it doesnt kill the mantis with new tank syndrome. So I leave it in there for a while with a bubble airstone and leave the tank alone and do a water change and wait like one week. THen try to a damsel in and when that lives for 2-3 days put the mantis in very slowly. THis usally worked for me. Because i would never get my tank right so i did this a lot.

Pea-brain · #5 12/07/2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by abrahamcho
My did that, too. Whenever my mantis does that i know there is something wrong with the water right? So i get new salt water and I add stabalize. this one medicine that adds nitifying bacteria so it doesnt kill the mantis with new tank syndrome. So I leave it in there for a while with a bubble airstone and leave the tank alone and do a water change and wait like one week. THen try to a damsel in and when that lives for 2-3 days put the mantis in very slowly. THis usally worked for me. Because i would never get my tank right so i did this a lot.

That is absolutely horrible husbandry. You should have a correctly cycled, stable tank before introducing livestock. Medicines that supposedly add nitrifying bactrias are scams and that is very cruel to the damsel as well. Now as for the question, how did you acclimate? Drip? Were the SG's and PH's the same between the acclimation container and the fuge? Another probloem i find with drip acclimating is that the temp isn't correct after it because it loses heat so I usually float for 15 mins after drip acclimating to stabilize temp. ANy medications or chemicals you using on the tank?

Dan

Angel7989 · #6 12/07/2007, 11:03 AM

okay, Simran is my bf. anyways.
i drip acclimated her for 2 hours (at the least). the ph in her old tank wasn't really that great. thats why i moved her to the sump. there was definatley a temp. difference. but today she isnt upside down. her rapts are fully extended still but she seems to be surviving.
i never use any medications or chemicals.
ill keep everyone updated.

Angel7989 · #7 12/10/2007, 03:25 PM

it looks as if she's trying to rip off her rapt. appendage.
i know that mantids do this when they think it will help them survive a moult.
there's not much i can do for her now, except wait.
the thing is, she was never really healthy to begin with.
when i got her she was never really active, like other mantids, she would barley rearrange her live rock rubble, and she just seemed unhealthy from the start.
i know that i've given her a good home and whatever happens to her i'll try not to put the blame all on myself.