mantis zebra

Reefdiver72 · #1 12/24/2007, 11:37 PM

My mantis is swimming funny and laying on his back do they molt or something it looks funny this evening.and its not eating. Any ideas?
plz help

gemini aquarius(t) · #2 12/25/2007, 02:15 AM

Mantis do molt, but if it has a burrow, it usually does so in there.

Reefdiver72 · #3 12/25/2007, 06:09 PM

This morning it was destroying its burrow and was swimming all over all ****ed off like and now it died I am dumbstruck. Everything tests purfect it is on my sump system and has about 460 gallons flowing through it. Trying to decide if I want another one now. The only thing I did different I did was feds silversides the night before.I was out of krill which it seemed to like with a bit of mysis.

lillurker · #4 12/26/2007, 07:08 PM

how long did you have the mantis? If you just got it, then probably the method used to capture it in the wild would be in question, sometimes cyanide is used to trap them. Sorry to hear about it. Better luck next time.

oct2274 · #5 12/26/2007, 07:31 PM

from what you are saying it probably wasn't anything you did if the water parameters are in line. How long did you have it? Was there ever any copper treatments in the tank you put it in or any rock/substrate that might have been in a tank treated with copper? If you are going to get another mantis.......to be on the safe side run a polyfilter on the tank for a while before you introduce the mantis to ensure there aren't any harmful chemicals or metals that may have effected it's health. It also could have been a failed molt. Also obviously make sure that the tank is fully cycled and there is no ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate if at all possible before trying again. Good luck

here is a link to the poly filter
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...olyfilter&Np=1

Reefdiver72 · #6 12/26/2007, 08:26 PM

I had it since thanksgiving I did find something today though my tank is overflowing somehow I think it is getting an airlock in the line or something but that wouldn't of caused him to die he had been at phishy business since august or so he caught them in Bali I think I am going to go get the other one tomorrow and try it but I want to drain my water down tomorrow and drill another hole and bulkhead. my kids loved to just sit and watch it I would love a smasher but I don't trust it in a 40 breeder on my system it wouldn't be 40 gallons on the carpet it would be about 300.

Oh and I apologize for my bleeped word up top I never thought about that being a bad word!