Help with Squilla Rugosa

[biomekanic]

Well, Squilliam (as my GF dubbed him) arrived yesterday. After acclimation, he hid, no surprise.

This morning, he's out on the sandbed and I got a closer look. Squilliam is missing an eye, and both his raptors.

I'm heading off to the store to get PE Mysis to feed him, but is there anything else I can do to help? The missing raptor wounds look old.

And I'll be contacting Drs F&S.

[justinl]

huh. that sux. well unfortunately there's nothing you can do about the eye. the raps should grow back in 3-4 molts if given proper care.

reduce the photoperiod. Feed varied frozens (silversides, krill, scallop etc) that have been soaked in a supplement. feed every 2 days. make sure the mantis has everything it needs to make a nice dark burrow.

[dragonforce]

He should do just fine with 1 eye, and like junstin said, supply him with frozen as well as some snails and hermits so he can grow back his raps

[Pea-brain]

Yes it should do fine with just one eye. In fact it probably has better depth perception than most people. I has tri-nocular vision with just one eye..... Also I found my P. ciliata with similar symptons (not missing an eye, but both rapts gone and it had some spots of shell disease.) It came from Dr. Foster and smith. I never reported it though because it molted the shell disease away....tell us how Dr. fosters and smith take care of it.

[medellia]

man, sorry to hear that about the rugosa! i guess yesterday was just a cruddy day for mantis shrimp in Oregon

what is his tank setup like, and do you have any pics of him and/or the tank? i would like to see

[biomekanic]

No pics, till I can find the cord to the camera that lets me download images.

So far the tank is a MOWLR: Mantis Only With Live Rock.

It's a 20g tank, with a Remora HOT skimmer, and Aqua Clear 500 modded into a fuge, and an Aquaclear 30 running with Purigen in it. I'm adding a low dose of iodine to the top off water to help.

EDIT: Drs F & S contacted me, and everything is good, just like I expected. Refunded me the amount, and they'd like me to keep them posted.

[Diet Plain]

good to hear they refunded you, now I'm glad I didn't buy from them. I have before and didn't like what I got.

[Gonodactylus]

Snails and hermits will do no good with a squillid. They eat soft prey such as annelids, thin-shelled clams, shrimp, small fish and tiny crabs.

Roy

[biomekanic]

I picked up some Selcon, P E Mysis, and frozen squid today. Going to see about hitting the sushi grade sea food market tomorrow

[biomekanic]

Well, I found a shell in the tank this morning.

Not sure if this means he retreated into one of the PVC lairs I provided or if he died and the nassarius cleaned him out.

I found only the back half, not the front, and it was in the same spot he was sitting in last night when I went to bed.

He wasn't doing the "laying on the side" thing they do when they're in trouble, but he was spinning in place.

[Thurge]

DO NOT SUPPLIMENT IODINE. It's way too easy to boost it to lethal levels, testing for iodine is spotty at best, and there is no evidence that iodine supplements (kept in nonlethal levels) will help with molting. Just do weekly waterchanges and your Iodine should stay where you want it.

[biomekanic]

Well... I picked up the Seachem iodine test, can't hurt to check.

I've been doing small, daily water changes as well.

He did pop out briefly this morning, so he's alive. I don't think my job will accept "I need to go baby sit a crustacean" as a valid reason to leave work early.

[biomekanic]

Well, Squilliam is beyond help now.

[justinl]

harsh. sorry for the loss. well im sure you can try with a healthier mantis next time right?

[biomekanic]

I will. Right now, I'm just going to let the LR sit in the tank for a few months and see what grows. Getting some more freshly imported LR too. heck, Might get a mantis out of it.