cross your fingers for ted

last night i noticed my peaccock mantis has shell disease.i got so sad. so i started reading.i came up with 3 options.option 1 let it tun its course and most likely say my good byes...optioin 2 force a molt. option 3 dip him in a green formalin dip that does not have very good odds.i went route 2. the safest way i came up with is iodine. i went to my lfs on lunch break bought a test kit and a bottle of iodine. i come home start turning my lights on and theres ted scraping his butt on the sand starting a molt!!! all on his own no iodine needed. the spots were small so i suspect he will be ok. my only concern is he had some battle damage from when i got him.looks like he got smashed at some point...ive had him for about 2 nd a half months feeding him when ever he came for food.usually daily. hes about 6-7 inches hes a big boy lol. i coverd his tank with a thick towel to block out light.so cross your fingers for him that he oulls through his molt....he already had a pretty big portion of his molt off for the breif time i saw him... ill be sleeping on the couch afew nights i guess lol.

 

Good luck, best wishes

 

I hope he makes it!

 

thanks guys!!!

 

Good luck. I hope he can pull through!!

 

thanks kcbrad...

any1 know if i should remove hismlt after hes done so he cant eat it? not sure how the shell rot affect his future health.

 

Sounds like a good idea in this case.

 

Remove the molt. Do not let him eat it like normal. If the shell rot is just beginning he will molt and shed the shell rot off, and it will no longer affect him.

Do not do a formalin dip. formalin is toxic to stomatopds.

 

good luck, they are very smart though.

 

thanks for the info guys. ill pull out what i can of the molt tonite.


TRIGGERFISH is right they are very smart. ted is now already hand feeding and fish safe.ill be working on making him only eat what i give him. i did this with my first mantis. his tank had a pretty heavy clean up crew and it was never touched. if a snail or hermit wondered into hos den he would pick it up and throw it out of his den ...truely and intelligent creature