Shell Disease?

[Ali88]

I got my G. chiragra a little over a month ago. She's eating very well, hermits and frozen food. She hasn't molted since I got her, and she's starting to develop a dark spot on top of her carapace. I'm pretty sure it wasn't there before (it's hard to tell, she's usually hiding and I can't see her whole body). I'm just running standard fluorescent lights for about 8 hours a day, nothing too powerful. I will try to get pictures tomorrow. Could this be shell disease or anything? If so, is there anything I can do for her?

[Ali88]

Here's some pictures...

http://s1015.photobucket.com/albums/af273/SharkBait588/Mantis%20Shrimp/?action=view&current=DSCF0161.jpg

http://s1015.photobucket.com/albums/af273/SharkBait588/Mantis%20Shrimp/?action=view&current=DSCF0160.jpg

[Thurge]

Unfortunately, yes that is shell rot.
Feed as wide a varitey of food as possible (snails, squid, fish, crab, etc.) and soak it in Selcon before feeding.
Water changes. You want to keep the water as pristine as possible. Vac the bottom when you do water changes.
Thats about all you can do.
Good luck.

And by no means does shell rot automatically mean death, but you will have to work to get ahead of it.

[MantisO_o]

:(, also bright lighting induces shell rot as well.

[Ali88]

Yeah I've heard bright lighting can cause it, but all I have on the tank are the cheap lights that come with those cheap hoods you buy at the pet store, nothing extreme. What else can cause shell disease? She couldn't have caught it from a hermit crab or anything right? Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates all tested at 0 yesterday, and I did a 25% water change. I hope she'll be okay... Thanks for the advice!

[gozermantis]

chiragra's live in shallower waters and can def handle birght light. im sorry about her rot. weird that it happened not that long after you got her. let me know how she is after next molt. i hope nothing happens but if something does let me know i will gladly help you get another one for a nice price. i will deliver this time.

[Thurge]

My G.chiagra was named Hairy, because when I got him he was developing a Hair Alge mohawk from bright lights....
He was being kept in a small cube in a coral tank at the LFS.

[barnabus's gimp]

yeah my G. Chiragra has shell rot also, I dont know if there is anything you can do but wait it out.

[Thurge]

Lots of water changes, feed a varitey of nutritous foods and turn your lights down (the last one is kind of pointless for a G.chiagra since then tend to stay in their burrows anyway).
Its also a good idea to soak frozen fods in a liquid vitimin such as Selcon.

[barnabus's gimp]

yeah I'm buying a variety, as of right now I'm target feeding the mantis selcon saturated krill, muscle (on the half), octopus rings, jumbo shrimp and mysis the tank seems pretty healthy, its good having a G. Chiragra because they stay in their den most of the time and dont harass other inhabitants.

although I am going to get a peacock one day... god willing.