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ionion
03/08/2011, 10:34 AM
Was doing some work in my tank and noticed something on my mantis. Can anyone confirm this please.

http://db.tt/vHoITKU
http://db.tt/2nZP1ht
http://db.tt/4GFn5PL

He is a little under 5 inches
GhostCon1
03/08/2011, 10:42 AM
http://dl.dropbox.com/0/view/4zd1h7wnnlw9tj8/Photos/2011-03-08_08-17-56_505.jpg

This is the best image of it. Shells can't rot; however, something could have attacked/been trying to bore into the abdomen.

Is your mantis new? Have you introduced anything new if the mantis is not new?
King Nikon
03/08/2011, 11:30 AM
Shells can't rot; however, something could have attacked/been trying to bore into the abdomen.


Shell rot doesn't literally mean the shell is rotting away, although it kinda does. It's an infection that gets filled with all sorts of bacteria. micro crustaceans, nematodes and god knows what else that gets into the necrotic tissue.
Anyway, that looks like shell rot to me but I've never seen shell rot in person before. Cut back the lighting and you can feed a bit more to try to get a molt early.
ionion
03/08/2011, 11:35 AM
Nothing new in tank for 5 months
othercents
03/08/2011, 12:02 PM
Lighting is the key. Someone else was battling shell rot and dropped their lighting down to 5 hours a day and it went away.
DanInSD
03/08/2011, 01:29 PM
Low light, super-clean water, feed lots to get a molt as soon as possible, extract the molt skin ASAP.

Dan
GhostCon1
03/08/2011, 03:24 PM
Shell rot doesn't literally mean the shell is rotting away, although it kinda does. It's an infection that gets filled with all sorts of bacteria. micro crustaceans, nematodes and god knows what else that gets into the necrotic tissue.
Anyway, that looks like shell rot to me but I've never seen shell rot in person before. Cut back the lighting and you can feed a bit more to try to get a molt early.

Thankyou; learn something new everyday.
ritter6788
03/08/2011, 05:24 PM
Mine did the same thing. I was like that when I got it. It did get over though after a couple of molts. I removed all the white lighting and used only one dim actinic bulb, (18w). I didn't over feed but I didn't skip any meals either. I don't know if I helped it out any or not but as soon as I removed the white light the rot stopped spreading. Maybe it was a coincidence, I don't know for sure.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee283/ritter6788/IMG_0213.jpg