HELP! Something wrong with my...............

[game411]

My mantis is acting weird and I don't know why, he is laying at the bottom of the tank out in the open, he is breathing but rarely moves, at first I though he was molting but he has been like this for TWO days now, and I'm worried as hell.....................

I checked my Amonia, it's at 0, but my Nitrites are at 0.2 which is a little high, so I was going to do a water change. Are Mantis Shrimps sensitive to Nitrites? I have two and the other one is fine, he is the larger of the two....could it be my Temp, Water quality, or some kind of sickness? they can survive chemical baths, Id've though a little Nitrite isn't too bad.......

My Damsels are fine and seem to be up to their usual ruckuss................Anyone got some insight?

Oh, I threw in a red claw into my tank, my Damsels actually attacked it, but eventually he got a devastating blow to the mouth my my smaller Mantis and this rendered him a knock out..................But I want to save my big one, is there anything I should do?

 

[budsreef]

Man that sucks! You might want to try posting in the Mantis Forum on Reef Central. Dr Roy Caldwell, expert on Mantis Shrimp, often monitors and responds to threads there.

 

[tnyga]

wtg Bud...I was just gonna post that

 

[game411]

That's on my list to do today...........Amonia was very low, in the yellow range.

 

[navyreefer]

The first time I read this I read "nitrates" and thought to myself nah that low level should not cause any problems, then after re-reading and seeing its Nitrites....any Nitrites at all is bad really its like poison to Marine life. How long has the tank been up that you have Nitrites?

 

[navyreefer]

You may also want to get something to detoxify the Nitrites I think "Prime" is one of the best.

 

[game411]

Actually the increase was because I grind flake food and Brine together and add it to help revive some of my Xenia, which tend to die if there is not enough food in the water, but they are back up, lost a few....................


I found out on ReefCentral, that it might be molting, I though it was a one day process, but for a mantis about3 cm long, it takes about 3 - 4 days, I guess that's why he ate the whole peice of Shrimp I gave him a couple of days ago, he usually eats it over a period of 2 - 3 days, but this time he ate the whole thing, then the problem started.

The only weird thing about this it they are supposed to Molt in secret, hidden away, he is out in broad day light, that's what had me worried, so I'll wait a couple more days and see how it goes.

Hope he doesn't die, I hear alot of them are lost in this period.......and they do this every 3 weeks at this size, Dang, talk about many chances to die.

 

[game411]

Oh, by the way, I am not sure if it's Nitrites or Nitrates, I forgot what chart I was looking at, I just know that the reading was 0.2 which stated that at .2 a water change is due.................

 

[jonathan]

That sounds like it was the nitrate chart, not nitrite.