Mantis molted but now has gimpy thumpers (arms)

[slakker]

I've been trying to look for some info and advice. I've had my mantis for over 2 years now, but after this last molt, I noticed both his thumpers are poorly formed and look useless. Any thoughts on whether this will remain this way or will he get better after the next molt? What can I do to help make it better...

I've been feeding him, silver sides, live margerita snails, frozen krill/shrimp over the years... He's always been thumping away except this last molt... Very odd!?

 

[dmatt88]

Pimpala is our resident mantis guru. U may pm him.

,......im Matt n i support this message

 

[PIMPALA]

may have happened from a bad molt. might correct itself on the next molt... jut keep your fingers crossed. i'd keep feeding silversides and shrimp/krill (thawed) so he doesnt have to use them much.

 

[slakker]

Thanks for the feedback... I'm hoping it's not because I'm missing trace elements in the water.


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[Uslanja]

Just throwing out something that we had read..... provide live shelled food because if the mantis doesn`t use his thumpers then they will molt away. Not sure if that is true but something that we had read. (Been trying to find out what the ”thumpers” are actually called and the only reference we have discovered so far is that they are referred to as “raptorial appendages”)

 

[slakker]

I read that too, so more than half the time, I feed him (her) margarita snails, and I here the thumping all the time... It's just this last molt that the thumpers got gimpy. He was out and about yesterday and I noticed a little deformity in the tail fins as well... Looks like a trace element issue according to my lfs...