Mantis’s first molt! And questions

[DijonMustard]

My little N. wennerae had his first molt since I’ve had him. Perfect timing for Halloween! We went from a deep red/brown to a yellow green.


I expected him to hide away a bit, but he’s been so active! Yesterday and today he’s spent moving more rocks and gravel. He wasn’t happy when a snail moved by the rocks, but has been fine with the ocellaris poking around and hasn’t shied away from me when I had to clear out some chaeto.

Now for some questions:

Does anyone else’s mantis move to a new rock/hide before and during a molt? He prepped a new spot last week but hasn’t indicated wanting to completely leave his old burrow aside from when I found him post-molt.

If he doesn’t push the molt out of the temporary hide before moving back into his usual spot, should I lift the rock and take it out? Or am I meant to leave it until he decides to remove it?

It doesn’t look like he’s dropped his clubs this time, but what should I keep an eye on for the next molt?

 

[DijonMustard]

Here’s Flix before and after the molt.

Yes, there’s colored gravel. It isn’t very much. And I do know that it shouldn’t be there.

 

[bluemon]

I wouldn’t remove the molt.

That would stress the shrimp out if you make any changes to its environment.

Also believe they eat a part of the molts as well especially when young, but not 100%. My older mantises don’t seem to eat much of theirs except the soft parts.

The “freshwater” decor and substrates are a bit of a red flag, but if it’s just the one mantis should be okay? But no sure if they will leech other ions that might be harmful to it

 

[Hadla]

Omg he’s so tiny!

 

[DijonMustard]

I wouldn’t remove the molt.

That would stress the shrimp out if you make any changes to its environment.

Also believe they eat a part of the molts as well especially when young, but not 100%. My older mantises don’t seem to eat much of theirs except the soft parts.

The “freshwater” decor and substrates are a bit of a red flag, but if it’s just the one mantis should be okay? But no sure if they will leech other ions that might be harmful to it

Yeah, I know the gravel is a problem. You’d think that 3 marine science students and a chemist would have realized the chemistry of saltwater is different enough to be a potential problem.
Using colored gravel was something I picked up from my old high school lab, but neglected to consider that this is saltwater
I had looked into it, though, and while people are split on whether or not it’s harmful, there haven’t been any studies done.

I am doing a substrate change soon, since there’s been a rapid increase in polychaete worms within it, but have been waiting until the molt is over as not to cause harm to Flix when I have to pull everything out of the tank.

 

[DijonMustard]

Omg he’s so tiny!

He is! He’s about 3.5-4cm (1.5in) and this is fully grown, too! So small that my camera lens doesn’t pick up the details, and I use this lens to photograph insects