Shell rot questions

Zoolife xD · Sep 3, 2017

Hey I've got a gonodactylus chiragra that I picked up from a poor local store that had it in terrible conditions so I decided to rescue the little guy from them, anyway it has a small tan spot on the telson that I believe to be shell rot.
I've done tons of research before and after purchasing about shell rot with no definitive information on true cause or treatment (i have propped lighting and ideal tank parameters, like I said this was pre-existing but I want to treat it)
Many sources state that bacterial or protozoa infections could be a main cause and I was wondering if something like seachem reef dip could be safely used to treat the theoretical bacterial or protozoa infection. Reef dip states that it treats these things in corals using iodine and a slime coat.

TheMantisman · Sep 7, 2017

Zoolife xD said:
Hey I've got a gonodactylus chiragra that I picked up from a poor local store that had it in terrible conditions so I decided to rescue the little guy from them, anyway it has a small tan spot on the telson that I believe to be shell rot.
I've done tons of research before and after purchasing about shell rot with no definitive information on true cause or treatment (i have propped lighting and ideal tank parameters, like I said this was pre-existing but I want to treat it)
Many sources state that bacterial or protozoa infections could be a main cause and I was wondering if something like seachem reef dip could be safely used to treat the theoretical bacterial or protozoa infection. Reef dip states that it treats these things in corals using iodine and a slime coat.

Firstly I would NOT dip the stomatopod I've never heard of it ever being successful but always lethal.

Secondly can you post a picture of the afflicted area on the animal? Maybe capture the animal and put it in a container of water from the tank so you can get decent photos up close undisturbed?

Finally one of the best treatments for shell rot aside reducing/removing light from the tank and ensuring above average water quality parameters (think SPS grower), the only other thing you can do and should do is feed the animal as often as possible (whilst removing any un-eaten food asap so as to not fowl the above avg water quality) this will help bring about a swifter molt from the animal and when they molt 1 of 2 things can happen, if the shell rot is not that bad it will all vanish in a single molt or if the shell rot is 'bad' then it will take multiple molts from the animal to shed it and regenerate the afflicted areas.

Having said ALL of the above and after you mentioning that your species is a G.chiragra, I don't think it will be shell rot at all because many of the smaller gonodactyloids that live in the inter tidal area (like G.chiragra) tend to be "immune" to shell rot due to the naturally fluctuating parameters of their natural environment in the wild, shell rot tends to afflict 'reef' dwelling species because the reef is deeper and the water is cleaner a good species example is O.scyllarus, very susceptible to shell rot and the species is found predominantly in reefs, scientists even use the presence of O.scyllarus in natural ecosystems as a method of telling them how healthy the reef itself is aka lots of peacock mantis = healthy reef/few peacock mantis = unhealthy reef.

Zoolife xD · Sep 7, 2017

Thanks for the reply TheMantisman, I'll try to get a good picture as soon as possible, it may take a day or two to catch him out of his burrow and I don't really wanna tear the tank apart.
I've done a lot of reading and I had come across the part where you said they don't really tend to get Shell rot before but I am almost certain it is shell rot, which was a bit supprising, the main affected area is on the telson just off the center line to the right there is a blemish that is a yellowish tan and has grown a small amount in the past week or so. I have been feeding extra with shrimp soaked in selco in hopes of bringing in a molt quicker but he is about full grown so it's going to be a waiting game even while ramping up food intake. I have also decreased light (both intensity and durration) and am performing several water changes a week, parameters are testing great with nitrates undetectable, and I've even added a good amount of macro to the tank and increased surface agitation to hopefully increase dissolved oxygen levels. Yet it still seems to be slowly getting worse.
I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully he will moot soon and it will come right off, and I'll post a good pic or two as soon as I can.