mantis virus?

[jetsky82]

I bought 5 wide armed mantises. For the past 2 weeks one was puking every day and then her eyes turned black even though she was alive and she stopped moving completely and i think she will die. I've been keeping her hydrated, and have tried to feed her flies using tweezers.

Then, overnight, the mantis in the enclosure next to her started leaking two drops of fluid from her butt and turned dark and stopped moving....after being chipper only two days ago!

Anyone else have insight into this? I think i need to let these two pass on and then discard any enclosure they touched.

The other option is that the flies i bought were bad.

 

[jrh3]

it sounds like pesticide poison, with the weather warming up everyone is spraying homes and such could have traveled in or maybe you can in contact woth it then touched there cage.

 

[Paradoxica]

You're not giving them tap water are you?

 

[D_Hemptress]

it sounds like something they re eating for sure

 

[jetsky82]

I am giving them them tap water! Why?

 

[dgerndt]

Tap water has chlorine, fluoride, and, depending on where you live, heavy minerals. Those can all be very bad for mantids. I buy distilled water in gallons from the store and use that. It's less than a dollar a gallon, and much safer. Plus, no water spots on your containers!

 

[Scruffy Aphid Herder]

Yeah tap water is bad. I live in Florida so I leave out a 10gallon bucket and collect rain water then just fill my spray bottles.

 

[jrh3]

I never had a problem with tap water but i also live in a small town of 500 people and we have like to water towers maybe not too many chemicals in it.

 

[ladygigi]

Tap water has chlorine, fluoride, and, depending on where you live, heavy minerals. Those can all be very bad for mantids. I buy distilled water in gallons from the store and use that. It's less than a dollar a gallon, and much safer. Plus, no water spots on your containers!

I boil my own water, let it cool, then pour into a gallon container with a lid. It's the same as buying distilled but cheaper.

 

[jetsky82]

I'll get distilled water, i've never had problems with the tap water but I also just moved so the tap water might be different here.

 

[sally]

I have well water but I still use distilled water only.

 

[Orin]

I'll get distilled water, i've never had problems with the tap water but I also just moved so the tap water might be different here.

I don't think using distilled water will help any more than standing on one leg while introducing prey. Black or brown puke is usually pretty rare and seems to relate to developmental insufficiencies. I think all you can do now is feed them well and avoid too much dampness or dryness and hope some make it. Distilled water won't hurt but it won't cure anything either.

 

[psyconiko]

Thanks Orin for busting that distilled water myth.It is totally useless,unless you are leaving next to Pripyat.

 

[Rick]

I used tap water for years. I really doubt that is your problem.

 

[jrh3]

What was the outcome?

 

[Tony C]

I boil my own water, let it cool, then pour into a gallon container with a lid. It's the same as buying distilled but cheaper.

Not true unless you are collecting the condensation. Boiling water will drive off dissolved gases like chlorine, but actually concentrates solids like fluoride and other minerals/metals.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

No, of course tap water is one of the cleanest things on earth, it's not like they dump a bunch of chemicals in it or like they have the water running through 50+ year old pipes and rusted plumbing that you could scrape the sludge out and put on your toast for breakfast, yum! Why would anyone want to use filtered or distilled water when you can't even smell it

Tap water is no more than controlled raw sewage at best in most areas, but hey if you like that sort of thing more power to ya!

Here's one small example of how well they look after our water supplies:

http://youtu.be/U01EK76Sy4A

 

[Sticky]

WOW! Glad I live where I drink well water that is spring fed. There is no drilling for icky stuff around here. The only additive is bleach and it is very dilute. The water in my old apartment was bleached stronger.

 

[Orin]

No, of course tap water is one of the cleanest things on earth, it's not like they dump a bunch of chemicals in it ...

I could readily debate water chemistry and water treatment but that is outside the scope of the original poster's question. Many successful mantis keepers have used tap water for years without black tar spitting problems.