Clam not doing well... advice?

[Charlie97L]

i got a squamosa from sean (~3-3.5"), and after about 10 days, he's not doing too well. he isn't responding to light/shadow stimulus, and when i tap it with my tongs, it does retract a bit. it did open totally today with the light, but it did not close completely all night like it has been. i'd say it closed about 20% last night.

 

any tips? should i try target feeding phyto? i checked, i didn't see any snails, and none of my scavengers have touched it. i checked last night after dark when i noticed it wasn't closing (red flashlight).

[F&Fmgr]

i got a squamosa from sean (~3-3.5"), and after about 10 days, he's not doing too well. he isn't responding to light/shadow stimulus, and when i tap it with my tongs, it does retract a bit. it did open totally today with the light, but it did not close completely all night like it has been. i'd say it closed about 20% last night.

 

any tips? should i try target feeding phyto? i checked, i didn't see any snails, and none of my scavengers have touched it. i checked last night after dark when i noticed it wasn't closing (red flashlight).

 

 

Hey i just PMed you. send me a pic of what it looks like tonite after the lights go off. My clams have never fully closed after lights off. Id say they usually close about 50%-75% after lights go out.

 

Sean

[Charlie97L]

Hey i just PMed you. send me a pic of what it looks like tonite after the lights go off. My clams have never fully closed after lights off. Id say they usually close about 50%-75% after lights go out.

 

Sean

 

thanks sean... i'll do that. what email?

[F&Fmgr]

thanks sean... i'll do that. what email?

 

 

finsandfeathersmanager@msn.com

[Tri Bui]

If it not closing up or open the mantels in the light it in a dying process, it not looking good the way you describle it. You need to do a better homework when you buy clams next time. Happen to me also! good luck, clams are quite sentive to light and water parameter, Make sure your tank water have enought Calcium to support clams mininum 400ppm. Good luck! oh I don't know how large it your tank you want to remove it before it starting to die and give out all the slimmy stuff in your tank

[Charlie97L]

You need to do a better homework when you buy clams next time.

 

Make sure your tank water have enought Calcium to support clams mininum 400ppm.

 

well i've had a crocea for about 6 months with no real problems, so i figured my tank was ok. i also have several sps frags that are doing very well in the system, with new growth. so i know it's not my parameters.

 

it is opening/closing in the light, just not as much as i thought it would be. i have about 100 gallons total volume, so i'm just going to watch it close and give it every chance to pull through.

 

thanks for the tips!

[Charlie97L]

it seems to be doing fine now... thanks guys, i guess i was just being paranoid.

[rrubberbandman]

Looks like you did youre homework then, ehhh...i dont think sean would sell you junk.

Bryan

[Charlie97L]

Looks like you did youre homework then, ehhh...i dont think sean would sell you junk.

Bryan

 

i ALWAYS do my homework.

[flowerseller]

Do you feed the tank flake food?

[rioreef]

Do you feed the tank flake food?

 

 

Chip,

 

What does flake food have to do with it???

[Charlie97L]

sometimes... not regularly... ususally pellets and marine cuisine or mysis with garlic, with plankton and oyster eggs 1 or 2 times per week. i also have a nori clip always full for the veggie lovers.

[F&Fmgr]

I looked at those pics....if those were taken at night i think it is fine. As far as the mantle being pinched, could be a shrimp perching, hermit picking. I have even seen bristle worms cause that kind mantle pinch. Tonite take a piece of food and put it in the sand 3-4" from the clam, if you see a worm poke his head out of the clam shell nab em.

 

Hope that helps, but like i said that looks pretty normal from what i can see for at night time. Just as long as hes opening his mantle all the way during the photoperiod.

 

Sean

[flowerseller]

Chip,

 

What does flake food have to do with it???

I'm more a flake food fan than frozen food fan. In particular "Aquarian" flake food when I can find it.

Watch the fish eat flake and you'll see why. I believe fish, corals, and filtering invert do better with the regurg flake than frozen binders/particles.

 

IME,

I have never had and isue with bristle worms being the cause but cerainly a result after death.

Conical snails found at the base or in the mantle can be an issue and best found after lights out.

You can bet your wrasse that's the best solution out side of constant manual removal. FWD will not be much help here, however gentle brushing with an unsusspecting wife's tooth brush may help if no actual tissue is damaged in the process. :wink:

Pinched mantle disease is very real with nory the wifes tooth definative cause other than speculation.

(no pic and do not believe it's your case) In my mind, it makes the mantle look ruffeled and only way I know is fresh water dip which in itself will stress and possibly cause temporary bright color loss but should not kill the clam. You really have nothing to lose since left unnoticed/untreated certain death will follow but not before it's passed on to any others in the system.

I would not blame any retailer if I bought one with either condition unless I was possitive they new for a fact that it was present and still sold it. Most may have never seen or experienced it anyway.

[flowerseller]

Chip,

 

What does flake food have to do with it???

I'm more a flake food fan than frozen food fan. In particular "Aquarian" flake food when I can find it.

Watch the fish eat flake and you'll see why. I believe fish, corals, and filtering invert do better with the regurg flake than frozen binders/particles.

 

IME,

I have never had and isue with bristle worms being the cause but cerainly a result after death.

Conical snails found at the base or in the mantle can be an issue and best found after lights out.

You can bet your wrasse that's the best solution out side of constant manual removal. FWD will not be much help here, however gentle brushing with an unsusspecting wife's tooth brush may help if no actual tissue is damaged in the process. :wink:

Pinched mantle disease is very real with no definative cause other than speculation.

(no pic and do not believe it's your case) In my mind, it makes the mantle look ruffeled and only way I know is fresh water dip which in itself will stress and possibly cause temporary bright color loss but should not kill the clam. You really have nothing to lose since left unnoticed/untreated certain death will follow but not before it's passed on to any others in the system.

I would not blame any retailer if I bought one with either condition unless I was possitive they knew for a fact that it was present and still sold it. Most may have never seen or experienced it anyway. That's my job, with pinched mantle nearly impossible to tell until clearly visible at which point I hope they are pulled and the rest left as NFS.

[GaryL]

however gentle brushing with an unsusspecting wife's tooth brush may help if no actual tissue is damaged in the process. :wink:

 

ewwwe!! I'm TELLIN!!

[Charlie97L]

i was able to remove the 3 overly large bristlworms in my system a few weeks back.

 

thanks chip for that explanation. it's not pinched mantle... i know exactly what that is, my crocea had it right when i got it, and bam, freshwater dip did the trick.

 

it seems to be a lot more responsive... it does usually have hermits on it, i think that may be why that part of the mantle is pulled back. i believe there is tasty algae on the shell. the hermits are also going nuts for that frag plug the zoas i got are on sean haha.