I got this clam two days ago... it was perfectly fine on the first day....but yesterday and today it has started to leave the mouth open ... i fed the corals and clams thinking the clam was just hungry and open its mouth but no help.... i did some research and it says it might be 'gaping' and sign of dying or stressed out??
I check my water parameters and they are all good, i even looked around the clam..top, bottom and inside of the mouth for snails.. none were found ... all the other corals and clams and fish are as happy as ever....
The mantle of the new clam is fully extended and the color is still very vibrant...
Do i got nothing to worry about? and eventually it will stop opening its mouth like this ...
I read some reason for gaping is intense light ... my LFS which i bought the clam from were using T5HO suspended like 2-2.5 ft above the tank.... i m currently using a 150 watt MH over my 20 L.... so maybe its just getting used to the light?
Picture not the best quality, but you get to see the mantle fully open and this huge mouth gaping...
Full Version: New clam whats wrong with it?
stressed due to a new tank......make sure ur water's good and give him a couple of days to a week to adjust himself before you start to worry
+1. thats also a big gap in lighting that he needs to adjust to as well as the new tank
I think your right about the lighting. I got my clam under similar circumstances. Try partially shading the clam to the light with some netting or pond mesh.
+1 to letting it get used to the tank, thats a nice squammie btw!
Thx guys... hope it will be fine
That's the incurrent siphon and it will change from day to day sometime with no reason. I wouldn't worry about it if your parameters are in order.
p.s. you don't 'feed' clams.
QUOTE (r20crazy @ Jul 23 2009, 01:19 PM) 
p.s. you don't 'feed' clams.
Really? I feed my clam twice a day.
Adult tridacnids (i.e., ones above 1" in shell length) do not need to be fed, nor do they gain significant benefit from it.
They are more than capable of extracting the nutrients needed from the water column, even in very nutrient poor systems.
You can feed them anyway if you like, but you certainly don't need to. I have never target fed clams in any of my systems, and have never had any problems getting them to grow. All they really need is stable water chemistry, and as much light as you can throw at them.
They are more than capable of extracting the nutrients needed from the water column, even in very nutrient poor systems.
You can feed them anyway if you like, but you certainly don't need to. I have never target fed clams in any of my systems, and have never had any problems getting them to grow. All they really need is stable water chemistry, and as much light as you can throw at them.
they like brachionus rotundiformis. and phytoplankton (Isochrysis, Nanochloropsis, Tetraselmis) etc.
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