Clam issues, poor mantle extension

[Arkayology]

My three clams, a derasa, maxima, and crocea, have been showing poor mantle extension as of late. It started about three weeks ago about 2 days after I took my gen1 radion down to send it in for an upgrade and replaced it temporarily with a 4 bulb T5 fixture with ATI bulbs. First the derasa started showing poor extension, then it was the maxima, then the crocea. I have had the radion gen3 over the tank for a week now with no improvement.

 

Other than the lighting switch, I did add 1/4 cup of GFO that was passively run in a media bag into a reactor with very low flow. I also added a 1/2 GAC to the media bag that was passively used in the media bag. I have had these clams for 1-2 years and they have been through ULNS, high nutrient, and everything in between in tanks that have used GAC and GFO previously. They are all attached to rubble or frag plugs and are sitting on the sand about 2 feet away from the radion and were about 16 inches away from the T5 fixture when I had it running over the tank for the almost 2 week period when the radion was gone.

 

I don't think it is water chemistry or swings in these because all my SPS are doing amazing, but I will post anyways.

 

sg. - 1.025

temp- 77.5-79

Ca - 410

dkh - 9.2

mg- 1350

Na- 5ppm

P04 - I don't know because I don't trust the test kits, but my algae is low and glass algae is cleaned every 4 days or so

These params are pretty rock solid stable.

 

So you clam gurus, what do you think? Clams are not sunken in the shell, but not showing good extension. They have ALWAYS been healthy. Is this stress from the light changing or something else that I should consider? Any ideas for treatment? I have as of tonight removed the GAC and reduced my radion intensity to 45% down from 50%.

 

 

[ZephNYC]

I wish I had an answer for you, they look pretty bad. Its perplexing becaue a light switch for a couple of weeks should not effect them that much. I doubt that was it. Let me ask you this...

 

First thing in the morning do they respond well to the lights going on, then shortly close up like that?

[Arkayology]

I wish I had an answer for you, they look pretty bad. Its perplexing becaue a light switch for a couple of weeks should not effect them that much. I doubt that was it. Let me ask you this...

 

First thing in the morning do they respond well to the lights going on, then shortly close up like that?

Nope. They are always closed like in the pics both night and day. They don't respond much to light (which I know is bad), but they respond to shrimps and hermits walking on them.

[ZephNYC]

Nope. They are always closed like in the pics both night and day. They don't respond much to light (which I know is bad), but they respond to shrimps and hermits walking on them.

 

Its a water issue. Maybe you did a large water change ?? If it was a lighting issue they would attempt to open in the morning, but soon close up. If it was a lighting issue they would open more at night too.

[Arkayology]

The clams are extending their mantles somewhat @ 8:13am. The lighting is almost at max intensity. I will see what they do throughout the day.

 

update: 30 min later the clams are back to being closed up.

[Mr. Microscope]

Your lighting is almost to max at 8:13am?

[GHill762]

 

Hope you can turn things around for them

[Arkayology]

Your lighting is almost to max at 8:13am?

Ya, I start at 7am and it ramps up pretty quickly. I have never really seen any benefit from a really long ramp up time vs short with my tanks in the past. Max intensity right now is 35%, down from 45% two days ago.

 

 

Hope you can turn things around for them

 

 

Thanks. I think the light was just too much for them at the beginning. I *think* they are coming around.

[Arkayology]

Its a water issue. Maybe you did a large water change ?? If it was a lighting issue they would attempt to open in the morning, but soon close up. If it was a lighting issue they would open more at night too.

I think you were right about the lighting. In the past day or two they have been opening a little bit in the morning, but closed up very quickly. I wasn't around to really check them out around the time where my % intensity really ramped up. I was able to really watch them this morning and they did open, so I think it is a lighting thing? I have reduced the intensity a bit since I noticed this.

[ZephNYC]

Ok, so they are extending for the first hour, then closing up. Thats a big help. I would put a screen over them to block some light, or even a piece of glass, to filter it and see if they do better. They may have suffered mantle damage from new bulbs or something, and under best conditions will still take a week or two to heal.

[Arkayology]

Ok, so they are extending for the first hour, then closing up. Thats a big help. I would put a screen over them to block some light, or even a piece of glass, to filter it and see if they do better. They may have suffered mantle damage from new bulbs or something, and under best conditions will still take a week or two to heal.

Thanks for the suggestions, Zeph. I will try and shade them some and see how they goes.

[ZephNYC]

Thanks for the suggestions, Zeph. I will try and shade them some and see how they goes.

Often, when I put new clams in my system, with 3X 400W halide lamps, I have to shade them for a couple of weeks or they look like yours. Good luck!.

[Arkayology]

Ok, so I have drastically reduced the intensity for the past week and things looked like they were improving slowly, and then not at all. So last night I decided to try the very last thing I could think of that was irritating the clams and turned off the GFO reactor. The clams seem to be responding very well to this and are opening up a little bit more. I think this was an issue of too much light at once combined with the GFO then.

 

So, was it the GFO itself irritating the clams, or the fact that the GFO was in a reactor vs. passive use as I had previously been using and more efficiently removed phosphates from the water? I have had these clams ranging from 11 months to 2 years now and I have used GFO passively and in a reactor with all of them before with no issues.

[gulfsurfer101]

I'm willing to lean towards the gfo being the issue and have heard of great results in long term longevity when gfo was not used at all. My good buddy has many clams ranging from gigas to maxima's that are several years old and he is a firm believer against the stuff. I take his word forgold when it comes to clam ddiscussion.

[Arkayology]

I'm willing to lean towards the gfo being the issue and have heard of great results in long term longevity when gfo was not used at all. My good buddy has many clams ranging from gigas to maxima's that are several years old and he is a firm believer against the stuff. I take his word forgold when it comes to clam ddiscussion.

I have read that many theories that GFO is not good for clams, but I am not really sure about it. I have used it in the past years with no trouble, so it puzzles me why this may be an issue now.

[gena]

I have read that many theories that GFO is not good for clams, but I am not really sure about it. I have used it in the past years with no trouble, so it puzzles me why this may be an issue now.

I use GFO in a reactor .

[Arkayology]

I use GFO in a reactor .

Ya... I will probably wait a couple weeks and see what the clams do and then try adding a smaller amount of fresh GFO back into the reactor to see what happens.

 

BTW, a LFS by me was hiding a half package of nutramar ova that I tried to get them to sell me. They would not

[gena]

Ya... I will probably wait a couple weeks and see what the clams do and then try adding a smaller amount of fresh GFO back into the reactor to see what happens.

 

BTW, a LFS by me was hiding a half package of nutramar ova that I tried to get them to sell me. They would not

 

Thanks for trying!!!!!!!!

[gulfsurfer101]

Well I hope you have a better response from your clams and get a full recovery from them no matter what the issue was. Sounds like either the gfo or lighting causing the issue was easily resolved.