Receding Clam

[robsreef]

Oh sheeat!! Well 1st clam got taken apart by my cleaner shrimp (Little bastard!) and my second clam golden maxima seems to be receding in to his shell after being happy for a few weeks.

 

Tank perams are good, lighting seems to fine, bulbs are new, and as above was doing good. Now it's open but not as "extended" as it used to get but definately not dead. (yet). It doesn't apear to be picked on by the shrimp this time and is responding to a flash light, moving.

 

Is this thing SOL or what?!?

 

-Rob

[jdsabin1]

Post a pic please.

[Dave ESPI]

Check Byssal and Exhalent siphon ports. any "fuzzyness" around the hinge or foot? Any Worms gnawing on it at night?

where is their placement? what ELSE is in the tank ?

 

This is a topic that has been beaten to death.

you REALLY need to provide more info.

[robsreef]

Here is a pic scaled down...

[jdsabin1]

Wow! That's REALLY scaled down!

[robsreef]

Okay I posted pics before and I can't seem to get this one posted. The file is 4kb and I'm trying to attach but no go....what am I doing wrong.

[robsreef]

Placement is at the bottom front of the tank in the sand.

 

Critters: Six line wrasse, tank raised percula clown, diamond goby, cleaner shrimp, about 6 small hermits, 8 astrea snails, 2-3 margarita's, 1 emerald crab, a fiji star, and everything seems to play nice.

 

The tank is a 10 gallon Sea Clear Square Tall, with PC's and a prizm skimmer, running 24/7. I dose bionic and phyto about every otherday. 10% water changes once a month, and glass cleaning whenever it gets a little sloppy.

 

Corals: Everything from zoos, to gsp, fiji yellow leather, shrooms, pulsing xenia, pipe organ coral, green hammer, and frog spawn, 3 headed candy coral. They all look really healthy.

 

I wish I could get the pics posted it would be much easier. Anyhow I'm not new to the hobby, however this tank has been up for 3 years and clams were the last introduction. My last maxima was doing great until my cleaner decided to "extra clean" the inside. I waited a few weeks and picked up this gold maxima and it too was happy until about 3-4 days ago. Nothing has changed and unless the cleaner is chowing when I'm not looking, I don't think the clams being messed with. At least I don't see any visible damage.

 

Oh well off to see if I can get a picture.

 

Thanks for the replies,

 

-Rob

[TiGs]

What are your test results, what are the specific or your lights?

[kennerd]

Clams are like parrots (seriously) you never know they are sick until they are REALLY sick.

 

My detail questions:

 

1. Height of tank

2. Amount and mix of lighting

3. Size of clam

4. Calcium level

 

Maximas are not substrate-dwelling clams, they are rock-borers and should be placed either on your rockwork, or tricked, by being placed on the shell of your last dead clam, so that their byssal threads attach. This will facilitate in their security to expand, feed, etc.

 

Besides, if this clam is under PC's, it should be directly under them, as they require a lot of light. That is, unless it is under 3", in which case, it is more dependent on filter feeding than photosynthesis for nutrients and growth. Another reason for the shell trick: if it's small, you can (and should, IMO) remove the shell and clam and place it into a smaller container for direct feeding. This will allow the clam to absorb it's phyto, etc. at its own pace, rather than small amounts the float by/ though it.

 

If you have PC's and want a clam o the substrate, squamosas and deresas are fine.

 

HTH