All my clams not doing well

[Flame*Angel]

Some time ago one of my crocea clams was in trouble. I had posted about it. It died.

Then last week two of my remaining five clams weren't quite right. They didn't really show the same signs as the crocea that died, they were just not opening and were no longer attached to their scallop shells I had them on.

Today none of my clams are looking very good. Some are gaping, others are closed or mostly closed. I've read threads about clam diseases but my clams don't have any of the usual symptoms - no excessive coughing, no excreting slime.

I've been silly-busy with work lately but have been trying to keep an eye on things as best I can. I really don't think there's any predation going on. No signs of pyrimidal snails. No fish nipping. My water quality is great according to my test kits and my temp is stable.

So around the same time that this all started I changed two things:
- I gradually switched to Crystal Seas salt
- I started feeding cultured phytoplankton again

I've had no problems with anything else in the tank. In fact everything else looks better than ever. Tons of itty bitty life too, i.e. swarms of new baby mysis shrimp. However, I've been using up the last of my Instand Ocean salt for the phytoplankton cultures. So now I'm wondering - <b>do you think that it's at all possible that the clams are suffering because of some chemical collision between the two salts because of the IO in the phyto?</b>

 

[BigDaddy]

All my clams started to gape when I switched from IO to crystal seas salt, after a couple days of gaping, I did another change w/ IO and everything is back to normal. It might be a coincidence, but maybe after only using IO in the tank, thats what they like. I will stick w/ IO for now, I might try changing salts again later and see what happens.

 

[Flame*Angel]

Hmmm, I really thought I'd see problems with other critters too if it was the salt. Maybe not.

One other thing I just remembered that could possibly have an effect. I've been using a fair amount of Selco in the fish food recently. <b>Anyone know if Selco (concentrated Selcon) could bother clams?</b>

 

[TrevDog]

I feed Selcon to my tank every other night. Clams seem happy. Have you tested the params of your fresh SW? Maybe one is out of whack stressing the clams in the process.

TrevDog

 

[kozmo02]

lately it seems as i read more and more posts about crystal seas, it has come to my attention that pretty much all threads are based around a negative effect on the tank and all signs point back to the salt.

Flame Angel, i have used IO since i first started reefing many years ago and i will probably never use another brand, I like IO a lot and it is all i recommend and use, if you asked me why i probably couldnt give you a reason, its just one of those things....

 

[AQUAN8TOR]

I've used crystal sea and instant ocean at different times on and off for quite some time, and haven't noticed anything like what you're describing with my clams, but everyone's experiences differ slightly.

Crystal sea, IME, dissolves like molasses flows on a cold day in february---I let it mix for at least a couple DAYS before changing water, which isn't convenient for most people, but I don't like adding newly mixed water of any brand of salt mix before it's been swirling around for at least 8-12 hours. Newly mixed saltwater might have as much as 1-2ppm ammonia. I read that in a FAMA column a year or two ago; not the concentration, just that they contain amm; I tested newly mixed water, and sure enough, lots of windex, err ammonia.

FlameAngel: stupid question, but you are refrigerating the selcon, right? you probably are, but I've seen quite a few people who don't, and have either bulging or sunken in bottles, which smell even worse than selcon already does. Also, I'm sure you've already checked, but maybe your phyto culture is fouled??

 

[skull]

i use selcon a lot too and its not refrigerated. no bad smell in mine. i don't use DTs at all and i've got about 8-10 small 1" clams that are doing fine. i use is IO salt only. i HOPE you clams pull through this. good luck

 

[Flame*Angel]

*sigh* I'm just grasping at straws. I always refrigerate my Selco and I know it's not that, I've been using it since I've had the tank.

I just can't figure it. You'd think if it was the salt other critters would be having problems too but it's just the opposite - the entire tank is just flourishing as the clams get worse and worse. I suppose the only way to find out for sure would be to do massive water changes with IO and see if they recover? My favourite big aqua maxima looks so bad today I'm afraid I'll lose it. I have one clam that looks perfectly healthy - the smallest one, a little 3" gold maxima, my first clam.

 

[BigDaddy]

Could it be low Oxygen in the water, I believe you keep your clams on the sandbed, has your water temp been higher than normal?

 

[ADS]

Susan-
How do you culture your phytoplankton?What type of fertilizer are you using and how old is it? Some fertilizers have high concentrations of metals which precipitate over time. When using phyto try to harvest in the exponential growth phase where the nutrients are becoming used up.
Some actually filter phyto to avoid adding culture water.
I would add carbon and a metal absorbing sponge to the filter system and see if this helps.
Clams are much more sensitive to accumulations of metals than other inverts and may manifest signs of this sooner.
Adam

 

[Flame*Angel]

Temp hasn't gone above 82, I normally keep it at 80 but that's not a big jump. I dunno, I have a pretty powerful skimmer and good circulation, I don't think it's oxygen.

I do culture my own phyto, I use 1ml per 2L bottle of Micro Algae Grow from Florida Aqua Farms. The bottle I was using was about a year old. I'll switch to the fresh stuff I got in my last order just in case. I just use the standard Flame*Angel method www.sjwilson.net/reef/phytosteps.html

I don't think it's the phyto, I've been doing this a long time and have never had problems with my clams like this. I run carbon in a canister filter (just carbon, no sponge) and change it once a week. With no signs of predation I'm starting to get more suspicous of the switch to CS salt. <b>Anyone else switch from IO and have problems with their clams?</b>

 

[simonh]

Susan,

Are there clams showing any signs of the mantle curling you noted on the other clam that died?

FWIW, I switched to CS (3 buckets down in a few months) without any problems with my clams so far.

 

[Turtlesteve]

At this point since it sounds like you might be losing them, I would say pick the clam that looks the worst and try a 30 minute FW dip. Make sure the water is the same temp as the tank. Typically the clams open only slightly in the freshwater, if it opens completely I would abort the dip and return it to the tank.

If the clam improves after the dip (however it may take a day or two to know for sure), try dipping all of the clams. If not, then dipping the others may only stress them out even more.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[Mako]

Susan - FWIW, I have seen no problems with any of my clams since switching to CS BIO. My 5 Maxima's and 1 Squamosa have not missed a beat and it's been over two months.

 

[kozmo02]

Mako: what salt were you using before? and why did you switch to CS from your original salt?

just curious....

 

[LauraBay]

Have you read the threads on the "pinching" disease? Maybe your's have aquired this somehow. Try a search on clams + pinched and maybe you will find something helpful.

Some people have speculated that the reason some corals bleached with the change to CS is that over time they had become accustomed to higher than usual amounts of some elements. The water changes with the CS salts lower the concentrations of these elements and suddenly the corals felt like something was missing - kind of like a withdrawl. Maybe you clams are having the same problem? No proof to back any of this up - just some thoughts.

Laura

 

[Peabody]

Add me to the list of those who switched to CS from IO without problems (I have 2 baby maximas and one squamosa)

best of luck with your clams!

 

[Flame*Angel]

I got up this morning to discover my favourite clam, the big aqua maxima, dead.

I've read the posts about the clam diseases and checked in Knopp's book - mine aren't showing any of these symptoms. There is no mantle curling, no coughing, nothing spewing out.

They gape at first for a few days, then close up for a few days then I notice the mantle recessed inside the edge of the shell. That seems to be the last sign, after that they're dead. Two have died so far.

Remaining I have:

- 3" gold maxima (my first clam) still looking fine, not even gaping
- 4" blue maxima (my second clam) was gaping is now starting to close, mantle barely out, seems to be taking longer than the others that died to go through the process
- 6+" black with green maxima (purchased same time as aqua that died today) was gaping badly yesterday but actually seems a bit better today, just gaping slightly but mantle not as full as normal
- 5" crocea (my newest clam) just starting to gape now.

I ran out and bought a bucket of IO this morning and mixed up a full Rubbermaid Brute garbage can of it (32g) and am planning to do a big water change tomorrow.

I don't know what to make of those who have clams and switched to CS without problems but then not everyone's acros bleached either. I don't know if doing the big water change with IO will help matters or shock them worse. What would a fresh water dip do? Would that be just for parasites?

 

[JB NY]

Susan, I would do the IO water change after only a few hours. I switched back to IO from CS, after lots of acros started having problems and a few RTN episodes. The night I made the decision to switch, I went out the next morning and bought a bucket of IO. Mixed up about 30 gallons and waited about 3 hours for the water temp to be the same then did my water change. No problems, I actually felt the tank looked a little better (might have been wishful thinking).

Anyway one of the nice things about IO is you can usually mix it up quick if your in a pinch.

FWIW I have three clams, none seemed to have any problems when I was on CS.

 

[Flame*Angel]

You think it's really safe to use IO that fast? I guess mine has been mixed about 7 hours now. The lights just went off in the tank a half an hour ago. Perhaps I should do the water change from the basement sump tonight. Perhaps I won't wake up to another dead clam tomorrow.

I've always aged my salt for several days. The CS I would age a week but it always mixed up clear for me. Can you really use it the same day you mix it?