Another PM question - not normal

davidsreef

New member
Hey All,
So I bought a gold tear drop maxima about two months ago (approx. 4 -4.5 in), it was health and showed good mantle extension and no gaping. The person I bought it from cut the byssal from its rock and gave it to me. For the past two months I have been trying everything I can think of and read on how to get it attach. I have put it on the sand bed with a small rock underneath, and it would move off the small rock. So I tried a larger rock, it moved off of that. Then I put it up in the rock work, it jumped off of that. I left it on the sand for a while, it looked happy, then it attached to the glass and stared to show a pinched mantel on one half, closest to the inhalent siphon. I was told to cut the byssal from the glass, so I did that, and tried to get it to attach to rocks again. So again I tried putting it on small rocks, larger rocks, and in the rock work, everytime it either jumped off or moved. I have a crocea clam that shows good mantle extension that was attached to a small rock when I bought him.
A little background on my system, 20g H with 20g sump, 175w MH 10k XM, 65W PC atinic, about 35 lbs lr in display, with another 20 or so in the sump. I do regular water changes, and have good flow (10-15x turnover/hour), with low flow near the maxima. I drip kalkwasser for top off (one tsp. of pickling lime per gallon RODI water).

Alright, is the lack of byssal attachment to a rock (or other object) causing the pinched mantel? I can find no critter that is bugging the mantle, or other physical irritant. Is there any thing I can do to have it attach to a rock (that I haven't already tried)? Should I do a FW dip?
Thanks for your help cause I am at the end of all of my ideas and don't want to lose this beautiful animal. Thanks again and my maxima thanks you as well.
 
i wouldn't worry about it not attaching to the rocks right now.

what makes you think its PM?

please LIST test results from every test kit you have.

please list any/all additives you add.

please list your filtration(skimmer, po4 removers, fuge,ect...)
 
I will do a test hopefully very soon (don't have the last numbers in front of me)
In all honesty I could be misusing the term PM. I wish I had a camera to show you what it looks like, but the mantle is reciding into the shell near the inhalent siphon, but shows normal extension near the exhanlent siphon.
I do not add any chemicals or additives except homemade coral/fish food (similar to E.B.'s)
My 20g sump has a fuge of approx. 6 gal with cheato, live rock, a ssb, and just recently halmeda (sp?). There is a seaclone 100 in the sump (yes I know its a sea clone) and does pull out junk once in awhile. I have to po4 remover, or calc reactor ( just kalkwasser drip).
Shouldn't the clam have attached by now? Its been around two months :(
Thanks for you help!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7331593#post7331593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by davidsreef

I do not add any chemicals or additives except homemade coral/fish food (similar to E.B.'s)

if your only adding kalk for Ca/Alk, you need to test your Ca/Alk& Mg. and post your results
 
I tested my water today, and here is what I have:
Calc. - 440 ppm (tested again with same test and got 420 ppm) - Hagen test kit
Alk. - 130 ppm (tested again with same test and got 120 ppm) - Hagen test kit
Amonia - Undetectable - Hagen test kit
Ph - 8.2 - Aquarium Pharmacuticals test kit
Nitrite - undetectable - Aquarium Pharmacuticals test kit
Nitrate - undetectable - Aquarium Pharmacuticals test kit
I didn't get my Mg tested for. I will try to get that tested soon. Do you think this problem is caused by the water? Or cause its stressed from not attaching and moving off the rocks?
Thanks!
 
can you post a pic of the clam?

i dont know the conversion from ppm to DKH or meq/l (i think you want it to be about 200ppm)does anyone know that?

i dont think the cause is that the clam is not attaching. i think its not attaching because its not happy for some reason
 
I don't have a camera, so I can't post a pic. If I can get a hold of one I will show what it looks like. It did attach to the glass once, then I cut it off to try to get it attached to a rock. Is there such thing as a picky clam??
 
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