Can my clam be saved?

SimonSKL

SimonSKL

New member
In a matter of 3 days, my clam went from what it seemed to be a healthy one to this.

031-1.jpg


It can no longer close its shell when touched. The mantle has retracted to a point now separating from the shell. Yesterday there was a little mantle extension but now the whole clam is stiff and does not show any sign of life this morning.

Here is the side views
032.jpg


034-1.jpg


Here is the bottom view
033-1.jpg


A close up of the front
036-3.jpg


I can easily see the gut
040-2.jpg


I have this clam for almost a year and it has good growth since I have it. Water parameter is good. Recently I added some new corals and one of them was a button coral. I noticed a worm similar to this came out of the button coral and I wonder if this worm eventually killing my clam. I had a clam death two years ago and the worm in this picture came out of my dying clam at that time.
0453.jpg


Any suggestion on saving my clam will be appreciated.
 
your parameters are not okay. looks like theres cyano and hair algae actually growing ON your clam. thats not good. your phosphates will read zero because of the algae but check your alk, calc, and nitrates.
 
If your clam does not close when touched that is a very bad sign. It's probably doomed. Sorry
 
Alysiak00 said:
your parameters are not okay. looks like theres cyano and hair algae actually growing ON your clam. thats not good. your phosphates will read zero because of the algae but check your alk, calc, and nitrates.
Click to expand...

I have been fighting Derbesia/Bryopsis in my tank with high Magnesium level (~1800ppm) using Kent Tech M as well as Marine AlgaeFix for 2 weeks. I have another clam right next to this one and it is doing okay so I don't think the high Mg level and AlgaeFix is the cause for the demise of this clam.

My PO4 and NO3 are 0 and 0.2, respectively using Hanna PO4 Checker and Salifert No3 Test kit. My alk is around 9 and calc 450. I have been running GFO and biopellets to keep my PO4 at zero.
 
I am afraid that is going to very soon be an ex clam. That worm shouldn't be the cause unless it was living inside the clam.
 
The bristleworm's presence inside the shell may indicate it's smelling rotten flesh: they go to it like a magnet, and sometimes bristleworms can actually save a creature---the way a doctor will clean a wound by debriding, the worms will remove what's rotten and leave flesh that has the capacity to heal. However---it doesn't look good.
I don't know how clams react to such a high mg dose, but are your surviving clams the same species? I'd let that level fall to 1300. That's the 'what's unusual in this tank?' that you've given us.
Nassarius snails are generally like bristleworms: unless you've got a non-regulation one (they are whelks and some of their close relatives are NOT confined to carrion)---they go only for rot.
I would look to the extraordinary level of magnesium as a potential problem and the death of one clam as possibly a warning. In mammals, a high magnesium dose functions as an extreme laxative, which can produce real problems including dehydration. What it does in an environment where magnesium functions to stabilize the levels of calcium and alkalinity buffer in water---I don't know that's the cause, but I am really suspicious.
 
Unfortunately, I think the clam is a goner. The only option I can think of is a freshwater dip for pinched mantle disease, but this would stress out the clam even more. Were there any recent swings in salinity or water parameters?
 
Because it happens so suddenly I was thinking of pinched mantle also but I don't see the mantle pinched or contorted. Well I have nothing to lose so I will do a freshwater dip of about 30 sec and see what happens.

Aleonn, there wasn't any drastic swing of salinity or parameters other than what I described earlier about raising my Mg level to combat GHA. One good thing the GHA is receding though.
 
I hope you find the problem, but from almost every case I have seen it likely won't survive. You notice the rim of the shell is nice and white, indicating the clam has been healthy and growing recently.

When I had a clam die on me within a few days I searched for every possible cause and noticed the rim on mine was a dull gray, which indicates the clam had been going south for some time. Whatever it is, it almost has to be something which would cause a quick death. Something like a predator, large parameter swing, fast killing disease, etc...
 
I did a 30 sec freshwater dip. I thought the clam was dead but when I placed it into the freshwater tub, it immediately retracted all mantle. I guess it is not dead yet. May be it will after the dip. I don't know. After the dip, I placed it in a tupperware and put it back into the tank. Here is a picture of the other clam in the tank which seems to be doing fine. The white spots are from the front glass.

045-3.jpg
 
I stand corrected.. was just pointing out... I'd like to see the 1st clam to see how it is doing
 
Last edited:
"Here is a picture of the other clam in the tank which seems to be doing fine."

He didn't state it was the same clam
 
Sorry for the confusion. Here is a picture of the two clams side by side. The sick clam is on the left after the freshwater dip.

055-1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Timfish
More "Old" Reef Animals
Replies
5
Views
2K
Timfish
Timfish
H
New Crocea Clams - Some opening some not?
Replies
3
Views
1K
hilde123
H
A
Aggressive fish competition
Replies
2
Views
126
AidanCfish
A
R
Getting back into the hobby.
Replies
3
Views
3K
Cjs305510
C
oceangopher
Tankpocalypse Now
Replies
2
Views
191
Reefing102
Reefing102
Back
Top