LCDRDATA
New member
I was going to call the thread "Is this a real nice clam gape?" but didn't know how many folks would appreciate the reference. 
Anyway, I went this evening to turn off the second bank of lights and noticed my clam looked a bit off:
Normally, I see the gape in the foreground as something between just a slit and not more then half as wide as here; it's also usually fringed, so that I really can't see into the interior of the clam. Not visible in these photos is that on the interior left there appears to be a gap between the mantle/muscle tissue and the shell, although I have no idea whether that's normal or not (since normally I can't see in).
I did a large (30-40%) water change last week; the parameters below were taken two days later:
pH = 8.2
Alk = 3.5 meq (9.8 dKH)
salinity = 1.026
temp = 78.7
Ca = 420
Mg = 1350
NH4 (ammonia) ~ 0 (I only caveat this because with my color vision I can't be completely sure I'm seeing 0 - although it's clearly not near the next lowest mark, which is 0.25)
NO2 (nitrite) = NO3 (nitrate) = PO4 (phosphate) = 0
Since I took these readings I've reduced salinity slightly, to 1.025, over the course of two days. The parameters prior to the water change were not that different, with alk, calcium, and magnesium a tad higher and all the others the same. I've had some issues with some of my corals - apparently latent damage from a "reef safe" product in January - and have been trying to compensate with carbon, small water changes (~5% 2-3 times/week), and Vitamin C dosing (currently 15 ppm). It was recommended I do a larger water change, which I did, and have water ready for another one (~25%) I'm planning to do tomorrow night.
The other critters in my tank are listed with my signature block.
Lighting consists of 8xT-5HO; 4 of these (2x10K, 2xactinic) are on 12 hours/day, the other 4 (2x10k, 1x6700k, 1xactinic) are on a separate circuit and are on between ~4-8 hours/day, depending on who remembers (or forgets) to turn them on. I upgraded to this unit in mid-December; I hadn't had enough light before, and color had come back fairly well, although it has faded again just a bit in the last week or so.
I think this is all the basic background information. Any thoughts? As the clam was a birthday present to my wife, I really don't want to lose it. Thanks!
Anyway, I went this evening to turn off the second bank of lights and noticed my clam looked a bit off:
Normally, I see the gape in the foreground as something between just a slit and not more then half as wide as here; it's also usually fringed, so that I really can't see into the interior of the clam. Not visible in these photos is that on the interior left there appears to be a gap between the mantle/muscle tissue and the shell, although I have no idea whether that's normal or not (since normally I can't see in).
I did a large (30-40%) water change last week; the parameters below were taken two days later:
pH = 8.2
Alk = 3.5 meq (9.8 dKH)
salinity = 1.026
temp = 78.7
Ca = 420
Mg = 1350
NH4 (ammonia) ~ 0 (I only caveat this because with my color vision I can't be completely sure I'm seeing 0 - although it's clearly not near the next lowest mark, which is 0.25)
NO2 (nitrite) = NO3 (nitrate) = PO4 (phosphate) = 0
Since I took these readings I've reduced salinity slightly, to 1.025, over the course of two days. The parameters prior to the water change were not that different, with alk, calcium, and magnesium a tad higher and all the others the same. I've had some issues with some of my corals - apparently latent damage from a "reef safe" product in January - and have been trying to compensate with carbon, small water changes (~5% 2-3 times/week), and Vitamin C dosing (currently 15 ppm). It was recommended I do a larger water change, which I did, and have water ready for another one (~25%) I'm planning to do tomorrow night.
The other critters in my tank are listed with my signature block.
Lighting consists of 8xT-5HO; 4 of these (2x10K, 2xactinic) are on 12 hours/day, the other 4 (2x10k, 1x6700k, 1xactinic) are on a separate circuit and are on between ~4-8 hours/day, depending on who remembers (or forgets) to turn them on. I upgraded to this unit in mid-December; I hadn't had enough light before, and color had come back fairly well, although it has faded again just a bit in the last week or so.
I think this is all the basic background information. Any thoughts? As the clam was a birthday present to my wife, I really don't want to lose it. Thanks!
