Clam Issue
- Thread starter malx
- Start date
malx
Active member
I dose Amino's, Coral Vitalizer every day and Sponge Power from KZ every day. I don't think it's a nutrient issue. I run ICP tests (and I'm doing another one tomorrow) and these clams were alive when my phosphates were near 0. They are around .03 now.
malx
Active member
Interesting comment. In your opinion what large clams do better long term? Gigas, Squamosa, Derasa etc?
malx
Active member
My clam garden
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Looks good! How long have you had them!?
ReeferNoob4ever
New member
I do not mean to high jack this thread but I do have a question. I just recently got a smallish maxima clam (maybe 3") and am new to keeping them. What am I looking for here that shows your clams are dying? Is it the filter part or the mantle? Mine seems to be healthy so far it opens and closes with light and I always notice a little filter piece poking out. The mouth tends to be open when the clam is open during the day.
malx
Active member
Sounds healthy. Wave your hand over it or cover the light, does it react? If it does it's healthy. If it does not, it does not mean it's sick.
Look under the mantle when it closes. Does the shell have a strip of white along it? That's good, it means the shell is growing.
It's a maxima so is it in a rock? Did it attach itself to the rock? That's good too it means it's healthy.
You need all of these things mostly.
Show us a pic.
ReeferNoob4ever
New member
Ok I will take a pic. No I just put it in the substrate to get to acclimate first. It kinda moves around on its own. I will take a pic when I get home tonight.
You'll want to put it on a flat rock or they make clam discs, it will burrow into your glass bottom if not.
Tripod1404
Active member
What do you mean by the filter piece poking out? Do you mean the siphon? The actual filtering apparatus is inside the clam, around the gills. The mouth (or siphon inlet) should be open but not too much (it should not be gaping).
ReeferNoob4ever
New member
Yes the siphon inlet. The mouth is open as well. Ok I will put a rock under it, although I wouldn't mind if it found a spot in the sand and made a footing their if that's what it likes. My question really was that to tell if a clam is not doing well is it the idea that the shell is remaining closed or that the siphon is remaining closed and/or both?
They can break the bottom of your tank if it's thin enough that is why I mentoined it.
A clam that is not doing well will gape and or have it's mantle receding.
Like this
Or this
malx
Active member
Good information here! Let's keep it coming. My update is that I moved my derasa to the other side of the tank. It was in a lot of flow and it has no shell growth. I'm wondering if it was getting stressed. Will know more as the days pass but so far I don't see signs of death with this one. She may be ok. His mantle looks good. My concern is his growth and also he's not flushing water through him.
Mantle losing colour, slit gapping, expelling junk, closed always.....yours is fine....moderate to intense light, phyto feeding, great water, once the bysal gland is stuck down if in rocks, do not move. Enjoy! Clams are not that hard once they used to their new home.
They do like consistency.....like everything else we keep.
They do like consistency.....like everything else we keep.
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