Clam Question

[Tank14]

I have had my clam now for several months. It seems to be doing well. I notice that the mantle seems to expand upward instead of out and out horizontally. Could this be because of the flow in my tank? Not sure if I need to find a lower flow spot for it, or if there was something more serious going on. I do have about 2000 GPH of flow in the tank.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

can you dial the flow down and see what happens?

 

[Tank14]

I just turned off all of my pumps for about 30 min. I cast a shadow on the clam and it still has great response time and closes up, but when the mantle expands, it goes straight up again. Here are two quick pictures from my phone. The mantle look like a mohawk on the clam.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I see what you mean.

You stumped me on this one. I can't say for sure there's actually a problem. If that crocea was bored into a coralhead (it's natural location in the ocean) that's how the clam's mantle would appear.

 

[Tank14]

That makes me feel a little bit better. I wasn't sure if it was Pinched Mantle or something. Still new with clams :hmm6:

 

[tmz]

Pinched mantle looks like the mantle is receding ;not what yours is doing. Is it high/low in the tank? 150 w should be ok, but maybe it's cupping for the light. Just guessing.

 

[Tank14]

Its near the top 1/3 - 1/4 of the tank.

 

[cardiffgiant]

Pinched mantle looks like the mantle is receding ;not what yours is doing. Is it high/low in the tank? 150 w should be ok, but maybe it's cupping for the light. Just guessing.

That's what I was going to ask. But you're right, with it off of the sandbed and under 150W MH in a 55, light shouldn't be an issue.

I don't have a ton of experience with clams, so I'm more tagging along for my own knowledge. I'd check in the clam forum and see if anyone has an ideas.

Just a couple of thoughts:
Back to the flow question, is it possible that very high flow in the system has cause the mantle to grow more upward?
Any pests bothering it at night that might be causing it to not fully extend its mantle?
What are your other parameters? Any chance that a swing in NO3 or Kh would cause the clam to not fully extend the mantle?

 

[tmz]

Flow could be it. The clam will adjust itself usually moving left or right to get a favorable flow through it's siphon. . Maybe it is in this semi -closed shell /mantle out and up position to modify the flow .Moderate flow is desireable .
Crocea come from shallow water and burrow into the substrate so it could be muscle memory holding it's natural shape . They do require intense light even more so than other tridacnidae. They modify mantle expansion to optimize their zooxanthelae's expoosure to light and darken with extra zooxanthelae when they don't have enough.

 

[Tank14]

Any pests bothering it at night that might be causing it to not fully extend its mantle?
What are your other parameters? Any chance that a swing in NO3 or Kh would cause the clam to not fully extend the mantle?

Nitrates hover around 5ppm. dkH is 9.3. Calcium is 425. From what I have seen at nice, I have found nothing bothering it. Sometimes my cerith snails travel on the outside of the shell but that is about it.