Clam troubles

[1badbrd]

i received my first clam on a trade and i asked what the water requirments were and all the guy said was good light.

After about a week the clam isn't looking good. The fleshy lips are not coming out, and i can see a hole from one corner out the back side.

My water quality is great, just dose for calcium and alk, right now, i have (2) 250watt 10k lights with (2) atintic VHO

I do have a good current flow and i placed it on the bottom to start.

Any idea on how to save this clam, before taking back to the store to try to say it.

Thanks

 

[a4twenty]

can you post a picture?

your water parameters?

what type of clam is it?

what else do you have in the tank?

 

[1badbrd]

here is a pic of the clam as it was sorta open and one pic of it now. the third pic os the tank as a whole so you can see what else is in the tank

water quality is great everything is near zero, Ca is around 450 alk is around 8dkh

 

[1badbrd]

i'm stumped on what it needs. water quality is great i dose Ca and alk which are right on i tested last night.

NH3
NO2
NO3
all near zero
pH is around 8.2

 

[a4twenty]

you left out S.G. & temp.

your alk is quite low, with 450 ppm Ca your alk should be up around 11 or so.

from the pic i can see that he is not near any corals or anything but what about livestock. what fish do you have and do any of them pay any attention to the clam.

does he still react to shadows? ( if you put your hand over him does he clamp shut? )

 

[1badbrd]

SP is 1.023 and temp is 80-81

i'm slowly working on getting alk up

livestock is one big hippo tang, med purple tangs,

and he does react to shadow

 

[a4twenty]

what test kits are you using?

what are you dosing for Ca and alk? ( did you change recently )

have you been having fluctuations in your S.G. / P.H. / alk?

clams need a very stable environment and don't react well to change. IMO he looks like he is either being harassed ( a fish nipping at him ) or your having a problem with fluctuations in your water parameters. ( i suspect the alk )

HTH

 

[1badbrd]

alk is the only thing that is fluctuating. Everything else has been faily stable. I just found some nassariua snails all over and inside the clam. I picked them off and placed him off the sand bed.

Sea chem for the test and salifert for alk and Ca.

Should i just take him back and hope for the best or will he not make it?

 

[a4twenty]

take a look at this . whelks are a clam predator.

if they are nassarius snails, it is not a good sign either. nassarius snails would be attracted by the smell of decaying flesh.

 

[1badbrd]

mine are large and white and do have a texture patteren to their snout. i will take the calm back to the store first thing in the morning, to try and give it any chance to live