Clams dying!

[Wrench]

I have lost two clams in the past few weeks. The first of which was a small Dersea that I ordered. It came in and I acclimated it and it died the next day. Then last week I bought a teardrop maxima from a LFS. I had seen it there for several weeks so I'm pretty sure it was healthy when I bought it. Yesterday I saw that it was open, but the mantle wasn't expanded. It looked like the shell was too big for the clam if that makes sense. Today I turned on the lights and the clam was dead. Identical to what happened to the Dersea. I will list my water parameters as well as my stocking list. I also have two other clams that are in PERFECT shape, a big squamosa and a small gold maxima.

Lighting is 2x250w halides with PC actinics

SG 1.025
pH 7.9-8.1
Temp 79*f
Ca 415-425
Alk 3.5 meq/L
Mg 1350
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Phophate near 0 (salifert, not colorimeter)

Powder blue tang
Yellow tang
Tomini tang
Pink tail trigger
Anthias
Chromis
Purple spotted goby
Solarensis wrasse
Cleaner wrasse
Yellow coris wrasse

 

[mbbuna]

sounds like they may not have been as healthy as you thought and couldn't handle the stress of a new environment

 

[skinz78]

How did you acclymate them?

 

[Wrench]

Dripped them in for an hour or so. The one that died today had been in the tank and doing seemingly well for a week.

 

[Wrench]

Well my Squamosa is showing the same symptoms now. Is there anything I can do?

 

[skinz78]

can you post a pic?

 

[Big load]

Hey Skinz do you or mbbuna quarentine your clams before going to your main tank?

 

[mbbuna]

i do http://www.clamsdirect.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1911

 

[skinz78]

I hate to admit it but I just started a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Big load]

Good info but it did not say how long quarentine is and what that coral was?

 

[mbbuna]

i didnt mention how long to keep them in in QT because its subjective. common QT practises usually last from 2 to 4 weeks. the main point of QT is to just observe the animal and make sure its reacting normally and didnt carry any predators with it.

if you read the whole thread you will see that i Ided what was on the shell as a colony tunicate

 

[ezcompany]

or could be a hidden predator like that big flatworm..

 

[Wrench]

Here is a pic of the Squamosa that isn't doing so hot. I've had it for 4 months now and it has been growing well. When the last clam died, this one started to decline but then got better. A couple days ago it started looking bad again. The other two clams in the tank seem to be doing ok.

What should my course of action be? I feel like if I just leave it alone it's going to wither away and die because it seems to be getting worse. I just tested the water, I will put the results below. Everything seems to be in line. I turned the clam over to check for any parasites or critters and didn't see anything. I'm at a loss here, this guy was doing great!

SG 1.025
Temp 81
pH 8.14
NO3 15
Ca 415
Alk 3.5 meq/L (9.8 dKH)
Mg 1290

This pic was taken yesterday. Today it's closed up almost completely. I will try and find a photo from when it was healthy for comparison. Note the 'deflated' look and the 'limp' exhalent siphon.

 

[Wrench]

Here you can see it just a couple weeks ago, nice and healthy. Next to it you can see the Derasa that prompted me to start this thread, dead!

 

[mbbuna]

what additives are you adding to the tank?

stop adding everything except what needed to maintain Ca,Alk and Mg.

No iodine, trace elements, vitamin supplements, carbon source (vodka-sugar-vinegar)

Powder blue tang
Yellow tang
Tomini tang
Pink tail trigger
Anthias
Chromis
Purple spotted goby
Solarensis wrasse
Cleaner wrasse<---------------------------------
Yellow coris wrasse<-----------------------------make sure these two fish are not picking at it

 

[Wrench]

Thank you, I was hoping you would chime in this evening.

The only additives I use are DIY 2 part.

I have never seen the cleaner wrasse nip at the clams and the yellow is a new addition and the problems were around before introducing him. I will keep an eye peeled though.

Are there any steps I can take as a precaution such as dips?

 

[Wrench]

Could this guy in the pic have anything to do with it? I posted about him a few weeks ago and that is roughly the same time the problems started but all replies in the thread said he's harmless.

 

[mbbuna]

that's a commensal shrimp, their role is unknown but no one has ever reported that they do any harm.


i dont think dips will do any good.

how do you deal with nitrates and phosphates?


do you use joe's juice or the green two part epoxy?


do you use zovit, prodbio or any of the bacterial based methods?


how about a shot pulled back some so i can see everything around the clam

 

[Wrench]

Sure, I will get another picture up right away.

Nitrate export is handled by water changes and my skimmer. I don't have any chemical means. There is a handful of cheato in the 'fuge though.

I do not use Joes juice. I will occasionally shoot aptasia with kalk paste but it's been a month or so.

I do use the green two part epoxy, Aquamend.

No Zeovit or Probidio.

My maintenance schedule is a 20-25g water change every week with IO salt mix. Supplements are Randys DIY two part and I get the dry ingredients from twopartsolution.com I have been using the same batch of supplies since August. I also use the same containers to mix and dispense them. All water going into the tank is RO/DI. I run a TLF reactor with carbon a few times a week. I've never used any medications or chemicals besides iodine in this tank or on anything in it. The iodine I DID use was a small amount to dip zoanthids with and they were rinsed before being returned to the tank. Only other things that go in the tank are foods and they are all commercially produced for fish, no grocery store foods.

I have checked all of my pumps and heaters to make sure they haven't been compromised and aren't leaching something into the water. I also looked at the magnet holders on my powerheads. This search turned up nothing suspicious.

I am truly at a loss here. It's things like this that frustrate me to no end.

 

[Wrench]

Here are two pictures of the tank. You can see that the two Maximas adjacent to the Squamosa in question seem to be doing well.......for now.

Again, thank you for all of your help so far!