Clams - pinched mantles

[traveller7]

The problem is to completly eliminate the disease from the tank, or else it will get re-infected.

It is my OPINION that the infection is caused by microscopic parasites. Being small, it may take less than 30 minutes of fresh water to kill them.

Minh,

If they are parasites, I would agree with your first statement and wonder if putting them back in the same tank immediately after dipping will accomplish anything permanent.

Maybe some folks are putting the specimens back in the same tank and some others putting the clams in a new tank? It would be nice to track potential differences in results.

Good luck to all and I hope I don't have to join the fray with mine.

traveller7

 

[OrionN]

Minh,
.........
Maybe some folks are putting the specimens back in the same tank and some others putting the clams in a new tank? It would be nice to track potential differences in results.
.....

Initially I put treated clams into a friend's tank. It cures them of the disease. Then my friend have personal problem. His tank was taken down. I did not have any choice but put the clams back into my tank. I treat all the clams at once included the ones that are not visibility sick. This took care of the problem. I think the 'parasite' is on the clams only. None or nearly none of the ââ"šÂ¬Ã‹Å“parasitesââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ are in the water. This is the reason some of the clams was not infected in a tank with this disease. IMO, this I was the reason why I was able to cure the disease from my tank and don't have to isolate my clams in another tank after treatment.
Minh Nguyen

 

[aesop]

Heres an update;

Its been over a week now; and I haven't lost a clam yet. After a 30min dip, they were all put back into the display tank (only tank I have) which houses another maxima, and a hipp.

The 3 clams that were dipped, took alot longer then 24hrs to recover. But they all appear to be doing ok. Here is a pic from this morning 1hr after the NO lights come on.

Attached Image:

 

[simonh]

Here is a picture taken today of what was my worst affected clam:

As you can see it has made a full recovery over the course of the last few days. Mantle extension has looked better and better and is now fully open. All my other clams seem to be doing fine too with only the T. crocea been lost due to the dip.

 

[K. Lee]

Awesome! So do you think the freshwater dip killed some form(s) of parasites on the mantle or internal to the clam(s) when dipped in freshwater?

 

[nvert]

well, whatever it is it's back. the maxima that i dipped about 12 days ago is pinching again. the derasa is showing *some* curl just along the edge of the mantle....not near as noticabley as the pinch on the maxima. i'm considering dipping again, this time all three at once which i did not do last time. will another dip, 12 days later, negatively affect the maxima? should i wait another week?

i will NEVER again buy a clam, no matter how beautiful, from my lfs. they never can give me assurance where the clams actually come from. once my tank shows no more signs of the pinch, i'll wait several months like minh before stocking another clam....and that sux.

brad

 

[holeinone1972]

Brad is the Crocea ok still?

 

[nvert]

hi rob-
the crocea pinches only occaisionally. my maxima from the lfs is pinching alot, just like the squamosa i bought from the same store did before it died. i should have followed minh's advice and dipped everyone. i have some ro/di water ready.....just in case i decide to dip but am afraid to do this to the clam a second time in two weeks. it just seems like such a severe thing to do the the clams but watching this pinching mystery that eventually leads to death is unbearable.

thanks for asking rob.

brad

 

[OrionN]

nvert,
I am sorry that you must dip your clams again. I would try to dip it 15 minutes instead of 1 hr. I really think 15 minutes will likely works without causing as much stress to the clams. However, I have not try 15 minutes dips.
Good luck
Minh

 

[peterlin98]

corcea

corcea

My crocea are looking fine after fresh water dipped - I guess it has been two weeks?

The two small ones (3 column) are new this week. My photo does not do these clam justice to show colorful they really are.

 

[nvert]

i dipped everyone last night for 30 minutes after the lights went out. lights aren't on yet today but all three clams are as open as clams usually get in the dark. keep your fingers crossed for me. i hope this takes care of the pinching. i do not want to do this again.

brad

 

[simonh]

Just an update 2 weeks after the initial dip. All the clams (except the lost T. crocea) are doing fine. Last week my T. squamosa put on 2-3mm of new shell growth

 

[AgentSPS]

I lost yet another clam overnight! I had lost two 5 inch maximas about two weeks ago. They went from pinching to dead in a matter of days. The latest one took about two weeks after the death of the other two to show any signs of pinching. I tried two 25-30 min freshwater dips and made sure I placed the clam in the sump at night (much fewer worms and copepods down there). This morning the clam had pulled in its shell like the others and was not reactive. I have one remaining clam left which was purchased not long ago. I guess it is just a matter of time before this clam gets the disease too. There seems to be at least two bugs going around. One is a longer term disease which seems managable. The other is a more virulant lifeform which can progress from slight pinching to death in a matter of days. I am done with clams for a while. I have killed 4 so far and am not going to risk anymore. I do plan on setting up a 10-15 gal reef and perhaps I can put the remaining clam in there to see if it makes a difference.

 

[aesop]

Update
On Sunday I noticed that my prized 5" maxima was starting to pinch; by monday morning it was pinching pretty bad. The whole left side of the mantle was affected.

I instructed my gf to do a FW dip on all 5 clams again (3 had allready been dipped and was fine; But I wanted to make sure I get it all this time) I figured that Since the 5" one was doing so well that it wouldn't be affected.

After a 30min dip (for all 5); they were all placed back into the display tank. When I got home from work (4hrs after dipping); the maxima had really closed up; which was strange sicne the other ones looked fine.

By the end of tuesday it was DEAD!@#!; Its weird since he was the one that faired the best out of the whole ordeal, and to have him go from that to (at this moment and empty clam shell) is disturbing.

There other four clams seem to be doing very well in light of this.


At least I got one good pic of it before it died

 

[Typhon]

I am having the same problem with my clams. My 2 prize 3.5" maximas are what i am really worry about. I just dipped all my clams after reading this thread and a few others about mantle pinching.

I hope all my clams turn out fine, but only time will tell. Thanks to everyone that posted to this thread. The pics help alot.

Here is a pic before the dip:

 

[holeinone1972]

Typhoon,

Wow that looks awfull. I do not think it will be long for this world.

Best of luck, Rob

 

[OrionN]

The pinched mantles disease that infected my clams do not kill the clam quickly and is very localize early in the disease. It is also worsen as the day go on. Clams that are 4-5 inches would last for months with the disease.
All clams will have pinched mantles with irritation. As the clams get infected with what ever disease, they will withdraw their mantles. Fresh water dip is not a cure all for clam diseases. It does stress clams severely and will kill many weakened clams. Please keep this in mind when you are consider treating your clam with fresh water dip.
Minh Nguyen

 

[Typhon]

This morning, 12 hours after the dip, only 2 clams survived out of the 5 that I dipped. The 3 that died where in pretty bad shape. I am guessing dip or no dip they were going to die in a matter of days anyway. Hopefully in going through with the dip the remaining 2 will recover.

I lost 2 X 2" saqamosa and one 2" blue maxima

The ones that lived where a 2 X 3.5" maxima (nice show ones)

I was wondering is it normal for them to open back up a few hours after the dip?? Like within 3 hours??

 

[piercho]

I was wondering is it normal for them to open back up a few hours after the dip?? Like within 3 hours??

IME they will open back up within a few hours. The local area where the mantle was pinched clears up over a couple of days. Two of my three (that showed mantle pinching before the dip) gapped after the dip. Both of these "gulped" FW during the 30 minute dip. A 3rd clam, a small maxima that showed no sign of pinching before the dip, showed no sign of stress after the dip. The clam with the most pinching prior to the dip is the clam that had the hardest time after the dip, and took the longest to recover.

 

[Typhon]

Thanks.. Howard..

I notice that some of the pinching was still there after the dip. I am guess that is normal and it will go away in a few days??

Thanks,
Typhon