Clams Slowly Dying

[Rovert]

I just don't know what the hell is going on with my tank. I've lost four clams of different ages in the past month or so, and just can't figure out what it's attributable to. They just seem to slowly waste away.

My water parameters are fine. My alk and ca are maintained by B-Ionic, and I have one clam of "middle age" (relative to the others) that's doing fine... for the moment.

I've done water changes. I've added carbon. I've maintained my skimmer. I have ample lighting (2x250 XM 10K + actinics). I've done water changes. I've dosed phytoplankton. I just can't figure it!

Can someone suggest a few possible causes to explore?

Thanks!

 

[mbbuna]

can you post a few photos of the clams

 

[Rovert]

It just doesn't make sense. I have one clam of five left, and it's doing fine. The others have slowly withered and died. You may recall my earlier post about my large blue and teardrop maximas that 86'd on me. Then it was a small 2" black/blue maxima. Now this.

But what's strange is that this guy is doing fine. For the moment.

 

[kaserpick]

What exactly are your parameters?

 

[Rovert]

Parameters are a tad low at the moment because I did a 10Gal water change just two days ago, which diluted some of the B-Ionic.

pH 8.3
Ca 285
KH 8.5
Sg 1.024

 

[a4twenty]

sorry to hear things aren't getting better

what brand of test kits are you using?

 

[jmaneyapanda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10112482#post10112482 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rovert
Parameters are a tad low at the moment because I did a 10Gal water change just two days ago, which diluted some of the B-Ionic.

pH 8.3
Ca 285
KH 8.5
Sg 1.024

"tad low" may be a bit of an understatment. Your calcium is quite low, and KH isnt really a good measure. If you can get a dkh reading. If this swing occurs every time you do a water change, you are subject the clams to a very unstable environment. You may need to reconsider how your tank operates- ie- clacium reactor or kalk drip rather than 2 part, etc.

 

[Rovert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10113409#post10113409 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmaneyapanda
"tad low" may be a bit of an understatment. Your calcium is quite low, and KH isnt really a good measure. If you can get a dkh reading. If this swing occurs every time you do a water change, you are subject the clams to a very unstable environment. You may need to reconsider how your tank operates- ie- clacium reactor or kalk drip rather than 2 part, etc.

Sorry, that was a dKH measure, not general hardness. I'm setting up a reactor as we speak. What's wierd is that I've kept clams for years using this same method, and it's never been a problem before, until a flood forced me to move the tank to a different area of my basement. You may recall my earlier posts on that. That's when things started going south.

Perhaps the animals became used to the periodic swings, and it was the stress of moving combined with the lower levels of alk and ca that did them in? But why in only less than a week's time? And why four clams, but not this one?

It's the lack of consistency or common denominator that's very strange to me.

 

[SuperNerd]

I agree with jmaneyapanda in regards to the Ca2+ level.