Perched Urchin
New member
Sorry to say that my first (and maybe last) post to the clam forum is a post mortem. Looking for some answers/suggestions that might help me decide if I want to try this again some day.
On Memorial Day weekend, I picked up a derasa clam (appx. 4") from another member of our local club that was breaking down what was left of his 24G Aquapod. I say "what was left" as about 90 days before he had suffered a crash that wiped out all livestock in the tank except the clam and a 4" mili-acro colony. All other corals suffered the brown jelly fate. The Aquapod had HQI lighting.
This is my first clam experience, but I figured as it was free, it was a good opportunity to try my hand at it.
I put the clam in my established 40G breeder under a 175W 15000K MH bulb, running approximately 5 hours a day. The clam opened up wide and seemed to have good color. The only fish in the system are a mated pair of clowns and there are 5 bubble tip anemones.
For about the last week, I noticed that the clam really seemed to be opening up wide to filter feed. Coloring was still the same and if spooked he would shut up quickly, so I didn't think anything about it. Then 2 days ago, he was closed and stayed closed when the lights came on. After checking every hour or so that evening, I saw that he started to fall open and his shell was opening and closing with the current from my MP40. When I saw a bristle worm crawling out, then another, I knew for sure he was a goner.
My water quality is good, with the exception of the alk being low (just under 6). I have been working on moving that up, but doing it slowly. Other measurements;
SG = 1.025
Nitrate = <10
Nitrite = 0
Ammonia = undetectable
Calcium = 430
Phosphates = undetectable
Magnesium = 1380
temp = 78-79
pH = 8.2-8.4
Alk = 6
I did not see any type of parasites, snails, etc. on the clam and I have not lost any snails mysteriously (like to comensural flatworms). Could the wide-open filter feeding mean he was trying to get more light? If so, why would that have just started a week ago when I had him a month prior to that in the same location?
On Memorial Day weekend, I picked up a derasa clam (appx. 4") from another member of our local club that was breaking down what was left of his 24G Aquapod. I say "what was left" as about 90 days before he had suffered a crash that wiped out all livestock in the tank except the clam and a 4" mili-acro colony. All other corals suffered the brown jelly fate. The Aquapod had HQI lighting.
This is my first clam experience, but I figured as it was free, it was a good opportunity to try my hand at it.
I put the clam in my established 40G breeder under a 175W 15000K MH bulb, running approximately 5 hours a day. The clam opened up wide and seemed to have good color. The only fish in the system are a mated pair of clowns and there are 5 bubble tip anemones.
For about the last week, I noticed that the clam really seemed to be opening up wide to filter feed. Coloring was still the same and if spooked he would shut up quickly, so I didn't think anything about it. Then 2 days ago, he was closed and stayed closed when the lights came on. After checking every hour or so that evening, I saw that he started to fall open and his shell was opening and closing with the current from my MP40. When I saw a bristle worm crawling out, then another, I knew for sure he was a goner.
My water quality is good, with the exception of the alk being low (just under 6). I have been working on moving that up, but doing it slowly. Other measurements;
SG = 1.025
Nitrate = <10
Nitrite = 0
Ammonia = undetectable
Calcium = 430
Phosphates = undetectable
Magnesium = 1380
temp = 78-79
pH = 8.2-8.4
Alk = 6
I did not see any type of parasites, snails, etc. on the clam and I have not lost any snails mysteriously (like to comensural flatworms). Could the wide-open filter feeding mean he was trying to get more light? If so, why would that have just started a week ago when I had him a month prior to that in the same location?
