Help my clam!!! PLEASE!

[reefmike]

I just got a new maxima clam from a online vendor a week ago. The clam never extended and the mantel has pulled away from the shell. Per the online vendor I have removed the clam yesterday since they stated that there was no hope for it once this has happened. They are going to replace it as a DOA.

Now for the real problem. I have another maxima clam that has been in my tank since the first part of May this year. The clam has always looked great until today. I noticed that it was no extending its mantel fully and was constantly closing everytime a fish would swim over it. Thinking that something from the other clam was now attacking this one, I decided to inspect it. It was on the bottom of the tank on the sand bed so that it was very easy to lift. I noticed that the bysal gland didn't appear to be attached anymore. Upon further investigation, I noticed that there was a very large piece of clam meat left in the sand. The clam is only about 3.5 inches long and the piece that I found was about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide. See attached photo.

Is there any hope for this clam? What could have caused it to lost its bysal gland?

Please help my clam,

-- Mike

 

[Agu]

Mike,

How's the clam doing??? FWIW, I have a max that's three years old that lost it's byssal gland and has never attached to anything. Best thing you can do is leave it alone, make sure it's getting plenty of light, and hope. There is anecdotal evidence that micro foods such as DT's or Golden Pearls is used by clams, but that's your call.

Good Luck,

Agu

 

[reefmike]

Agu,

The clam is still alive but not expanding as much as it use to. I was told for an online vendor that there may be a snail attaching it but have not found any evidence of that.

I guess that I will have to just hope that it makes it.

Thank you for responding,

-- Mike

 

[reefmike]

The clam was now pulled away from the shell. Is there anything that I can do for it or would it be best to remove it from the tank now?

I was going to get another clam to replace the first one that died but now I'm wondering if that would be wise since I have now lost the second clam. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I could look for that has caused the deaths of these two clams?

-- Mike