Help with Maxima Clam

[bobioden]

I have had this clam in my tank for a year and a half. He had always fully extended until the last couple days. He just dosen't seem to open fully anymore. Water conditions are the same. Ph 8.3, temp 81, CA 420, Alk 10.6, Mg 1350. I saw a couple pyramid snails recently, but only a couple. I inspected the clam and found none on him. The only change was from a 250w 10k XM to a 15k XM in the past month.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob

How he normally looked.

How he looks now.

 

[B Pierce]

maybe the snails. Keep checking to make sure you got them all.

 

[Barry N.]

I saw a couple pyramid snails recently, but only a couple. I inspected the clam and found none on him.

It only takes a couple and if you have found only a few, I am sure there are more. Each sack that holds the snails can have a few dozen in it.

You might checj real closely around the byssal ( footing) and do that a few times a week. If you have some empty crab or snail shells in your tank I would suggest removing them as the pyram snail will hide in them.

Hope this helps.

 

[bobioden]

The clam is now almost completly closed. And not opening at all. I did a 20 min. FSW, but that didn't help at all. I have inspected him daily and no more pyramid snails. Does this mean he is a goner? Would the light change have anything to do with it?



Thanks.
Bob

 

[chadfarmer]

starvation

the par on the xm15k are a joke compaired to the 10k

 

[Ti]

Might as well move it up

 

[bobioden]

I just switched out the 15k XM and put the 10k back in. I am hoping he will respond. How do I know when there is no hope for recovery? He still looks healthy, just not opening.

Bob

 

[bobioden]

Might as well move it up

The tank is 12" deep, 15gallon. He has always been on the sand, on the bottom. I could try putting him on the top of the rocks. I am up for trying anything. I really don't want to lose him.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Barry N.]

I just switched out the 15k XM and put the 10k back in.

Acclimate the clam to the new lighting or it could cause the clam to stress.

 

[jacob30]

That reaction is not due to the lighting IMO. There is something else causing the problem.

 

[PSEUDOREEFER]

Check ALK and calcium levels. I had a crocea shows similar signs due to low alk.

 

[manderx]

it would take longer than a month for the clam to do that if it was simple starvation. and if it was starvation, i wouldn't expect it to look irritated like that. and plenty of people keep clams under lower par bulbs than the XM15. it's not that the XM15 is a bad bulb, it's just that it's not a superstar (*on paper*) like the other 2 are. and i personally don't think PAR is that great an end-all-be-all comparison for how good a bulb is. PAR weighs everything equally within a range of the spectrum, however zoox doesn't use it equally within that range.

i think it's the snails. they are good at hiding. check it a few hours before lights-on before they have a chance to hide for the day.

 

[bobioden]

The only other thing I did was add a Skimmer a couple months back. I had always run the tank skimmerless, but decided to add a AquaC Remora. Would that have anyting to do with it?

CA runs 420, Alk 10, Ph 8.3, Temp 81, Mg 1350, and Salinity 1.025

Thanks,

Bob

 

[hwynboy]

Its not starvation IMO...It's probably the snails have irritated him to death or you have a nipper in the tank. But looking at that picture I would say he is a goner.

 

[bobioden]

Update: 7/9/05

The clam stayed closed for over a week. It is now showing some signs of opening back up again. I hope he is on the road to recovery.

Bob

 

[Garsavior]

Dip it in freshwater for 15 minutes and then place him back in aquarium, he might be having a PM (Pinch mantle) desease thats going around.

 

[Brazengrrl]

How is he doing?