Holes in clam's mantle

[Flame*Angel]

I discovered two tiny holes in the mantle of my 6" maxima clam today. They are in the deepest part of the "groove" in between the intake and outake. I'm 99% sure they were caused by my use of thick kalkwasser paste to kill aiptasias.

I've read about clams recovering from some pretty bad accidents but has anyone ever had this happen? Any suggestions of anything I can do to help the clam? Besides not using kalkwasser paste anymore I mean.

The halide lights are off now and the holes are pretty small and hard to see but I'll try and get a picture tomorrow. What do you think the chances for recovery are?

 

[jim norris]

Flame Angel,
Knowing the condistion of your tank, (perfect home) clams can recovery very nicely from holes in their mantle! Is it possible to remove the clam from the tank and super feed him????
Jim

 

[MiNdErAsR]

I've never experienced this myself, but I'm pretty sure a healthy clam in a good environment will heal on it's own. I'd say chances are good it will be ok.

Next time you nuke aiptasia with kalk paste, turn off all pumps first. This will keep any residual paste from blowing about the tank and injuring other creatures.

HTH, good luck.

 

[Flame*Angel]

Thanks guys, I'm very relieved. I really felt awful when I discovered the holes. I can't get them to come out in a photo though. They just blend in with the pattern too much.

I guess I could super-feed him, I hadn't thought of that. I've been feeding the tank a couple cups of my cultured phytoplankton daily and I swear the clam has grown in the 3 months I've had him.

I won't be kalking aiptasias anymore. The little demon anemones are quickly becoming a real infestation and I'm working on getting a Copperband butterfly.

 

[holeinone1972]

All sounds like good advice Flame. Now about that Copperband it is kinda hit and miss. You may want to do a search on Copperbands. Some have repoted problems with Copperbands aquiring a taste for clams. Some have had them for quite some time with no problem at all and then B I N G O devoured clams.

Copperbands are also hit or miss with Aiptasia control.

Now that I have scared you I will let you know that I have a Copperband in my personal tank, with some of my clams and it has not been a problem yet. I have not added any new clams since the Copperband was added though.

Best of luck, Rob and I love your website!!!!!

 

[MiNdErAsR]

I have to agree on the CBB advise. I had one that was a proven aiptasia eater. Unfortunately it also enjoyed bristleworms and small feather dusters. The other problem was it would not touch any prepared foods, including my home made recipe (ala Borneman). The only food it would accept is fresh little neck clams and cockles. Never touched any of my tridacnas.

However, I recently broke down my tank and gave the CBB to my LFS. They decided to add it to their display tank (350g?). In their infinite wisdom they decided not to attempt feeding the CBB anything at all. I guess it was too much trouble to feed it the occasional cockle. They came back one morning to discover it had eaten their prized tridacnas! Needless to say they weren't happy.

 

[Flame*Angel]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that this hobby is supposed to be relaxing

Yeah, I do know that the copperbands are hit and miss with clams. I haven't had any trouble with my flame angel so far and I'm hoping that my copperband will behave as well.

I wouldn't even be considering another fish if my aiptasia wasn't threatening to take over the whole reef. I'm now scrubbing it off my clams shells weekly. It's throughout the tank, in the refugium, overflows, sump, even growing in the skimmer. I put a bag of carbon in the sump the other day and I have aiptasias growing on the bag! Kalkwasser isn't an option anymore anyway. The peppermint shrimp I have in my small tank (same aiptasia infestation) just won't eat them. I'm going to get some berghia nudibranch for the refugium and the small tank but Morgan at Inland Aquatics has advised me against dumping these in my large established reef - he figures they'll be gone long before they make any impact on the aiptasia.

And I thought flatworms were a problem

 

[holeinone1972]

Wow Flame sorry to hear about your troubles. I can't think of too many worse plagues worse than Aiptasia.

I know you feed alot of phyto, the Aiptasia unfortuneately are enjoying this too.

p.s. MiNdErAsR I did not see you there with your new Avatar!

 

[Flame*Angel]

After my first year in the hobby I think I've had most of the tank plagues - flatworms, bryopsis, hair algae, aiptasia ... oh well, I'm persistent and this too shall pass.

I'll bet the aiptasia are also enjoying the rotifers and baby brine shrimp I've been feeding. I'm struggling with not wanting to cut off a good food supply to hundreds of valuable life forms just to spite one. I figure if I the copperband can keep the aiptasia under control I can still feed everything else. I've got some berghia nudibranchs on order for my refugium and smaller tank as well.

I have a fish on hold for me that I've been told is eating. It's on the other side of the country so I can only take their word for it. I find myself wishing they had a webcam on their tanks. I wish it was bigger but apparently 3" is the largest they have and finding these in Canada is a near micacle as is.

Minderaser - I'm no expert but I'll bet if that fish stayed with you it wouldn't have eaten any prized clams. If I was starving I might try one too. I've heard the Indonesian fishermen think they're pretty tasty.

 

[holeinone1972]

Flame I believe if anyone can conquer a plague it is you! I admire your determination. I agree that feeding heavy to keep all life forms healthy and reproducing is great. Hopefully your CBB will work out for you. Rob

 

[Nanook]

I added ten Peppermint shrimp to my 120g for a very nasty aiptasia problem. The shrimp were very small compared to the aiptasia though. I added a CBB about a month after the shrimp and since that time, my aiptasia are eliminated. It took the CBB about 2-3 weeks to get rid of all the ones I could see. It is a strikingly beautiful fish, always out in the open.


Nanook

 

[Flame*Angel]

I can hardly believe it but one of the holes in the clam's mantle is completely healed over and the other is just a pinhole. Already. This is some really fast healing. If you look carefully you can see a kind of scar tissue where the healed over parts are but it all blends in with the pattern so well it's really hard to see. I love clams

A dealer in BC (same place I'm getting my Copperband Butterfly) has some ultra grade electric croceas. Do you think it's safe yet? I'm thinking of the bacterial thing that was going around not long ago. Should I wait a while longer to be safe? I do NOT want to risk the clams I have but I'm also thinking it might not be a good idea to add clams after the Copperband.