How long do you FW dip a clam?

[whatcaneyedo]

I've got a squamosa that I've had for about 2 years that has all of a sudden taken a turn for the worst and in the hour I've been searching this forum I havent been able to find a straight answer to how long a fresh water dip should be. So how long?


I could provide a picture but I dont see the point as the clam is completely shut and has been shut like this for two days now. In the last two weeks it has been opening less and less until this point.

Nirtate 10ppm
Alk 12
Ca 425
Mag 1350
Temp 78 F
pH 8.2

I also have 4 other clams, a derasa, maxima, and 2 croceas which are all looking the same as they always do.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

I see a few postes now that say 20 minutes. Anyone want to verify that?

 

[skinz78]

I wouldn't do the dip yet.
What fish and inverts do you have ?

Dips stress the clam alot, I don't think it is pm since it is fully closed

Have you checked it for pyramid snails?

 

[whatcaneyedo]

I've checked a lot for pyramid snails at all times of the day and night and I havent seen any.

My other fish are a tomatoe clown, Volitan lionfish, snowflake moray, engineer goby and purple tang. I've been watching the tang a lot as well as I have seen it nip at an open brain, some yellow zoas, the anthelia and kenya tree. But I have never seen it nip at any of the clams mantles. I got the tang in the middle of the summer, the rest of the fish I've had for 2 years or more.

Other non coral/clam inverts are a green "death" brittle star, blue linka starfish, tiger tail cucumber, sebae anemone, and tube anemone. There may still be one more hitch hiker crab in the tank that the eel hasnt found... otherwise no crabs no shrimp.

 

[skinz78]

I have a snowflake eel and 2 weeks ago I witnessed him swim up to my most favorite clam and stick his head in and rip the gills out and swim off. I have been eel fishing ever since. I would suspect yours and that tang too. I have never heard of people keeping voltan lionfish with clams so I don't know about him.

the green death brittle star is anothe suspect, I have seen others recommend against them. I think it was afourtwenty?

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11901423#post11901423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skinz78
I think it was afourtwenty?

oh nice, blame me :rollface:

the green death is not usually a problem for clams, fish and other inverts can be on the menu though. i agree with skinz78, hold off on the dip and watch the purple tang and snowflake.

you could try using 1/2 a pop bottle to cover the clam and see if he starts to open again, this will tell you if he is being harassed.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

Its still closed up but still not dead today. So I've made an egg crate cage for it... and we'll see if anything happens

 

[whatcaneyedo]

It still only opens about 1/8". The only reason I know its not dead is I give it a poke each day and it clamps shut. Its sitting in an egg crate cage but I think its too far gone now. Perhaps if I caged it off a week ago it would be arlight. However I still do not have any proof that it was something picking on it so I dont know.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

Squamosa was dead this morning. This clam was subject to the same conditions as my other 4 which are all doing great.

The purple tang could possibly have been picking on it. However I've seen the tang pick at anthelia, kenya tree, an open brain, and some yellow zoas but never the clams.

Maybe it was gas bubble disease as I'd take the clam out of water once a month to inspect it and scrub off aptaisa.

Could have been stress from being moved around the tank (within a 4"x6" area) and being corrected up from tipping over (weekly).

 

[superchargeme]

Did you notice any bristle worms on or around the clam. I normally don't dip any clam ,I will run fresh water from the tap over the shell not allowing it to go to the mantle and scrbbing the shell with a tooth brush, this is done for snails. the death of you clam seams to be more of a bateria then any other reason/animal. Something a bite or fall/damage to the mantle can cause the reaction that you described. Hope, you find out what caused it.

 

[whatcaneyedo]

I've got bristle worms on and around everything, mostly small ones feeding on detritus. The Squamosa and the Derasa are the only clams not stuck to a rock so its possible that something was attacking it from underneath. I also blame the fact that because the Squamosa did not have a rock underneath it would tip over all of the time.

The clam was probably bothered too much. My other clams have been mostly left alone and are never moved or adjusted. I've lost enough fish to know that things are generally better off if I keep my hand out of the tank.

Heres a picture of my maxima, derasa and squamosa from a little over a month ago. You can see even in the picture that the Squamosa has tipped over...