Maxima Problems

[Wombat_101]

Hello, I purchased this maxima last week and today it seems to be retracting. I have a 72 gal tank with 20 gal sump. Dual 250w 13,000k MH Lighting. Tank has been running for 14 months with no problems. I am keeping alveopora, xenia, frogspawn, mushrooms, colt corals and more, all are healthy. On the right side of the clam it looks like some pink stuff sticking out underneath the clam, but it is retracting on the left side. Any help would be apprecitated. Thank you.

 

[Wombat_101]

Here is another picture. I tried to show the pink thing stick out from inbetween the clam and shell. The arrow will point to a very faint looking "stick" (for lack of a better term) in the area described.

 

[Peabody]

Can't see anything in that picture, man. Sorry. Can you get a betterer one?

Any way you could be a bit more descriptive in what the problem is? Is your clam stressed or showing signs of problems? Gaping? Lack of light response?

No matter what, if you suspect a problem, it's always smart to run water tests. Have you tested Temp, PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, NO3, Phosphate, Calc, and Alk? Clams are really sensitive creatures!

Also, do you dose any additives? Some can do more harm than good for clams...I recall posts on here where so clam problems were narrowed down to possible overdosing of things like iodine, strontium, etc in very small amounts.

Also, do you feed DTs or other live phyto? How big is the clam? What other fish or inverts besides corals do you have? Some can pick on clams!

Sorry to be so full of questions, but if anyone here can help, we're going to need more info

Best of luck!

 

[Wombat_101]

My test water parameters are:
temp - 81
ph- 8.2
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
phosphate - I don't have a test for.
calc - 380

I add reef solutions on about a daily basis and also dose dt's phtyo every other day.

The clam is about 2 - 3 inches. The livestock consist of a powder blue tang, a pair of occelaris clowns, a pair of bangaii cardinals and a pair of firefish gobies.

I also have 1 brittle star, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 astreal snails and 1 turbo snail.

The clam itsef is not opening up as much it did before and is not extended out of its shell.

 

[baja_01]

I think you need to do a freshwater did. From what I can see it looks like the mantel is shrinking in several places. There were a few threads about this a few month back. Its not good and can kill the clam.

 

[Wombat_101]

For how long should I dip the clam in Fresh water. Also What I think is growing on his shell is an aptasia. I have move the clam around and got a better look. Will the FW Dip kill the aptasia or am I going to have to inject it. Thank you

 

[Peabody]

Wait, don't be so quick to dip the clam. If there's aiptasia on the shell that could be the problem! Dipping would do more harm than good.

Take the clam out, pick, scrape, brush, snip, or whatever every ast bit of aiptasia off his shell. Make sure there's no tissue left.

 

[baja_01]

The aptaisa would do that to. I just remember reading a post awhile bak where someone's clam's mantle was shriviling in spots and he fixed it with a freshwater dip. I don't know that much about it so if you get the aptaisa off and it is still doing that look back in the post for a liitle bitt.

 

[Wombat_101]

Ok well I took the clam out of the tank and put it into a bucket with some of my tank water and scraped the aiptasia off ( on Sunday) and it is getting worse by the day. Anything I can due too help the clam or is it a lost cause. Thank you.

Greg

 

[Peabody]

Oh man, I'm sorry that doesn't look good Looks like you may need to resort to a Freshwater dip. Look in other threads here for infro on doing it correctly. I have never had to do one.

Have you checked at night for predation by pyramid snails? That could be another cause.

 

[Wombat_101]

peabody, thanks for the reply. How do I check for pyramid snails. I have a lot of little snails that come out at night? Thank you

 

[Peabody]

Pyramid snails look like a little grain of rice. Tonight, long after lights out, or long before lights on, take your clam out and check very carefully around the byssal opening and the mantle (don't forget the scutes too). Remove anything that looks like one.... (search this forum for pics and more info). Enough of them, and enough time can kill a clam Unfortunately, they are very, very common.

 

[Wombat_101]

Anyone know how to freshwater dip a clam, I searched and the only post I saw said to dip it for 45 minutes with a sugar water solution. Does this make sense. Please advise. Greg

 

[Wombat_101]

Peabody, Thank you. I went ahead and gave my clam a Freshwater Dip. I dipped the clam in a pint of water w/ 1 teaspoon of sugar for 20 minutes and today went I came home from work. WOW what a difference. Thank you again.

 

[Peabody]

Looking good! Once I had a similar problem but didn't have to resort to dipping. To make sure he was getting enough food I did put him in my feeding bowl for my babies. I turned the water light green with DTs and added a few drops of selcon. 30 Minutes later the water was clean. He must have been HUNGRY! Maybe treat your clam to a nice meal to help his recovery.

If symptoms return in time, you may have to redip him. (I have read here...) I can't advise at all since I've never dipped once, but there are several thread about that here and at reeflands.com

Best of luck!
Jeff

 

[Peabody]

Just to make sure, did you check for pyramid snails at night? I just found one yesterday But, I can deal with one...some people pick up their clams and find dozens of tiny ones around the byssal opening!

 

[Wombat_101]

I checked for them last night and found 1 rice shaped looking snail about 1 cm that I removed from the tank. He was on the glass though. There was nothing on the clam or near the clam.

 

[Wilafur]

peabody, where there is one, there are many many more. kinda like cockroaches.

 

[Peabody]

I know I'm keeping a close watch....

 

[clamster]

Monitoring the msgs fired back and forth in this thread is more heart wrenching then any soap-opera-junk on TV.

Congrats to you all for great advices and execution of the plan. FW dip on a clam sounds terrifying -- hope my maxima never has to go thru that.

BTW how's the clam doing?