My Tridacna losing color!

[DuleTnT]

Hi guys 2 days ago I got my Tridacna clam (I think it is Tridacna Maxima)

She opened normally 10-15 minutes after I placed her in the tank....
Yesterday my Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish discovered that clam tastes good and won't leave it alone! :angryfire:
So I didn't have a choice than to catch the fish and take her out of this tank.
I moved clam to more comfortable rock and on the spot that I think she will like.

Today I noticed that clam lost it'd color fluorescence.
And I don't know what could be a problem.

Clam is 6-7 inches big... It react to any changes - if I move my hand above it, it closes up.... also it react if some fish come close to it..... seems healthy and strong.
It only lost it's color.

Is that because of the stress? Is it going to recover it's original color?

How do I know is it maybe light too low - but then, how to acclimatize new clam to the new light (LED light) if I can't put it on the floor first....
Although my Sarcophyton is also at the bottom and it's doing great, so it should be enough light for the clam as well.

Could it be that light is maybe too strong?

.....or again, is it all because of the stress caused by moving to the new tank plus butterflyfish attack?

What should I do?

Two days ago:

Today:

Water parameters:
Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate from 1 to 3 ppm
Phosphate undetectable - but probably present because some algae are present in the tank and absorb it.
Alkalinity 10
PH 8.2
Calcium 400
Magnesium 1350

...dosing Iodine and strontium.

Tank size 360 gallon.
only 6 fish at the moment, plenty corals. Aqua C 1000 skimmer....

 

[DuleTnT]

Thank you all for your help.
Just please stop posting so many opinions and advice in such a short time - I can't keep up.....
:lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

[MondoBongo]

practically speaking there is no such thing as too much light for Tridacna species.

what kind of LED lights is it under? from my experience loss of color in clam mantles can often be attributed to not enough light.

another question, what's up with the coral in the top right of your shots? is it actually bleached out, or is that just an artifact of the photo?

 

[ca1ore]

Looks ok to me. The 'color' of a clam varies dramatically based on viewing angle, also the extent to which the mantle is extended. I find it hard to imagine much would change in 2 days even with problematic lights.

 

[DuleTnT]

another question, what's up with the coral in the top right of your shots? is it actually bleached out, or is that just an artifact of the photo?

It just looks like that on camera. Seems that light is too strong for camera.
It's candy cane and it was very good so far. there were 3 heads few months ago, now there is 9 - it was the same color when I got it.

 

[DuleTnT]

Looks ok to me. The 'color' of a clam varies dramatically based on viewing angle, also the extent to which the mantle is extended. I find it hard to imagine much would change in 2 days even with problematic lights.

Thanks. Yes you are right - color always changes from the angle you are watching. It looks most fluorescent blue from above.
And also it is more fluorescent when mantis is not entirely expanded.

It is 10 days in my tank now.
It didn't change color since then. It looks very strong and healthy.
Do you think it would show any changes in these 10 days if it doesn't like it's position in the tank?
Should I leave it where is it now?

 

[DuleTnT]

I just took this pics now - from above.
Camera can't catch the proper color because of actinic light though.

So, do you think I should leave everything how it was these 10 days?

 

[jccaclimber]

If it is opening and isn't moving its self I'd say leave it. As long as there is still shell growth and nothing is picking at it you're probably good.

 

[j_mazzy]

watch and wait

 

[DuleTnT]

Thanks guys.

This is my first clam.
I mean, I always do the homework before I get something new.... but, still, even the slightest change can make me panicking in the beginning hehehe

I honestly think that clam is very happy these 11 days. It didn't try to move, it naturally reacts to everything.... and it didn't lose any coloration since then. So, I hope that initial slight lost in fluorescence of blue parts of mantis is because of the stress. Actually it seems like that fluorescence is now back in full intensity like it was before.


Anyways, thanks guys.

 

[rsepiphyte]

Best of luck, for me i have a hard to just leaving things alone but sometimes that proves to be the best way.

 

[ularkusut]

you have to recolour

 

[jda]

There is no chance that it has too much light - they can thrive under 400W HQI halides and if you lined the top of your tank with panels, they would not even come close.

It is also very uncommon to show any signs of weakness or failing until a day or two before they die - most of the time there is no coming back. Clams are the ultimate in false positive.

 

[DuleTnT]

It is also very uncommon to show any signs of weakness or failing until a day or two before they die - most of the time there is no coming back. Clams are the ultimate in false positive.

Why clams die in aquarium? What is the thing that will kill them?
I mean, if water chemistry is good and stable, if light is ok... if tank is properly fed....
How much I learned, clams even like a little bit of ammonia and nutrients in the water because they absorb it as a food.... ...so maybe my water is too clean for them?
What will kill it then?

 

[jda]

Most clams die because they never had enough lighting and slowly starve to death. N and P can kill them too over time, but I would guess this is less of an issue. A few might even die from constant nagging and pests. I would guess that light is the issue in well over 80-90% of deaths.

Most owners think that they have enough light when they do not. This has been more of an issue since LED has been on the market which do no produce tons light or the right kinds of light.

All of your parameters look OK. This is probably a light thing, if it indeed ends up dying.