Hi, 5 months ago I had 5 of my 6 clams die of some strange disease.Their mantles started receding,they started gaping and were dead within a week.My water paremeters were testing fine and my corals were flourishing.I was feeding DT's and home grown phyto.They were growing well before this happened.The only survivor was a deresa.I was recently informed by a fellow reefer that something like this was going around on the west coast awile back.Does anyone know anything about this? My deresa has been stunted since this happened.I want to add another clam but don't know if I should.Could the deresa still be carring this disease and infect any new clam? Thanks
mystery disease question
- Thread starter danmar26
- Start date
Best thing to do is to do a search here under clam disease. Read all the previous posts. Much has been said and speculated about this "disease". It remains to be seen whether the disease is carried or is transmissible to other clams. I have many theories, but I will not conclude anything until I have more experience with the "disease".
A sidenote: You will notice people saying it is best to wait a few months before adding a few clams after you've had the disease.
This is silly. If the disease was bacterial it could lay dormant in your tank for years until a suitable host arrived.
Best advice I can give is to buy your clams from a different supplier. Vendors who have long term success with clams (clams that have survived for several years in their systems), are usually reliable.
If you suffered a massive clam loss - this does not necessarily mean you are doomed to keep healthy clams. Go out, buy 3 healthy clams from a different vendor, and let the shells fall where they may.
A sidenote: You will notice people saying it is best to wait a few months before adding a few clams after you've had the disease.
This is silly. If the disease was bacterial it could lay dormant in your tank for years until a suitable host arrived.
Best advice I can give is to buy your clams from a different supplier. Vendors who have long term success with clams (clams that have survived for several years in their systems), are usually reliable.
If you suffered a massive clam loss - this does not necessarily mean you are doomed to keep healthy clams. Go out, buy 3 healthy clams from a different vendor, and let the shells fall where they may.
Whisperer
New member
I, too, lost a beautiful maxima ultra yesterday to this mysterious disease. This morning, I found half of my gold maxima's mantle shrank (crosswise) well below the shell's rims. I was not about to lose this one again. I thought, it's a death sentence, I might as well do something...it will die anyway. I concocted a solution and soaked the clam in for a good 5-6 minutes and placed it back in the tank. I thought it was a gonner as it wasn't moving for about 5 minutes. I went out to buy something and when I came back, the shrunken mantle was about 1.5 cm extended from the shell's rim (normally extends 2-2.5 cm from the rim) and continued to extend. One of the most exciting thing I have seen. Wish I have pics of before and after. I am hopeful this clam is going to make it. If it does, I think I found the "cure." I am keeping my fingers (and toes 
) crossed.
) crossed.
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