Pinched mantle?

[ellisz]

Hi all,

Please check out a pic of my Crocea clam. I have had him about 2 months and he appears to be doing well. I have seen more mantle extension as of late but one section looks to be pinched. It has been this way ever since I got the clam.

Thoughts?

http://ellisz.home.insightbb.com/clam_0705.jpg

 

[mbbuna]

it dosent look like it pinching. i would check for pyrams

 

[ellisz]

What do they look like? I don't really see any snail looking creatures on the clam. I did happen to notice something that looks to be living in a tube on the clam shell. It did look like it had some sort of string attached to the mantle and it was pulling it off. It looks like a tube worm or something. I never noticed it since they are on the back side of the clam. But that is the side where the mantle looks the best?

Any good site for clam pests ID's? What is the best method to treat? Scrubbing the shell or FW dip? Need to find out what I have first though...

thanks

 

[ellisz]

Try this pic. You can see the stuff I was talking about. I circled it in the pic.

http://ellisz.home.insightbb.com/clam_0705b.jpg

 

[mbbuna]

pyrams look like a grain of rice. they come out at night to feed so the best time to look is an hour or two after lights out. the best way to remove them is to pic them off by hand.if you do find some then you will have to check them 2x a week for a month or so then i would check them once a week for another few months.even if you don't find any the first time you look keep checking,they can be sneaky.check all around the byssal opening,and at the top of the shell under the mantle.do a search for Pyramidellidae and img sure you will find some pic's

 

[mbbuna]

they look like vermetid's .messy but harmless

 

[ellisz]

Well, I did not not any pyramid looking snails on the clam last night. I did see a baby snail on the shell but it was round and did not look like the pics I saw at clamsdirect. I only saw one on the shell and none around the byssal area.

 

[mbbuna]

thats a good thing.keep an eye on the clam and let us know how it's doing.i would still keep checking for pyrams

 

[Electrobes]

Clams can sometimes stress like that with flow. Sometimes they are just adjusting, and other times something just made them a bit mad. It doesn't look like much to worry about... it shoudl go away in a few days, a week maximum.

 

[ellisz]

It has been like this for 2 months though? It appears healthy otherwise so I don't worry about it too much just wish it was open in its full glory

 

[Electrobes]

eh I would then not worry about it. From the looks of it and the length of time you've had it, it should be fine. Usually if clams are on a dying warpath, they do not take their time doing so... they usually die within a week or so, unless it is a slow bleach or UV burn.

 

[zombiereef]

what does uv burn look like?

 

[Electrobes]

its pretty rare.. it usually only happens when you have an old bulb that has not been replaced for a long while, or an HQI halide without a UV shield on it.

After looking at it some more I am wondering what fishes and shrimps or other inverts you have? Fish behavors and shrimp as well can change over time. Damsels sometimes will nitpick out of the blue, and it has been mentioned that cleaner shrimps will sometimes irritate the clam.. so they remain partially closed.

 

[ellisz]

I have a Yellow tang, 2 yellow tail damsels, a royal gramma, a mandarin, and a percula clown. I have a yellow watchman but I have not seen him in a while.

I have a CBS and 2 cleaner shrimp. I have never witnessed any of the, harrassing the clam. I don't really know how much mantle should be showing but it looks decent except for that one spot. That is what I thought was a pinched mantle. I guessed wrong.

I will try to do some more spot feeding of DT's. I normally just blow some in his direction. I bought him since he was big in hopes I would not have to suppliment feed alot.

I have DT's phyto and Liquid Life that I alternate. I also won some Sweetwater zoo plankton and some DT's Oyster eggs. I have not tried the latter yet though.

 

[Electrobes]

wow.. a lot of those clam keepers consider mantle nipping organisms. definately try watching the tank from a distance where they can't see you .. though it may take a while... I am definately thinking of them is the culprit.. who knows maybe more than one.

 

[mbbuna]

just keep adding the phyto to the tank, dont spot or target feed,clams dont like to be force feed.also clams wont eat zooplankton or oyster eggs they are to large