Please help my deresa

[thepudge]

Hi all, I have a 9 inch deresa clam which has been in my system for a couple of years. Never had any problems with it. However a couple of weeks ago I noticed that it was gaping slightly and that the mantle was slightly pinched in one place on the outer edge of the mantle (on both sides). I figured it was just minor irritation and checked him for pyramids, etc. Found nothing. So its been like that for the last two weeks (pretty much stopped gaping though - full mantle extension, otherwise seems healthy) and I looked closely today and the mantle is very slightly torn where the it was pinched. Will the clam recover from this, or is it going to get worse? Is there anything I can do? It doesn't seem like something a FWD would help.

*Edit -

46 Gallon Bowfront, 250w MH, undetectable nitrate, calcium ~400, alk 8.4..


Thanks,

Alex

 

[Phyto]

I wish I could help you with the gaping. May be a water quality issue. It could be a number of things. I have only had my derasa for a month. I'm sure mbunna will help you.
As far as your clams torn mantle healing itself, it will. As long as it is growing at it's normal pace and has the proper conditions, the tissues should heal.
I tore the mantle the first day I got my derasa. What a crappy feeling. I was floating his bag in the water and dropped a one gallon jug (about 10 lbs.) of ro/di water right on top of him. He was smashed between live rock and the full jug. The mantle was torn almost to the inhalent siphon. You can see the tear healing in the pics. The dates are wrong. I tore this clam on June 17, 2006

You can see a disruptive line where the streaks of zooxanthallae were connected near the inhalent siphon.

 

[thepudge]

Actually, the gaping has stopped. I am just worried these two tiny tears will get worse (they dont seem to be getting better), otherwise the clam looks and acts normally. Another concern is that my brittle star (the reaper) has been hanging around the clam a little.. not attacking, but just kind of hanging out. I wonder if he senses that the clam is sicker than it is letting on.

Looks like your deresa is healing nicely! Very encouraging.

 

[Phyto]

As long as it still retracts very quickly when alarmed, I wouldn't worry about the brittle star. I have 3 large b stars in my 46 with the clam. One is almost 12 in from tip to tip. It looks like a freakin octopus.
They are brittle stars and not starfish right? I know starfish eat molluscs. Your derasa is much to big for the common ornamental star to eat. I'm not sure if stars even eat Tridacna sp. I'll have to look that up.
Why do you think your clam is sick?

 

[thepudge]

he's got these two tears on him mantle and I can't tell if they are getting better. I am not worried about the brittle star eating the clam (which is far too big), but I am concerned that the brittle star senses something is wrong...

 

[mbbuna]

is your angel nipping at the clam?

are the only fish you have the ones listed in your bio?

 

[thepudge]

oh, haha, my bio needs a bit of updating.. the angel did start nipping at the clam about a year ago, and I removed him. The tank is now a 46 bowfront and holds the same evil damsel, a baby hippo, a sixline, and a perc. Doesn't look like anything has been nipping at him but something must have caused it.

 

[mbbuna]

if the clam is looking good now, and it doesnt get an infection ,it should heal up fine

 

[thepudge]

any way to deal with an infection?

 

[mbbuna]

not really, just keep good-stable water quality,