Question on behavior of maxima

[chrisstie]

Hi all You've all been so helpful, its time for me again to pick your brains!

A few weeks ago my clam was exhibiting signs of PM- it looked like the mantle was sort of squeezed back into its shell, not extending over the top scute, but still responding to things passing over it.

i carefully followed the advice of a freshwater dip and have been giving it time to recoup. I have also tried to place it in a few places where it seems to "whoosh" itself off of and ends up in my sand bed.

Well, I finally founda somewhat decent place for it up atop my rockwork so its really relatively close to the light and it seems to be happy. Ever so slowly the mantle is extending more and more in that clam like fashion (and yet they aren't quite as "frilly" when they are young mine is 2-3inches).. There is still a spot here and there where it isn't fully extended, and I am wondering what I should do, if anything. Could this be something to heal in time? Should I be considering another action?

Also, I noticed while watching today it could move some of its mantle on its own.. it reminding me of how we can raise just one eyebrow- like it was flexing just a part of it. What is this behavior for or is it a fluke or a warning sign or what?

I almost wish I spent the extra cash to go with a slightly larger clam but I really love this guy a lot and want to do the absolute best I can for him. Its just hard to understand what he's telling me to do, if anything!

Hopefully you experienced clam keepers can help me understand my clams behavior a little bit better! Thanks!

 

[a4twenty]

can you post a picture?

the clam will move if he isn't happy with his current location, it could be any number of things. ( flow / light ..... )

mantle extension varies form clam to clam. my TD's mantle just barely extends past his scutes while my little 2 1/2" maxima's mantle extends well past.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9728522#post9728522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisstie

Also, I noticed while watching today it could move some of its mantle on its own. it reminding me of how we can raise just one eyebrow- like it was flexing just a part of it. What is this behavior for or is it a fluke or a warning sign or what?

that was probably a powerhead or other source of flow 'blowing' it.

what are your params? and what livestock do you have?

 

[chrisstie]

I will try later today to get a pic of the clam in his new place, I hope the lack of him moving means he's happy in the new spot I found for him. I also recently ousted a very boisterous foxface that liked knocking over a lot of things- corals and clams included.

I keep a loooot of coral in my tank from softies to SPS so i am fairly diligent to make sure my alk\ca levels are where they should be (usually right around 9 and 400+) and i test and dose b ionic regularly as well as magnesium.

My SG i try to keep right around 1.025 and temp has been staying stable despite teh warmer weather around 81*

No nitrates or phosphates that I can measure and I have a refugium with chaeto that I use to help combat any that may arise.


For my livestock I have a midas blenny, pair of clownfish, an itty bitty ascension goby that lives upside down under a rock, a scooter blenny and i have some reef safe snails\hermits for my cleanup crew- and my coral is doing fine and some even seem to be thriving under my T5 lighting (teklights 4x54W t5HO with individual reflectors)

Right now the clam is sitting in what I would call a moderate flow area- there is some direct flow nearby but its being diffused by a few rocks and corals so i can see the mantle swaying gently in the current but the clam is open and responsive so it doesnt seem to bother him where hes at

 

[WayneY]

I would watch that midas blenny VERY closely.Been known to pick at mantles which would explain why it is drawing in on certain areas,where it is being bitten.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

clams can withdraw specific section of the mantle at will. In my experinec, clams that do this a lot have a history of being picked at. I have a squamosa that would selectively pull in little sections of the mantles after he started getting nipped at. Once the culprit was removed, he stopped.

 

[chrisstie]

Hmm I haven't seen her actively going near the clam, she's kind of a scardy cat and likes to sit on her little perch most of the day or swim in the flow with my dopey clownfish when people aren't too close to the tank.

I was able to get some pics today but its very hard where the clam is in my tank since its up high and I'm kind of short.. standing on a chair trying to get a pic sort of made a distorted pic so heres' the best I could do.. tell me how you think the clam looks please? I did see one spot on it today of all days that looked like something could have nibbled just a teeny tiny bit or it could be pulled in I can't quite tell

here's without flash from one side

Here's the other side with the flash (so hard to get this little camera to focus on that guy)

In that last pic where its white are the bits that concern me- in person I can see the bit of mantle is pulled up in there a little bit, not missing as if it were a bite but i haven't seen enough pics of clams with nips in their mantles to really know. What a challenging creature to take care of. I love this little guy though and want to do the best I can to keep him growing strong

 

[a4twenty]

try taking the pic from above with the pumps off.

i don't see any signs of PM, looks more like he's being harrased.

can you test your Alk and post the result as well please?

 

[chrisstie]

When I get a chance to try that with the pumps I will I usually only do it during water change time and forget about the camera!

As of yesterday my alk tested at 8 which was a little low it usually runs around 9 but I dose 2 part b ionic so it fluccuates a little bit depending on my measuring cup skills Should it be higher for a clam? My SPS have been doing fine... I think I mentioned it earlier but I did do a FW dip because he had been like,.. pulled back into his shell where the mantle wasn't extending out beyond the scutes at all and he's recovered a lot since then with his extension

I also recently got rid of a foxface that was being a bully in my tank so im wondering if maybe it could have been him nipping looking for food\eating algae or now that he's gone if another fish has decided to become bold. But I only just ditched him this past weekend

 

[a4twenty]

it dosn't sound like you have PM, take a look at the pics in this post

have you looked for pyramid snails? here's a link to a thread with a pic and treatment info.

 

[chrisstie]

It wasn't so much like the pic in the first link but more like this
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1098880

When it looked like that (despite that one in the post being a crocea) is when i went for the FW dip and it seemed to help

No snails, that is at least an easy one to check. I can see right up its.. that area and everything is white, clean looking, in tact and not seemingly bothered by any pest

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9752727#post9752727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisstie
No snails, that is at least an easy one to check. I can see right up its.. that area and everything is white, clean looking, in tact and not seemingly bothered by any pest

it is best to check and hour or two after lights out. they tend to hide in the sand until it gets dark, then will go after the underside of the mantle. the snail they are talking about ( whelk, looks like a nassarius ) is quite different from the pyramid.

from what you have said and the pics, i would say that you do not have PM ( well not you but the clam ). it looks more like a mechanical problem ( invasive snail or fish ) or an alkalinity / param problem.

 

[chrisstie]

I have been checking after lights out and no snails.. I think it was the reefkeeping magazine article or whatevers in the sticky that had some really great info.

Little guy does seem to be doing better lately so i'm just keeping an eye on him. if there is someone nipping hopeuflly i'll catch them in the act so i can evict them