Squamosa not doing so well...

[Reefs&Rotties]

I've had my squamosa for nearly 6 months now, and I'm starting to worry about it. It had been turned completely on it's side by a fish (I'm assuming), and had not moved itself back upright for nearly a week. The past few days it hadn't opened up like it usually does, so I decided today that I'd move it myself. When I picked it up, it didn't retract it's mantle at first and it didn't clamp its shell closed either. When I placed it in the sand the shell basically was flaccid, and was easy to move about. It seemed like it could be easily manipulated. That was 4-5 hours ago and it still looks scrunched up and 1/4 open. Could it be a parasite or disease, could it be normal or could there be a pest in my tank?

My parameters:
lighting - 632 watts pc & vho
tank - 110g tall (48" tall)
5-6" DSB
100lbs L/R
bak pak 2 skimmer
tidepool filter
temp - 80.1
ammonia - 0
calcium - 410
kh - 12
salinity - 1.025
ph - 8.5
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 0

food: DT's phyto, black powder & amino vital, soak fishfood in selcon

 

[aliendomain]

Reefs&Rotties,
It could be a predator or it could be insufficient light. As in a 110 VHOs and PCs IMO will not provide enough intensity to the substrate. What does the clam look like? Is the inhalant siphon gapping and has the clam bleached at all?

 

[weefishman]

Sounds like not enough light, 48 inches is a lot for vho and pc to penetrate.

-Jonny

 

[brianlena2000]

Sounds like not enough light, 48 inches is a lot for vho and pc to penetrate.

I agree. That is a very tall tank and even though squamosas are less light demanding than maximas and croceas you would really need halides to penetrate a tank that deep (even with 400 watt halides I would be leary of keeping clams on the bottom of the tank).

 

[Reefs&Rotties]

The clam isn't gaping, the inhalant siphon is kind of being smushed by the shell. The strangest thing to me is that the color is the same as it was in the dealers tank (which was shallow with MH lighting). If it makes any difference, I've been dosing NatuReef's bromactine every week along with kalk. My friend has kept squamosas & maximas under PC's for a few years in a 72 gallon bowfront. I'm not convinced it's insufficient lighting because the clam isn't pale. I also have a crocea that is at the top of the rockwork (8-12") from the lights.