Squidman, I am definitely not out of the woods yet. The clam is gaping at night and during the day, I still see it contracting from time to time to expel mucus. It is fighting to stay alive, but I think the antibiotics gave it a lot more time. I give it a 50% chance of making it. I think I'll know either way by next Monday or sooner.
This is painful to watch! Can I save my clams?
- Thread starter ReefDream
- Start date
turbosiavr, yes, they were. I would like to encourage everyone on this thread to call Eddie and have him boycott the SOLE distributor selling Ponephei clams from southern California. There are several sources suggesting that this is the source of this sickness, and as of last night, Eddie didn't seem convinced yet that he should abandon clams from this source because they are so beautiful. I think Eddie wants to chance it again with this guy, and I don't think he should.
ReefDream,
Glad that the clams is doing better. Sometimes IME a clam will gap when it has been stressed as you know. Glad that he is able to expel that mucus. Sometimes I think we see a clam gapping and think he is going to die. IME, I have had clam gap and still a love. I had a beautiful crocea that was on my site that I placed a hold on him and 3 weeks later was still gaping so took him out of my holding tank and placed him in my display tank and 4 weeks later still gaps but retracts well and extends his mantels wide. Was going to place him in another area but has attached.
Barry
Glad that the clams is doing better. Sometimes IME a clam will gap when it has been stressed as you know. Glad that he is able to expel that mucus. Sometimes I think we see a clam gapping and think he is going to die. IME, I have had clam gap and still a love. I had a beautiful crocea that was on my site that I placed a hold on him and 3 weeks later was still gaping so took him out of my holding tank and placed him in my display tank and 4 weeks later still gaps but retracts well and extends his mantels wide. Was going to place him in another area but has attached.
Barry
turbosiavr
New member
i just talked to eddie last week and he told me that his clams were not sick and still for sale.he also told me that he gets his clams direct from the exporter from the solomon islands or something.he also said that he keeps his new clams in a different holding tank than the ones he already has is this accurate because i was planning on buying a clam from him today.
tubs
New member
Turbo,
The clams in the SPS surge tanks are definately not for sale and you should not think of buying at all. If you are still intested he does have a handful of Solomons in a separate tank at the back of the store.
BTW, has anyone bought from FFexpress as they also have the Pohnpei clams for sale and am curious if the problem exists there as well. I'd really hate to see unsuspecting reefers lose valuable clams as some of us have here. It's been a dear and very expensive experience.
The clams in the SPS surge tanks are definately not for sale and you should not think of buying at all. If you are still intested he does have a handful of Solomons in a separate tank at the back of the store.
BTW, has anyone bought from FFexpress as they also have the Pohnpei clams for sale and am curious if the problem exists there as well. I'd really hate to see unsuspecting reefers lose valuable clams as some of us have here. It's been a dear and very expensive experience.
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cal3v
Premium Member
Oh and I don't know for sure if this can be spread through the water or something, but can somebody maybe tell Eddie to ask people before they buy from those surge tanks if they have clams? Even if they bought frags or something the sickness might get transported. Just a thought.
turbosiavr
New member
THANK FOR THE INFO CAL3V.
<b>CLAM UPDATE</b>
The clam did not gape, violently contract, or otherwise act odd yesterday, including when the lights were out last night. The slime is no longer coming out of the clam (although I do see it on the rocks around the clam). The only signs the clam was (or is) sick are (a) a slight loss of color on the mantle and (b) the clam is not opening as wide as it did before. My gut feeling is that the clam is going to be okay. I'll post another update Sunday.
PS - I believe it would be wise for those buying Pohnpei clams--which I highly recommend against--to buy some doxycycline in case there is an issue with a sick shipment. There are a half dozen places on the internet that sell it in pill form without a prescription for vetenarian purposes (birds mainly). If you really want a lot of it cheap (enough forever) to call <a href="http://www.globalpigeon.com/main.html">Global Pigeon Supplies</a> and buy their bottle of doxycycline for pigeons. Do not dose as required for pigeon water; I would expect that could kill a clam. One ml will treat 8 gallons of water for the concentration I used (100ml doxycycline/4 gallons). The bottle will treat 800 gallons and costs $22.95 + shipping.
PSS - DO NOT TREAT THE MAIN TANK WITH ANTIBIOTICS. IT WILL CRASH THE TANK! Read in my prior post on how to treat.
The clam did not gape, violently contract, or otherwise act odd yesterday, including when the lights were out last night. The slime is no longer coming out of the clam (although I do see it on the rocks around the clam). The only signs the clam was (or is) sick are (a) a slight loss of color on the mantle and (b) the clam is not opening as wide as it did before. My gut feeling is that the clam is going to be okay. I'll post another update Sunday.
PS - I believe it would be wise for those buying Pohnpei clams--which I highly recommend against--to buy some doxycycline in case there is an issue with a sick shipment. There are a half dozen places on the internet that sell it in pill form without a prescription for vetenarian purposes (birds mainly). If you really want a lot of it cheap (enough forever) to call <a href="http://www.globalpigeon.com/main.html">Global Pigeon Supplies</a> and buy their bottle of doxycycline for pigeons. Do not dose as required for pigeon water; I would expect that could kill a clam. One ml will treat 8 gallons of water for the concentration I used (100ml doxycycline/4 gallons). The bottle will treat 800 gallons and costs $22.95 + shipping.
PSS - DO NOT TREAT THE MAIN TANK WITH ANTIBIOTICS. IT WILL CRASH THE TANK! Read in my prior post on how to treat.
That is good news! 
Just wonder how long that Bacteria could remain in a tank or by medicating it, will indeed cause the infection to be killed.
I know that I have posted this before but I would like to say it again. As far as gapping, I think sometimes we make more out of that they we should. The only reason I say that is after keeping 100s of clams in the past 6 months I have noticed that sometimes after acclimation some clams will tend to gap but within days 90% are back to normal. I think some people think that means the clam is going to die, not true. I had a crocea that some of you might remember that I had on my site marked" HOLD" as it was gapping more than I liked so I would not sell it. After 3 weeks moved it from my holding tank into my display tank and that was a month ago. He has attached to a LR, extends mantle very well and retracts to movement but still gaps. Just wanted to pass that on so if your clam start to gap, doesn't mean that it is doomed.
JMO & JME
Sorry to get off on something else.
Barry
Just wonder how long that Bacteria could remain in a tank or by medicating it, will indeed cause the infection to be killed.
I know that I have posted this before but I would like to say it again. As far as gapping, I think sometimes we make more out of that they we should. The only reason I say that is after keeping 100s of clams in the past 6 months I have noticed that sometimes after acclimation some clams will tend to gap but within days 90% are back to normal. I think some people think that means the clam is going to die, not true. I had a crocea that some of you might remember that I had on my site marked" HOLD" as it was gapping more than I liked so I would not sell it. After 3 weeks moved it from my holding tank into my display tank and that was a month ago. He has attached to a LR, extends mantle very well and retracts to movement but still gaps. Just wanted to pass that on so if your clam start to gap, doesn't mean that it is doomed.
JMO & JME
Sorry to get off on something else.
Barry
Barry, given the circumstances I am a little paranoid about any odd behavior, but I don't think I would have even noticed the gaping was a problem until this incident. I knew how to take care of my clams, but I didn't even KNOW that gaping was bad until I had this happen to me and read about it on this board!
Also it's important to note that I did NOT treat the tank. Antibiotics at the dosage I was using, would have surely destroyed the biological filtering capacity of the tank and crashed the tank! I added a note about that in my last post so no one will get confused.
I am keeping the clam in a tank now that was never infected with the bacteria/virus. The post-antibiotic-treatment slime I guess was caused by the clam's reaction to the antibiotic. I suppose any irritant, bacteria or otherwise, would cause the clam to slime like that. Another possibility is that the clam, while living in the antibiotic bath, developed immunity toward the root of the problem and the slime was just the clam getting over it (the root cause could very well be viral).
There are just so many possibilities. That is why we really need to have some sort of pathology work done. Only then can we know if the root cause is viral or bacterial and have some sort of idea when the original tank of infection is safe for new clams.
Also it's important to note that I did NOT treat the tank. Antibiotics at the dosage I was using, would have surely destroyed the biological filtering capacity of the tank and crashed the tank! I added a note about that in my last post so no one will get confused.
I am keeping the clam in a tank now that was never infected with the bacteria/virus. The post-antibiotic-treatment slime I guess was caused by the clam's reaction to the antibiotic. I suppose any irritant, bacteria or otherwise, would cause the clam to slime like that. Another possibility is that the clam, while living in the antibiotic bath, developed immunity toward the root of the problem and the slime was just the clam getting over it (the root cause could very well be viral).
There are just so many possibilities. That is why we really need to have some sort of pathology work done. Only then can we know if the root cause is viral or bacterial and have some sort of idea when the original tank of infection is safe for new clams.
Oh, I totally agree with you on that. Don't misunderstand what I was saying about the gapping. Just wanted to add that sometime gapping doesn't mean the clam is doomed.
Yes I understand about medicating the tank. I would be concerned that when that sick clam/s where in the main tank before taking it out and placing it in the medicated tank, is the infection still in the tank or just stays with the clam? I guess the thing I am trying to get to is that the source of this clams by having them in holding tanks/vats or what ever and if it was just a bad batch of clams then what happens to new arrival that are placed in those tanks. Does that make sense?
Yes I understand about medicating the tank. I would be concerned that when that sick clam/s where in the main tank before taking it out and placing it in the medicated tank, is the infection still in the tank or just stays with the clam? I guess the thing I am trying to get to is that the source of this clams by having them in holding tanks/vats or what ever and if it was just a bad batch of clams then what happens to new arrival that are placed in those tanks. Does that make sense?
Oh, I totally agree with you on that. Don't misunderstand what I was saying about the gapping. Just wanted to add that sometime gapping doesn't mean the clam is doomed.
Yes I understand about medicating the tank. I would be concerned that when that sick clam/s where in the main tank before taking it out and placing it in the medicated tank, is the infection still in the tank or just stays with the clam? I guess the thing I am trying to get to is that the source of this clams by having them in holding tanks/vats or what ever and if it was just a bad batch of clams then what happens to new arrivals that are placed in those tanks. Does that make sense?
Yes I understand about medicating the tank. I would be concerned that when that sick clam/s where in the main tank before taking it out and placing it in the medicated tank, is the infection still in the tank or just stays with the clam? I guess the thing I am trying to get to is that the source of this clams by having them in holding tanks/vats or what ever and if it was just a bad batch of clams then what happens to new arrivals that are placed in those tanks. Does that make sense?
I wanted to update everyone interested on my clam in the "hospital". My crocea is on its third treatment of doxycycline that ReefDream sent me. I am dosing per his instructions. The first dose went into the bucket with the clam on Tuesday at 1:00 pm, I noticed no change in the crocea, looked good in the main infected tank and continued to look good in the bucket with the antibiotic and Dt's for food source with full mantle extension and good response to interrupted shadows. I swapped out water and added a new pill on Wednesday around 3:00 pm, clam still looked good and I noticed no unusual sliming. Thursday I swapped out water again and added third dose of doxycycline. Clam still looks good, no problems with sliming that I can see. This morning this crocea has really good mantle extension and continues to seem fine with the treatment. I will do another dose this afternoon with new water swapped out , that will be the 4th treatment. ReefDream suggested 5 treatments so that is my plan. I hope to have this clam back in a different uninfected tank by Sunday afternoon. I will keep everybody updated.
Wouldn't you know the last clam to survive this horrible infection in my tank was the plain purple crocea with no color what so ever, just plain purple. I got this clam along with another one a year and half ago from mail order and I was so mad about it, I felt so ripped, not financially but I did not get what I expected. They sent me two cheap $19 croceas when I ordered the super or ultra electric croceas for $79. They only charged me the $19 but I was so mad. Now I am just LOVING this clam and if it makes it this clam will have a very special place in my heart. What a champ
Wouldn't you know the last clam to survive this horrible infection in my tank was the plain purple crocea with no color what so ever, just plain purple
. I got this clam along with another one a year and half ago from mail order and I was so mad about it, I felt so ripped, not financially but I did not get what I expected. They sent me two cheap $19 croceas when I ordered the super or ultra electric croceas for $79. They only charged me the $19 but I was so mad. Now I am just LOVING this clam and if it makes it this clam will have a very special place in my heart. What a champ slojmn, I am sorry you are left with but one clam but am glad to hear you are sticking to the regime and it is working! I really think we may be on to something useful here using this antibiotic since I got a third confirmation in another thread that this treatment works (at the dosage I am using) and saved some guy 9 (out of 11) clams! I would suggest you stick to the routine all five days, and it sounds like your clam will be fine. I want to bring this up at the next Seabay meeting tomorrow.
<center><table width=640><dr><dt>Well, you know how I said the clam was in the propagation tank? That is a rose anemone propagation tank. The entire purpose of the tank is to propagate rose anemones, and I had given the signalling to split (massive water change) prior to putting the clam in.
<b>The GOOD news is that last night one of the anemones split (again--happens a lot since that is the sole reason I set this tank up). The BAD news is that one of the anemone halves attached onto the antibiotic clam! See for yourself in this picture I took this morning:</b>
<img src="http://home.attbi.com/~domitron2/reefcentral/misc/anemone_attack.jpg">
I don't know what to do. I am afraid to move the clam or try to get the anemone off as the tenacles could start to drape down into the clam and kill it. I guess I'll just leave things alone and see what happens.</dt></dr></table></center>
<b>The GOOD news is that last night one of the anemones split (again--happens a lot since that is the sole reason I set this tank up). The BAD news is that one of the anemone halves attached onto the antibiotic clam! See for yourself in this picture I took this morning:</b>
<img src="http://home.attbi.com/~domitron2/reefcentral/misc/anemone_attack.jpg">
I don't know what to do. I am afraid to move the clam or try to get the anemone off as the tenacles could start to drape down into the clam and kill it. I guess I'll just leave things alone and see what happens.</dt></dr></table></center>
