tiny Maxima clam

RhondaJ

New member
I have a Maxima clam that is about 2 inches. It use to open up real well. But recently he pulls in part of his mantle like something is iritating it.. He is pulling that part in more and more while it opens the rest of his mantle. I went and got a magnifying glass to see if I could see any of the parasidic snails, All I see are these white spots all over that part of the mantle. It looks like sand stuck to the mantle. I got some of it off and it feels like sand. Do these snails look and feel like sand when they are in the egg stage or when they are babies. I don't see anything moving. I searched the clam all over and found no other trace of anything. All the other clams are still opening great.
 
Small Clams

Small Clams

I have heard that small clams, like the one you describe Rhonda, do not photosytensize at a early stage. I would recomend you feed your clams by a turky dropper right above his or her mantel. In regards to the white spots, I wouldn't worry about it, especialy if you think it looks and feels like sand. Do you have any gobies that are picking up sand in your tank?

Just a thought- Ted
 
I have suffered this problem with small clams just introduced into my system. On inspection there have been no snails on the clams, just after a few days the clam pulls in its mantle after been fine. I feed my system with phytoplankton and all the clams have made it through.

My current thinking is whether this is to do with the clam receiving too much UV light or oxygen in the tissues which is damaging the thin mantle, or maybe there aren't enough nutrients for the symbiotic algae in the mantle? When I first saw this happen with one of my clams I moved the clam to higher light, which made the problem even worse.

Sure is puzzling... but all I can say is all mine recovered from this.
 
Rhonda,

Ted is on the right track. Smaller clams do photosynthesize, but are more dependant on food than larger clams.

The turkey baster Idea is a bad one. If you want to feed your clam, you are better off feeding the whole tank a live phytoplankton product like DT's. Any larger food, or any food target fed to a clam will likely only irritate it.

Simons answer also makes a good point. Like all of our pets, clams are not always maintained under the best conditions (especially light) during shipping, importer, wholesaler, retailer etc. and often need to be acclimated to higher light.

Try to get your hands on a copy of Knop's book on clams, or at least TRA vol. 1 for more info.

There is a "white spot" disease in clams that is described in the Knop book, and it is almost 100% fatal.

HTH

Adam
 
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