Jump to content

Lets talk about clams!


Nyles

Recommended Posts

Without a pic hard to tell, but if its opening thats a good sign, sometimes when you move them they won't open completely for a couple days to a couple weeks. Pinched mantle is in short a sign of stress or disease/infection or possibly predatory snails. Any way you look at it its bad. A long story short my nitrate shot up to over 100 ppm last night and my Derasa has a small case of pinched mantle, so it can be related to multiple different things. Just take it slow and don't freek out, clam can be very slow adjusters, you just have to pay attention to the signs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 95
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/jf/index.php

 

:( I moved my clam up higher - slightly more flow, more light. Now the middle part isn't opening up all the way? I don't have a camera so I'll try to describe it: the mantel seems to come out except one "loop". The "inside" part of the clam is no longer exposed. Anyone got any ideas?

Nothing has changed except I actually did a water change and my nitrates have gone down a little. The clam is still attached to the rock.

On a note I said before.... what does clam poop look like? I think what I may have thought was clam poop was actually it expelling its zooxanthellae which is not good....?

 

LOL you snuck that link in on me, great pics of pinched mantle!!! Thanks for sharing... and as for the rest, anyone owning lots of clams should invest in a good Wrasse (6-line or comparable) to keep parasites away. Thanks for the link.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^ :) I generally try to ask questions only when my own research doesn't come up with clear answers and thought this was a good link - now i know i don't have a pinched mantel. My clam decided to open up two days ago. :)

 

 

BTW, weren't you supposed to post a pic of your clam after your snowboard trip? (whistle)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That exposure to air thing is the biggest myth about so many things in this hobby. Clams can be exposed to air it is not going to hurt them. Do you think that the collectors haul them out of the water in bags and the wholesalers aren't bagging them in the tanks that they are in. I actually had Walt Smith come out when I was down in LA and they had just gotten a huge order of clams in and I was trying to be careful around all of the new clams and corals and he came out and I asked him the procedure for getting things set aside for me and he asked what I was interested in hauled it out of the tank walked half way across the warehouse with it and put it in another tank. If you left it setting out on the counter for 30 mins or so it might not be good for it but there are a lot of places that recommend pulling out baby clams to put them in a bowl of water for feeding. I have heard the same myths about linkias, gorgonians, sponges. I even had a stupid customer come in and tell me that he wouldn't by an acro frag from me if I pulled it out of the water while bagging it. That one I couldn't resist telling the guy exactly what a moron he was. I pulled out a book that had a picture of a reef at low tide and asked him if he thought that all of those corals were going to die.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^ :) I generally try to ask questions only when my own research doesn't come up with clear answers and thought this was a good link - now i know i don't have a pinched mantel. My clam decided to open up two days ago. :)

 

 

BTW, weren't you supposed to post a pic of your clam after your snowboard trip? (whistle)

 

Haven't taken the pic off camera yet,

as for the air thing, I have exposed mine as well, but as I said its only when air is trapped that really does any damage, I have never had any trouble myself but I tilt it around and make sure no air is trapped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This was 100% caused by high nitrate in my case. It shot up to over 100ppm and now is down to about 20 and dropping. Had the ph drop due to a few things happening at the same time and caused some die off. Its under control with no fish or coral loss other than one I was going to give away, so no sweat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick clam question.

Last night I noticed one of my clams expelling some white substance. Did this every minuete or so for about 5 minutes, then I had to leave. I did not know if it was sponning or what. Fish seened to ignore the substance. Today the clam does not loook very good. Mantel is recessed and it does not respond to touch or light change. My other three clams look just fine. Anyone know what is going on?

 

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No change since I put it in 6 weeks ago. I think it is an crocrea. I put in 4 and all others look OK. This one has never fully extended its mantel like the others, but did not look that bad. I am using Solaris lights. The color still looks good, but not fully openned and nonresponsive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would again guess that to be zooxanthellae simply because if you get a clam trying to spawn in your tank you will be waking up to alot of dead stuff in there, I have heard horror stories. Are you running you Solaris lights on full moon cycle?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No. I started at 10% and that seemed too bright. Lowered to 5or 6% and still pretty bright. Turned down to around 4% about 4 weels ago. I just went to 2% couple days ago. My wife keeps telling me there is too much light at night, and it does seem like she is right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...