It doesn't look good for my clam...

My maxima fell into my elegance coral, could have been in there for 12 hours or more and was obviously stung by the giant elegance, who loves clam meat. Anyway it is not extending, and it is gaping. I have attached a pic, but the iPhone camera hates LEDs so it is hard to see.
Do you think there is any chance for the clam, or shall I take him out before he dies and fouls the water. He's 6" so I imagine his death might be catastrophic to a tank without a cleanup crew. Dang!!!! I love that clam!
Thanks as always,
Helen

 

Ouch, it is a beauty.

Stranger things have happened to clams, not sure I would throw in the towel just yet. With that said I have had larger clams die in my tank without incidence. Bristleworms can be very efficient and there is really not a lot to a clam, but that is your risk to take.

 

Definitely don't throw it away (but if you really don't want it, send it to me ) Clam mantles are VERY resistant to nematocysts, an aiptasia sting barely makes them flinch, sometimes you'll see them for sale with aiptasia growing right on the shell. I'd say yours is probably more ticked off at the fact that it fell, rather than it was stung.

 

I've moved it onto the sandbed in hopes worms will get it quickly if/when it dies. But I haven't seen a worm lately, and I detest crabs so my CUC is very limited. I've got a few Cerinths and about 20 Nassarious. Perhaps I can count on the Nassarious.
On the bright side it did react to my hand and closed when I touched it. That is a good sign.

 

Thank you, very encouraging.

 

If it's dying the Nassarius will be all over it, they can sense the decay before you even see it.

 

That's a bummer. Hope it recovers. Since this is the second time I've heard of a clam falling this week, I'd like to ask how it happened? How well was it sheltered form moving, if it decided to. How long has it been in that position? Ect...

 

I just find it hard to believe that it would die from stinging. Keep in mind nematocysts only discharge once, so even if it was sitting on the elegance for 12 hours, it's not continuously getting stung.

Not to say a fall and some stinging isn't stressful, but under ideal conditions it should heal up just fine. If you have water quality issues, less than ideal parameters, pyramid snails, or any other potential pests/problems to clams, that may be a different story.

 

Another clam falling.
I'd like to think it will be ok. But having said that clams are weird. Get it in a spot it can relax and give it time. You'll know if it's dying. My maxima had it's shell actually separate and mantle came completely in. The mouth can open really wide and while that is a sign of potential problems. It can fix itself. Probably traumatized.
Give it time.

This is why I keep my clam in the sand bed. For me and my own personal experience nothing good comes from a clam on a rock. What also sucks is you can't move it!

Good luck. Keep us posting. I'll pray to the clam goddess named Clamity.
.

 

You can put it on a small rock and put the rock in the sand, level with the sand to give the appearance of being in sand. Maxima's are rock dwelling clams typically, I kept mine in the sand for a while but once in the rocks, it looked 10X better.

BTW Clamity is very close to calamity