P's clam is really unhappy

Sorry to see P. Hopefully once your test kits come in, there may be something found pointing directly at a fault. Anything else in your tank lead you to believe a certain parameter is off?

Just out of curiosity, would amphipods around the foot be considered pestering?

 

I haven't changed anything in a very long while. The most recent changes are some frags from GM several months ago and the purple p chromi is aggressive but i've never seen him mess w/the clam... I've had the fish for quite some time now... 6+ months it seems like.

I have recently been running a cooler tank. 74 -77 range. I thought I fixed that but I guess not. I have ordered a new 250 watt viaaqua w/external controller and probe from Big Al's today.

Other than the fish being very interested in the additional thermometer I added recently (to double check my temp range), the tank is doing really well.

No, that's not true. This is my third bulb set. All different. At 8 months I get algae. I replace at 9. Algae gone in a month. It's rather annoying. Also, I recently lost both my emerald and sally light foot within two days of molting.

hmm... I'm going to go mix some SW for a WC...

 

I dont know whats wrong with it, being perfectly honest

but have some thoughts on whats been written thus far
and based on seeing similar situations discussed around the www.


are you running carbon 24/7 or running carbon occasionally?

I ask that because as you monitor and supplement the major ions
I know your not a regular water changer
so if your not using carbon, it could be a build up of toxins going on in there that are affecting the clam


additionally, we know that clams utilise calcium, but I dont know what other ions they also utilise and as such a water change or a series of water changes may help to replenish anything that has dropped to sub requirement levels

as ReefBruh suggests, you may want to consider pipette type target feeding of your clam - as I know you have control on N and P
thus it may be lacking nutrients ?

Brightwell Aquatics Koralle-VM - Vitamin & Mineral Supplement for Corals, Clams - AquaCave
there are other options available I just picked one
but Kent and others have similar product

hope it works out for you and the Clam makes a full recovery

Steve

 

Steve, excellent advise, some interesting thoughts...

With clams eating ammonia and my very under control N and P... that makes sense... I hadn't considered that at all...

I do run carbon - 24/7 - but I have been considering running some better carbon, I've always ran generic wal-mart type carbon... It may not be up to task for this... especially considering what you said...

You've given me lots to think on. Thanks!

As an update, it's too late for this clam... it's shriveled to basically nothing.

:-/

I am considering taking it out and eating it... Like they did on Man,Woman,Wild...

 

sad news about the clam Peredhil

although I do enjoy that programme you mentioned
the coconut crab episode was amusing

Steve

 

Two thoughts:
1. 1 purple pseudochromi- notorious for picking inverts, in fact that is what they eat and I would not be surprised if that is why your hermits never made it past a molt. They may be small but they are part of the bass family. Could also be picking at the clam.

2. If you have bought live rock from any florida divers then my second guess is the silent killer "Stylochus matatasi"that almost always comes on this type of rock. They are almost invisible and will kill a clam quickly. Notice the mottled pattern that matches the clams mantle perfectly.

Now i'm not saying they are 100% any of these but you could put them in the ever growing pile of theories.

 

I never could find any snails - tried with magnifying glass at night with a flashlight. I held the clam up by the glass and looked through (I didn't take the clam out of the water).

If there were snails, then I'd say the original FW dip I did was pointless (there weren't any noticeable hitchhikers from that FW dip).

Do crocea's care about flow much? It was in med to med/low flow. I think this is fine though...

I got my test kits in. Nitrates/Phosphates both read 0 with Salifert kits. Previously I was using API for both of those and had same readings (I actually changed to make sure it wasn't a bad kit). Makes me lean towards 'clean tank syndrome' to starve the clam

Other readings:
Ca 460 (this has been really stable)
dKH 10.6 stable
Mg 1700 - yeah, I know. I also forgot This happened back in August. I run at 1500. When it drops to 1400 I dose 100 points. Well, bc I neglected my timer, I ended up dosing 400 points over the course of 12 days before I realized it was still engaged (yeah, 1800!). Since then it's dropped 100 points.

I had figured it would drop naturally on its own - apparently it hasn't much. I'm thinking this might have actually been inhibiting growth. It is this that I most suspect now.

Anyway, my water has been mixing all day so I'm going to do a WC and bring that Mg down and get some traces replenished.

Also got my new bulbs in. Yay.

 

I hope the water change helps out and your clam rebounds.

Edit:
Just read that the clam is too shriveled. Sorry to hear.

 

Sorry about the clam. I think they need medium flow to a little higher. My maxima is loving the flow it is in. It is on the top of the rocks and the mantle gets ruffled with the flow.

 

My crocea doesn't mind the flow either. After a week it's beginning to cling to the rock I set it on !!

P, did you spot feed phyto ever?