Sick clam??

Hello all...my clam has been looking a bit off the past 2 days. He's been keeping the lower part of his mantle (hope this is the right term, the colorful part that extends outside the shell) somewhat shriveled and not open like usual. The only thing I can think of is that I might have injured him while moving some of my rocks around that day and adding some xenias, but I was pretty careful and don't remember hitting him. The part that is shriveled is opposite the small piece of xenia I placed near-by. Any ideas? I did notice also some bristle worm hitchhikers on the rock the xenia was on but removed them (at least the ones I saw) prior to placing it in the tank. (sorry for the bad pic, but you can kinda get the idea on the bottom part of the picture whats goin on) Thanks in advance for any info!

 

you useing MH ? what size tank ? how deep ?

 

Using 4 T5's, 40w a piece with 2 actinics and 2 10K lights. 50 gallon tank and he's about 12 inches from the lights. Still responds to hand wave. Checked the water about 3 days ago, PH 8.2, phosphate 0.05, nitrate 5, Ca 460, temp 80.

 

Hows the alk ?...
and stop handwaving on it.. that takes energy for it to retract(close).
it looks ok too me "for now" maxima's can be finicky for light and water movment.

Hows your tank temp ?
other fish in the tank ? ( somthing nipping at it ) ?
do you have bristel worms ( over abundance ) ?

 

Temp's 80. No fish in the tank, just hermits, snails and 1 emerald crab. Haven't seen anything really messing with it, usually closes if a hermit or snail bump into it (or ejects them across the tank which I admittedly find greatly amusing). Only bristels I've seen since I started the tank 3 months ago are the ones on that xenia coral. I got 2 off but I'm sure I missed at least one, haven't seen any in the open but I watching for em at night. hey thanks alot for your responses, greatly appreciated.

 

No problem stash Ive kept sevral maxima's .. currently ive got a tear drop now.

They love light, sadly though your tank temp maybe having somthing to do with it..( 80 degrees ) put a fan on top of tank to move surface heat off.
If you have certain types of wrasses, some fish will nip at the mantle and eventually kill the clam .
bristles will also burrow into the "foot" of the clam, ( keep them in check )
I have learned to try to keep the clams ive kept and currently in the "open" area of the tank in the sand as well. away from LR.
( try to minimize any little pests that may nip, agrivate )


DO NOT pester it.. cause you like to see it respond to your hand shadow ok.
If its weakened , that will only weaken it more.

Do you have a ground probe on the tank ?
ANY stray voltages will harm it..

( I had a gigas one time the size of a foot ball ) and a power head went bad on me "didint know it" and with in 2 days it was dead and not responsive.

 

F/W Dip asap , It will flush it out and help it along you ever have any pyramid snails in there ? If its a new clam it may have brought them in with him ? I always dip every clam I ever had unless I knew for sure the guy I got it from had dipped it .. Take R/O and get the dkh right and temp and just set the clam in the water for about 10 mins it will pulse and pump and expel all kinds of worms and critters and even a few little pyramid's

If its mounted to a rock then when you bumped it then you may have also hurt or stretched its basal threads and or the muscle that the name escapes me now ): how large is the clam ?

 

Awefully pretty clam. Am in great envy!

Had a couple of clams over years, never as pretty!

Hope it perks back up for you. May have just gotten a little irratated due to move.

Clam is about only reason I run a MH over tank. :-/

Good luck!