Amphipods bothering a Clam

Yeah that fixture will not keep clams.

Best to run all purchases, livestock and equipment wise past other reefers. Local fish store will sell you anything and everything.

There is no other additive that will do the job that can be added to a tank that will not harm the over all health of the tank other than Interceptor.

It more than likely though that the Amphipods are going after a dying animal, they just know or sense it. If they start to go after corals then you may have a problem.

 

As a charter member of the Amphipod Haters Club, the only natural way I found to rid my tank of them was a male Melanurus Wrasse. Two weeks, all gone!

 

Sorry Corailline, should have clarified I was curious about a live creature to add to the tank that would go after the amphipods rather than chemical solution. Luckily I don't have any corals in this tank.

One thing I have noticed that almost since day one whenever an amphipod crawled on the clam it would retract the mantle. I have seens my snails crawling ontop of the clam shell and even come in contact with the mantle when crawling on the shell and the clam didn't react at all and would not retract the mantle.

The male Melanurus Wrasse sounds like a good idea for dealing with the amphipods and I've read that they also help stir up the sand in the tank; something I've been looking at finding a critter for.

The clam has been here for about 2 weeks now but if it's dying, how would I tell if it actual has expired? Would it retract and close up completely or just stay open but idle? I've read some posts where their clam would be closed up for a week or two and then open up again.

 

Jerry offers a good alternative to chemicals if that Wrasse fits into your stocking plans.

I have kept a lot of clams and never ever had one stay closed for more than a couple hours with the lights on.

There will be no doubt in your mind when the clam is dead, it will contract away from the shell and the mantle will shrivel. It should not compromise your water quality if you have no significant live stock as of yet. Typically the cuc will take care of it before you can.

Clam need the mantle extended to expose the zooxanthellae found within in their tissue to preform photosynthesis with the end product of carbons/sugars produced that provides the clam with nutrition. Without light Tridacna starve.

Other filter feeding bi-valves do not need light but Tridacna does.

 

IME, they're eating the dying tissue.

 

Not enough if you ask me, For clams Id recommend T5 or stronger LEDs or MH.

 

The clam's health is compromised. It should be taken back to the store or to another tank with the correct lighting and allowed to recover before its too late.

 

Mandarin Goby and sea horses eat pods but if your tank is not established and does not have adequate lighting, neither will survive. I would do some research and find fish and inverts that eat pods. Also, you really need to get better lights such as T5's or that clam probably wont make it.

 

+1 to return the clam

 

Thank you everyone for your help on this, I'll see what I can do with the clam.