Can't keep a clam alive! About to give up.

DVeit

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As the title says. I'm extremely disappointed as my derasa (purchased from Divers den) died yesterday. It was an awesome specimen. Probably my new favorite piece in the tank. Last Thursday it looked great. We went out of town Thursday and came back yesterday and when I got home it was closed up and I noticed my snails were trying to get inside. I knew right away he was probably a goner. This morning I looked in the tank and he was opened up and there was about 4 snails inside the shell eating his remains. This is my second dead clam. My last one was a small turquoise maxima that lasted about a week. I checked all my parameters when I got home yesterday and the only parameter I found off was my dKh dropped down to 7.0. I normally keep it around 9.5. Other than that, mg is 1420, ca is 410, and I dosed for alk. I did find a few pyramid snails (3 or 4) on it last night and I put it in a separate pail and brushed them off. Any suggestions on what to do? I love clams and really want to keep one. But I can't afford to keep taking losses and the old lady is getting ******. Lol

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DVeit

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Maybe he'll chime in. On another note, tell me if this could have done it. I'm confused. My ph normally runs 7.8-7.9. Before I went out of town on Wednesday I dosed Alk and some of my kent marine supplements and when I was out of town I noticed my ph was up to 8.1 and staying up. I thought it was odd but was happy about it as well. Well when I got home I checked my params and noticed my dkh was down to 7.0. So I dosed last night to bring it up and now my ph is back down into the 7's. Shouldn't it be opposite?

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Z06-Hec

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You found the pyramids on it after? if so then i would definitely point to them.
 
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DVeit

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I found the pyramids on it last night when it was closed up. This morning it was "officially dead".
 
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DVeit

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I was under the impression that it takes a lot of pyramids to kill a clam, not just 3 or 4?
 

skinz78

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I'm in the same boat right now, I wish I had an answer for you but I don't. I don't think it was pyramids that killed it if you only found a few of them. If indeed you had pyramid snails? Or was it another type of snail that was on the clam?
 

jokerman826

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I have the same issue. People who know my tanks keep telling me that they will support clams. Yet I have not been able to keep one alive for more than a week. I know one of them died because I had two large hermits that kept knocking it over and they transversed the tank. All my parameters have been good. Right now my wife is trying one in her "new" biocube. I guess we will see what happens. We are on day 4.
 

Shadrach72

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I think people put more into keeping clams than is needed such as perfect water parameters a little PH or ALK swing isn't going to kill one overnight. Ive had clams for several years and lost a few in the process. Pinched Mantle is something you hear about often with clams but I think there is something else clams can acquire in our systems that mimic PM. Pyramid snails if you see 3 or 4 around the foot normally there will be some in and under the ridges on the shells and often inside the shell under the mantle. I will tell you a simple way to eliminate any of these that effect them is this and take it for what it is simply my opinion and hands on experience. I was passed this info years ago and use at your own risk but if the clam is receding into its shell or hasn't been fully open for 24 hours then you probably have nothing to lose. Everyone has either done or heard of fresh water dips for fish and corals where you to ro/di water and match ph, and temp and let the animal sit in the water to kill any parasites / bacteria that may come in on them. Keep this thought in your head and think about clams a minute most are found in shallow water where they are exposed to air and fresh water from rain when there are low tides and can remain exposed to these elements for several hours at a time so they are more rugged than given credit for. Take straight (Tap Water) yes I said straight tap water and try to match the temp of your tank water as close as possible a degree up or down isn't a biggie also try to match ph a little up or down on this isn't a problem either take affected clam and dip it in the water for a minimum of 5 minutes and rotate the clam roll it try to get the water in every little opening and if pyramid snails are on it get an old tooth brush and brush them off. When time is up place back into tank the clam will not open up right away but normally if caught in time by the next day you should see the mantle extended more than the day before. If this doesn't seem to fully bring the clam out but it is out a little more than before the dip repeat the process the next day. Normally within a 3 to 5 days this heals the problems bothering the clam be it bacteria or pyramid snails and keeping a close eye on the snails (sixline wrasses will eat them). I've done this treatment several times and the thought behind it is the chlorine will kill what ever pathogen, bacteria, or parasite that may be causing you trouble. Like I said before try at your on risk this has worked for me and several of my friends online and in my own area save clams they thought were goners. Here is a shot of my clams at the moment and yes all have been dipped at one time or another! Hope this helps someone enjoy clams the biggest I've had over 3 years and almost lost it before I knew of this method and it saved it from death within a week.
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misael888

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Does anyone keep clams under t5 and led's? Or is medal halide required for them to thrive?
 
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DVeit

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Thanks for the tip Shad. Just as an FYI. Mine was under two Kessil 360we's at 75% intensity(max for a short time each day).
 

Shadrach72

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I've kept them under t5's Mh and right now under the Maxspect Razor 16k 120watt. Oh forgot to mention that biggest clamp is a squamosa as big as a footall he can shoot water 30 foot if given the chance if I get him close to the water surface. He's doused the TV my lights my floor blew crabs and snails out of the tank.
 

mike007

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As the title says. I'm extremely disappointed as my derasa (purchased from Divers den) died yesterday. It was an awesome specimen. Probably my new favorite piece in the tank. Last Thursday it looked great. We went out of town Thursday and came back yesterday and when I got home it was closed up and I noticed my snails were trying to get inside. I knew right away he was probably a goner. This morning I looked in the tank and he was opened up and there was about 4 snails inside the shell eating his remains. This is my second dead clam. My last one was a small turquoise maxima that lasted about a week. I checked all my parameters when I got home yesterday and the only parameter I found off was my dKh dropped down to 7.0. I normally keep it around 9.5. Other than that, mg is 1420, ca is 410, and I dosed for alk. I did find a few pyramid snails (3 or 4) on it last night and I put it in a separate pail and brushed them off. Any suggestions on what to do? I love clams and really want to keep one. But I can't afford to keep taking losses and the old lady is getting ******. Lol

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I was visiting with a rep at Macna at the Ora booth and he suggested dipping clams in fresh water when you see the mantle is pinched.
 

Shadrach72

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I didn't mention don't buy clams under 3 inches and do not spot feed them! Spot feeding clams can clog their gills and anything under 3 inches are at the mercy of anything in your tank big enough to over come them ie.....hermits, snails, fish, anything that likes to eat. I had all current clams in a tank with a baby Clown Trigger, Niger Trigger, Coral Beauty, Blue Hippo, Yellow Tang, and several smaller fish and a Snowflake Moray. I noticed bite marks on several of the smaller clams mantles and knew exactly who was doing it so I pulled the Clown Trigger from the tank went and got store credit headed home and thought the problem was handled. I noticed my clams still would not open so I figured they were still being irritated by something but couldn't figure it out. To make a long story short I came across the culprit a day or so later it was the Blue Hippo I watched him swim up to a clam I had just sat back up in the tank that was on its side and it grabbed the mantle picked up the clam shook it like a rag biting a chunk out of it like a shark and dropping it. Well the Hippo was pulled from the tank and in less than an hour the clams fully opened. All mantles grew back as you can see from the pic above. Don't assume because it says reef safe that all are I've had clams with so called "not reef safe" and never had problems and had "reef safe" fish destroy them!
 

bsagea

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I was under the impression that it takes a lot of pyramids to kill a clam, not just 3 or 4?

A dozen or so would not kill a healthy clam. More to it than that.

At one time, I had 30 clams between our two tanks. I FW dipped with tapwater if on the second day they were not looking the way they should. It's our belief that the slight traces of chlorine in regular tap water can kill certain bacteria that affects the clams. I believe it saved them on numerous occasions. Many others on the forum disagree however you should do what works for you. As far as my 30, one died one day, another the next. No idea why and could never figure it out. Some of these I had four years or more. Skinz went through the same around a similar time and couldn't figure out what happened to his either as I recall.

Presently cycling a 70 cube I had custom built to be a clam dominant tank. Hoping for the best on this go round. I have a passion for clams and though it can be frustrating, I'm not ready to give up trying to keep them again.
 
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