Someone help me, I have 4 clams. The 2 croceas are looking great however the 2 maximas all of a sudden stopped opening up. They are all next to each other and the maximas were looking great 2 weeks ago. Now the maximas are not looking good, they hardly open up at all. I pulled the 2 of them out and looked for pyramidual snails, sp.? I found a couple small snails and scraped them off. What should I look for? How should I treat them?
Maxima help
- Thread starter pwoller
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Sikryd
hmm...Sweet!
I would do a 30 min freshwater dip. They may or may not already be gone, but that is the remedy for pinched mantle as well as taking out the snails.
The two main parameters you need to worry about are PH and Temp. As long as those match - assuming you use rodi and not chlorinated water
- you should be fine.
If they are going to pull through or die, it won't be because of the dip, it already sounds like they are on their way out if you don't do it.
To double check what I am advising, you can check out Fatheree's book on it. There should be some references online to it.
Or look up pinched mantle.
All of my clams get an initial 30min freshwater dip as part of my QT procedure.
The two main parameters you need to worry about are PH and Temp. As long as those match - assuming you use rodi and not chlorinated water
- you should be fine. If they are going to pull through or die, it won't be because of the dip, it already sounds like they are on their way out if you don't do it.
To double check what I am advising, you can check out Fatheree's book on it. There should be some references online to it.
Or look up pinched mantle.
All of my clams get an initial 30min freshwater dip as part of my QT procedure.
Sikryd
hmm...Sweet!
BTW - right now would be a good time to pull the clam out and see if they are munchin' - if they are you can pull them off. They usually feed at night.
Pyramid Snails
Identification
Pyramid Snails, or Pyrams are very small snails that belong to the Pyramidellidae family. They are generally white in color, have a slender shell that tapers to a point, and do not grow larger than a few millimeters. The Pyramid Snails use their long proboscis, which is a tube-like mouth, to puncture the mantle of a Tridacna Clam in order to feed upon the fluids and zooxanthellae cells contained within. A few snails will typically not pose a threat to a healthy Tridacna Clam. The snails reproduce every 90-120 days, and if left to multiply, can cause serious harm or even death to their host in a very short period of time.
Signs & Symptoms
Evidence of an inflicted clam can be noticed by poor expansion and loss of color within the mantle. The Pyramid Snails feed mostly during the nighttime hours. During the daytime, they will remain either at the base of the clam, or within the scutes of the shell, where they are difficult to spot. It is best to inspect an ailing clam with a flashlight a few hours after the lights have turned off on the aquarium. The small snails will line up at the top of the shell just below the clam's mantle.
Treatment
If you discover these snails, it is best to remove the clam to a separate container of aquarium water. Once out of the aquarium, you can physically remove the adult snails, and brush the entire shell with a new toothbrush in order to remove any eggs. Natural predators of Pyramid snails include several species of wrasse within the genus of Halichoeres and Pseudocheilinus. A few of the more popular species that are reportedly very efficient at controlling these snails are; Six and Eight Lined Wrasse (P. hexataenia and P. octotaenia), and the Green Wrasse (H. chloropterus).
Pyramid Snails
Identification
Pyramid Snails, or Pyrams are very small snails that belong to the Pyramidellidae family. They are generally white in color, have a slender shell that tapers to a point, and do not grow larger than a few millimeters. The Pyramid Snails use their long proboscis, which is a tube-like mouth, to puncture the mantle of a Tridacna Clam in order to feed upon the fluids and zooxanthellae cells contained within. A few snails will typically not pose a threat to a healthy Tridacna Clam. The snails reproduce every 90-120 days, and if left to multiply, can cause serious harm or even death to their host in a very short period of time.
Signs & Symptoms
Evidence of an inflicted clam can be noticed by poor expansion and loss of color within the mantle. The Pyramid Snails feed mostly during the nighttime hours. During the daytime, they will remain either at the base of the clam, or within the scutes of the shell, where they are difficult to spot. It is best to inspect an ailing clam with a flashlight a few hours after the lights have turned off on the aquarium. The small snails will line up at the top of the shell just below the clam's mantle.
Treatment
If you discover these snails, it is best to remove the clam to a separate container of aquarium water. Once out of the aquarium, you can physically remove the adult snails, and brush the entire shell with a new toothbrush in order to remove any eggs. Natural predators of Pyramid snails include several species of wrasse within the genus of Halichoeres and Pseudocheilinus. A few of the more popular species that are reportedly very efficient at controlling these snails are; Six and Eight Lined Wrasse (P. hexataenia and P. octotaenia), and the Green Wrasse (H. chloropterus).
skinz78
10K Club member
Can you post a pic?
What are your water params? cal alk and mag
What fish and inverts do you have?
I would not do a FWD for snails at this time. The snails can handle it.
If you do do a FWD you do not need to match PH, just temp.
A great method of removing pyramid snails:
http://www.reefaquariumforum.com/my-clam-has-pyram-snails-now-what-do-i-do-t2760.html#p50237
What are your water params? cal alk and mag
What fish and inverts do you have?
I would not do a FWD for snails at this time. The snails can handle it.
If you do do a FWD you do not need to match PH, just temp.
A great method of removing pyramid snails:
http://www.reefaquariumforum.com/my-clam-has-pyram-snails-now-what-do-i-do-t2760.html#p50237
Typical clean up crew skunk cleaner, wrasses, tang, blue jaw, cardinals, starry blenny, Last time a I tested the water
July14, 2009
CA – 440
KH – 10
PO – 0
NO – 0
MG – 1150
PH – 8.0
I dont think its water issues or light. The croceas are sitting right next to them and doing great. So are all of my corals.
July14, 2009
CA – 440
KH – 10
PO – 0
NO – 0
MG – 1150
PH – 8.0
I dont think its water issues or light. The croceas are sitting right next to them and doing great. So are all of my corals.
Sikryd
hmm...Sweet!
Did you look at the link and read it?
It has pictures, treatment and everything else you need to know about how to take care of the pyramid snails.
I didn't see that you had already scraped a couple off. Since that is most likely the issue, and not pinched mantle - I would just continue to scrape them off every couple of days for the next 12 weeks or until they continue to look alright and you don't notice anymore problems.
I would also scoop up the sand underneath them once a week or more to get the snails and eggs you can't see.
It has pictures, treatment and everything else you need to know about how to take care of the pyramid snails.
I didn't see that you had already scraped a couple off. Since that is most likely the issue, and not pinched mantle - I would just continue to scrape them off every couple of days for the next 12 weeks or until they continue to look alright and you don't notice anymore problems.
I would also scoop up the sand underneath them once a week or more to get the snails and eggs you can't see.
skinz78
10K Club member
What kind of wrasses?
Your Blue jaw and Starry blennie throw up a red flag to me. Take a Gatorade bottle and cut it in half, fill it full of 1/4" holes for water circulation. Place the bottle over the clams as a shield. If the clams change within 48 hours then it may be a fish nipping.
Place the clams in a bowl with a little bit of sand in it. Every time you scrub the clams you need to dump the sand out of the bowl and scrub the bowl as well. Then put more sand in the bowl, along with the clams. Repeat this every time you scrub. The snails will hide in the sand underneath the clams.
Your Blue jaw and Starry blennie throw up a red flag to me. Take a Gatorade bottle and cut it in half, fill it full of 1/4" holes for water circulation. Place the bottle over the clams as a shield. If the clams change within 48 hours then it may be a fish nipping.
Place the clams in a bowl with a little bit of sand in it. Every time you scrub the clams you need to dump the sand out of the bowl and scrub the bowl as well. Then put more sand in the bowl, along with the clams. Repeat this every time you scrub. The snails will hide in the sand underneath the clams.
I also would try to bump the Mg to 1300-1400, also are u dosing any new supplements? The reason I say this is because I had a Crocea and I started dosing supplements and my clam didn't like it a bit and lost it.
cherokee_dude
Well-Known Member
Too quick a change in Phosphates might cause problems. Did you start with a large amount of media? and what size tank?
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