Clam Torn

[PTXReef]

Unfortunately one of my clams looks like it has been torn Not sure what happened to it as it was very happy and extended without the tear yesterday… Any idea if it’s a goner or any treatment I can do? @OrionN Thanks!

 

[littlefoxx]

Any fish in there that developed a taste for clams?

 

[PTXReef]

I have a pair of clownfish but they are never near the clams. It was completely fine yesterday before I moved some rock rubble around. I'm thinking I might have injured it accidentally.

Any ideas to help its healing besides leave it alone? Will higher light and lower flow help? Thanks!!

 

[littlefoxx]

I have a pair of clownfish but they are never near the clams. It was completely fine yesterday before I moved some rock rubble around. I'm thinking I might have injured it accidentally.

Any ideas to help its healing besides leave it alone? Will higher light and lower flow help? Thanks!!

Im not sure, same thing happened to my guy and then he receded a little and then my fish ate him ehich is why I asked if any fish decided clam tasted good all the sudden as that was my only clam experience, hopefully someone who keeps clams will chime in!

 

[OrionN]

I am sorry but that Crocea looks like it is a goner. Sorry
FWIW, it gave not been growing for quite a while. It looks like it is just run out of reserves and died overnight.
Perhaps lack of light.

 

[minus9]

I am sorry but that Crocea looks like it is a goner. Sorry
FWIW, it gave not been growing for quite a while. It looks like it is just run out of reserves and died overnight.
Perhaps lack of light.

I agree, doesn't look good and no new growth at all. Can you tell us more about your tank/setup?

 

[PTXReef]

Thanks for the responses but yeah he did not make it. I'm almost sure that I had damaged it because I've only had that one for a few days. The other clams in the system are doing well, extended with new growth.

Parameters:
Salinity: 1.026 sg, 35.1 ppt [IceCapSalinityPen]
Temp: 78.6F [IceCapSalinityPen]
Alk: 8.5 dKH [HannaChecker]
Ca: 442 ppm [HannaChecker]
ULR Phos: 2-30 ppb [HannaChecker]
Nitrate: 10 ppm [Salifert]
Will start testing pH too.

Tank is 72''x24''x20''. Currently running a FX4 canister filter, a couple power heads, a small UV, 2 heaters, and 3 Kessil 360x lights.

Planning to either upgrade the lights or add another Kessil 360x.
Will be making this a clam dominant system with some slower moving fish like dragonets and pipefish so doing a lot more research here. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[DaJMasta]

What's your PAR where the clam was? I don't know the Kessils well, but my guess is it's pretty low for clams - think moderate to high SPS level of lighting. If it's directly under a spot and they're turned up it could be sufficient, but in my experience with similar wattage lights, that's probably too low for anything mid-tank or lower. PAR numbers would give you the verification, though.

If not a fish nipping it, I'm not sure how likely a tear really is - if there was something that punctured it that wasn't a fish, it likely would have been closed on, so that there's a hole and that its open probably means it no longer has the ability to keep itself closed. Especially if the flesh has lost some color, the hole could actually be an early stage of necrosis, since there's basically no mantle extension and it looks sort of slack open.

 

[minus9]

The center of the mantle also looks bleached, which can be caused by lack of light. Either way, the clam was not growing which is a death sentence for clams.

 

[hart24601]

I had a clam disease wipe out my clam system, around 50, from a diseased individual before I QT’ed them. The mystery disease looked just like this. Bleaching in the center until holes developed. Nothing I tried could stop it.

Not sure if it’s the same, but I suspect so.