HELP!!! Derasa in Distress!!!

[MitchReef]

I was looking in my tank yesterday (like always) and noticed that my Tridacna derasa was not extending nearly all the way. He had what was obviously a whelk on the outside of his shell, near the end. I promptly removed the Suspect and the clam never did open up all the way. Today he is still not extending well. I took him out for a shell scrubbing and perfunctory exam (with 10X magnification and didn't see any irritants except possibly those little bitty calcarious worm thingys that seem to grow everywhere that is hidden. He has quite a few of those (visible in the picture). Should I scrape them off with something?

The only other thing that changed was that I scraped the entire tank down night befire last, and it was really badly encrusted with coralline and that nasty tenacious green hard algae. There is probably a fair amount more light now.

If the whelk bit him will he get better? Is there anything I should do for him?

 

[MitchReef]

Anybody? I'm a bit concerned with my clam.............actually quite a bit concerned............

 

[Sasquatch]

I'd suspect the conditions that are causing the cyano are possibly causing the problem, run carbon and do a water change for starters, check the age of your bulbs and whats being used for flow in the tank?

 

[DaveDunbar]

Since Clams filter large amounts of water it might have drawn in some nasties from the scraping of the glass??? Might try running some carbon or a water change to delute?? I've seen them go fast when theres a problem!! I lost a large Tri when my dosing pump pumped in 25ml of mag in about 10 min!! Lasted overnite then was gone in the morning!!
Good Luck
Dave

 

[Paul_N]

Make sure there are no more welks or other pests in the sand around it. You can try to put it in a tupperware container on the bottom of the tank with some sand in it. My clams have tube worms, ball anemones and feather dusters growing all over it you should almost never have to scrape the clam off unless it is an aiptasia that is stinging the mantel. I dose mag often and actually run mine on the high side (1600). I dose 50 ml + at a time with no negative issues. How big is the clam and how long have you had it?

 

[skinz78]

The clam really doesn't look too awful bad to me but I can see it is closed up slightly. If the Whelk was bothering it and you removed the Whelk it should get better if you have no others in the tank, check the clam out an hour after lights out and see what you find. Also run carbon hard "change every 2 days and force as much flow through it as possible", I have seen carbon work miricles for clams.

Can you post a pic of the clam before?

Also what are your params?
What do you dose and how do you add it?

 

[MitchReef]

Sasquatch - There is no cyano in my tank. What you are probably seeing is my nemesis - Maroon turf algae. I got it from a piece of "premium fiji" LR several years ago.

Dave D and Skins - Running carbon as we speak!

Paul PSU - checked last night - no other beasties noted. Tank had one aiptasia a couple years ago but I crazy-glued him!

Skins - Params:
pH 8.2
Ca 440
dKH 9.3
Mg 1450
Trates <0.1
Phos None detected (redsea kit)

I dose Oceans Blend 2 part on an automated doser, twice daily (3:00 and 3:00), have for 2 years now. I also dose their Mag weekly but haven't needed to for a few weeks. I just dosed KCl for the first time a few days ago, may be ****** from that. I will test the level today, I was really low (200's).

Before (last Sunday):

 

[reefkoi]

its not gaping so theres hope, clams are finicky group, once they go downhill its over, not much you can do. Yours isnt open all the way like normal but it could be a number of little things, I know mine were ****** right after I dosed magnesium.............I couldnt figure it out till I stopped dosing and then they all looked normal again, so just think back the past few weeks anything you've done different or any equipment changes youve made

 

[Sasquatch]

oh my! the red blob lol, is it the lighting or is the turf algae staining the substrate too?

 

[MitchReef]

Actually I think it's the lighting but I'm not sure. It has never gone onto the substrate before.

Only change in dosing was the Potassium. I will not do that anymore! It's not hardly opening at all today. Is that a terrible sign?

 

[skinz78]

What fish and inverts do you have?

 

[MitchReef]

Foxface, 2 Ocellaris, Tomini Tang, Starry Blenny, Possum Wrasse, Blue Chromis and 2 orange Firefish.

Money Cowrie, 2 huge Mexican Turbos, 2 regular Turbos, Cucumber, Porcelain Crab and I had a Whelk!!!! But he's gone now!!!!

 

[reefkoi]

yeah actually I meant to type potassium instead of magnesium in my post..........it was the K-strong from zeovit, a strong solution of potassium.....so that could very well be!

C

 

[Paul_N]

It has never gone onto the substrate before.

Where was the clam in the tank before? It doesn't looked that bad just like something is bothering it. Is the flow on the floor stronger. I know my maxima didn't like when the flow hit it directly. It's easy to tell on a maxima because the mantel will fold over and they do not like that.

 

[skinz78]

Hmm I wonder if the Blennie may be nipping at it. They sometimes do this unintentionally when they are trying to get algae off the shell.

Can you take a clear plastic bottle and cut it in half, fill it full of 1/4" holes for circulation and place it over the clam to shield it?

 

[MitchReef]

It is with a tear in my eye that I tell of the demise of our first Tridacnid Clam. Happy ain't so Happy anymore. I thik the whelk killed him.

 

[skinz78]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[MitchReef]

I will do another one some day. I guess I wasn't ready.

 

[Paul_N]

Sorry to hear....:sad: How big was the clam?

 

[MitchReef]

about 3 1/2 inches....just a little guy....(but not one of the tiny ones)