How do I save this clam?

[ekandler]

Had this clam for 2 months. Wasn’t always the happiest but it’s been okay. Moved it high on the rock as was recommended by R2R. This is my first clam so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

this past week he’s took a turn for the worse. What can I do to save him? He’s been closed this week but now he looks detached from the shell. Still see pulsing motion inside so looks like he’s still feeding.

 

[Kathy Floyd]

Sorry, but I think it may be too late. Mine looked like that and the next day, it was over.

 

[ekandler]

Sorry, but I think it may be too late. Mine looked like that and the next day, it was over.

dang. If nothing else I’d like to understand what caused this, so if I get another clam I know what to do differently.

should be enough light. I was told this is a clam prefers rock and not sand, so shouldn’t be that. The power head is right there but it’s flesh never moved in the flow, so it shouldn’t be too much…

i don’t know what to do differently.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It’s done, the poor thing. It’s been dying for a while, you are seeing its last breath. It’s almost impossible to say what did it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Had this clam for 2 months. Wasn’t always the happiest but it’s been okay. Moved it high on the rock as was recommended by R2R. This is my first clam so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

this past week he’s took a turn for the worse. What can I do to save him? He’s been closed this week but now he looks detached from the shell. Still see pulsing motion inside so looks like he’s still feeding.

Best words I can find is " beginning of the end" and am sorry to say and see this . Once that tissue is retracted and shrunk, it will not return to normal.
Suspect to cause:
Change in lighting
Elevated alk or calcium
Salinity has climbed
pests such as asterina star, pyramid snails or shrimp
Pinched mantle

 

[Uncle99]

That looks like a stable tank, so water chemistry ruled out.
Did you recently move him?
He looks odd perched on the rocks, or maybe just the pic?
Is their someone who could of tasted him?
Nice tank, very weird.

 

[flashsmith]

To me Clams are one of those things in the hobby that are 100% a roll of the dice. I've had Maxima's do good for months and out of nowhere die. I currently have a Derasa whom I've had for a year now and he's eating and growing well. Losing those Maxima's kinda did it for me ever trying one again. Small ones definitely need to be looked after more. Especially making sure you get a feeding response. If you get another one try dosing live phyto or the reef nutrition phyto you should see them siphoning.

 

[Shirak]

dang. If nothing else I’d like to understand what caused this, so if I get another clam I know what to do differently.

should be enough light. I was told this is a clam prefers rock and not sand, so shouldn’t be that. The power head is right there but it’s flesh never moved in the flow, so it shouldn’t be too much…

i don’t know what to do differently.

Can you elaborate on "should be enough light."?

To do things differently we need to know everything with this one.

Was there new white shell along the top edge when you got it? A healthy clam should have fresh shell growth along the outer edge.

 

[ekandler]

Can you elaborate on "should be enough light."?

To do things differently we need to know everything with this one.

Was there new white shell along the top edge when you got it? A healthy clam should have fresh shell growth along the outer edge.

I believe it had white at the edge. Can’t remember exactly, had it since early September.

PAR was around 200-220. Directly under a Radion XR30 at 50% intensity.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Sry but on its way out. Don’t see much new shell growth. Maxima were Tuff for me as well. Better luck w derasa and squamosa. I keep them on sand. Since sept kind a recent. Has grown more but u can see the white shell since he’s been in the system. Could bump par for the maxima. Mixed reefs are tough. Corals look good and healthy. Dont give up.

 

[MrGisonni]

They thrive in high nutrients. Just read Tridacna clams readily use all sources of nitrogen from urea through to nitrate. Lighting is ok but if your nutrients are low 200 par might not have been enough. The clam may have starved. Sorry for your loss.

 

[MrGisonni]

They use a lot of elements in the growth of that shell also, Alk, calcium, mg and probably trace elements like strontium and molybdenum at high levels as well

 

[minus9]

It simply starved to death from lack of light. There's no new shell growth. I see a little, but the new growth should always be above the last set of scutes/upper margins of the shell. 200 micro moles for a maxima is not going to cut it, it should be 350+ for at least 6-8hrs a day.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It simply starved to death from lack of light. There's no new shell growth. I see a little, but the new growth should always be above the last set of scutes/upper margins of the shell. 200 micro moles for a maxima is not going to cut it, it should be 350+ for at least 6-8hrs a day.

Agree completely with this reply

 

[MrGisonni]

The fluted giant clam (Tridacna squamosa) increases nitrate absorption and upregulates the expression of a homolog of SIALIN (H+:2NO3− cotransporter) in the ctenidium during light exposure - Coral Reefs

Giant clams flourish in nutrient-poor waters of tropical Indo-Pacific because they live in symbiosis with extracellular dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) and receive photosynthates from them. Zooxanthellae have no access to the ambient seawater and are nitrogen-deficient; hence, they need to...

link.springer.com

If your lights aren't providing enough par clams can use nitrates...so they need to be elevated or the clam will starve.

 

[MrGisonni]

 

[MrGisonni]

7 minute mark... He mentions dosing ammonium nitrate

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Great vid.

 

[minus9]

Just feed your fish and have strong lighting. Clams need nitrogen, so feeding your fish plenty will do the trick. Also, corals and clams don’t live in nutrient poor conditions, there’s plenty of nitrogen and phosphorus being provided from all of the fish and animals that inhabit the reef, it’s just the bio mass consumes everything that’s being produced very efficiently.