Keep on Claming

[Huskymaniac]

Since I upgraded my tank I have lost 3 Blue Squamies, 2 Regular Squamies, 2 Maximas, 2 Derasa's, and have another that is on it's way out. I have no idea why all of a sudden I can't keep one alive for any significant amount time. In an effort to one day keep and grow a clam I am upgrading my lighting system to include 4 80 watt t5 bulbs. I am also going to be plumbing a 120 watt uv sterilizer into my return line in case I have some unknown clam disease bacteria floating in the tank. I am on a mission. RIP Big Guy. You make a great family heirloom on the fireplace mantle.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

That stinks. Your pictured clam was awesome.

 

[Huskymaniac]

That stinks. Your pictured clam was awesome.

I got it back in 2006.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Lighting may explain some of your losses but probably not with the derasa’s.. I have one that’s several years old, has grown from under 2” to over 4.5”, it’s under moderate lighting and partially shaded by a rock overhang.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Lighting may explain some of your losses but probably not with the derasa’s.. I have one that’s several years old, has grown from under 2” to over 4.5”, it’s under moderate lighting and partially shaded by a rock overhang.

Honestly I don't think its lighting but figured why not try something new. I think I have some clam killing bacteria in my tank which can hopefully be cured by a uv sterilizer.

 

[DSC reef]

When it comes to clams there are a bunch of variables. From protozoans, bacterial, parasitic snails all the way to lighting, ULN, etc. Sorry for the loss. Typically with lighting you can see signs.

 

[Huskymaniac]

When it comes to clams there are a bunch of variables. From protozoans, bacterial, parasitic snails all the way to lighting, ULN, etc. Sorry for the loss. Typically with lighting you can see signs.

I will say that in defense of my husbandry skills all of the clams came from DD and did not look well. The one that did have nice shell growth is the one on it's way out now. What's amazing is that I had a 1 inch maxima in a make shift nano tank that has doubled in size over the last 8 months. Look at all that growth.

 

[Softhammer]

What’s your water volume? I have 2 huge clams and the amount of Ca and Alk supplementation to feed these beasts is staggering. It also rises exponentially with size. My 600 gallon rated Ca reactor can’t touch what I need for two 12” clams. Started dosing, which is helping. Also top off with kalk. It’s a ton for a 180 gallon tank and still barely enough

 

[DSC reef]

I will say that in defense of my husbandry skills all of the clams came from DD and did not look well. The one that did have nice shell growth is the one on it's way out now. What's amazing is that I had a 1 inch maxima in a make shift nano tank that has doubled in size over the last 8 months. Look at all that growth.

That is good growth! Divers den has a bad track record and we will never order a clam from them again. FWIW, our 75 housed a 12"+ squamosa, 4" blue squamosa, 4" maxima and a 3" crocea and manual dosing was plenty to keep calcium in the 450 range. I don't think your issue is light or parameters, I agree that its bacterial or something of the like.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

With the tank upgrade how much new stuff was introduced?

 

[Huskymaniac]

That is good growth! Divers den has a bad track record and we will never order a clam from them again. FWIW, our 75 housed a 12"+ squamosa, 4" blue squamosa, 4" maxima and a 3" crocea and manual dosing was plenty to keep calcium in the 450 range. I don't think your issue is light or parameters, I agree that its bacterial or something of the like.

Do you think sourcing a clam from another would be a better an option and a uv would help?

 

[Huskymaniac]

With the tank upgrade how much new stuff was introduced?

Nothing crazy, but I did add a bunch of inverts, clean up crew, etc. Everything went south after I added a Blue Squamie. It died and killed my massive Derasa clam and I haven't been able to keep a clam alive in that system since.

 

[Huskymaniac]

That is good growth! Divers den has a bad track record and we will never order a clam from them again. FWIW, our 75 housed a 12"+ squamosa, 4" blue squamosa, 4" maxima and a 3" crocea and manual dosing was plenty to keep calcium in the 450 range. I don't think your issue is light or parameters, I agree that its bacterial or something of the like.

Also this Maxima came directly from ORA. Didn't get this one from LA.

 

[Huskymaniac]

What’s your water volume? I have 2 huge clams and the amount of Ca and Alk supplementation to feed these beasts is staggering. It also rises exponentially with size. My 600 gallon rated Ca reactor can’t touch what I need for two 12” clams. Started dosing, which is helping. Also top off with kalk. It’s a ton for a 180 gallon tank and still barely enough

Really have no issues keeping parameters stable. I run a CA reactor and holds steady in the 10 range.

 

[4n2xtacy]

I'm still new to the reef industry, so my advice might not be the best. This article might be worth reading it has helped me in learning a great deal about clams. Mine is still a baby and so far he's doing quite well. I had a bigger one that was having gaping so I put him in the quarantine with my camel shrimp (the shrimps were fishing on my Acans). The clam died the next day and took the shrimps with it. I think you should quarantine your dying clams and try to save them in a different tank if u can cos if whatever is killing them is done with one it hops to the next one. Goodluck

http://animal-world.com/Aquarium-Coral-Reefs/Gigas-Clam-Giant-Clam

 

[DSC reef]

Do you think sourcing a clam from another would be a better an option and a uv would help?

I never ran a UV but I'd recommend a different source of clams in the future. Check out Pacific east aquaculture.

 

[jda]

Sorry about all of those losses... it sucks. Even if the new clams had some sort of Perkinsus, it does not really seem to affect Squamosa and Deresa... even the "Tahitian Time Bombs" that had the protozoan, only really seemed to knock out Maxima clams and even then, healthy clams could fight it off (it is a natural occurring parasite). I guess that it might not be perkinsus. In any case, I hope that you find the issue.

I am a never-again Live Aquaria Divers Den guy too... too many bad experiences with deaths the next day after arrival. I would not log these losses onto your permanent record - it is them, not you.

Chalk me up for lighting... I think that it is by-far the most important factor in any reef tank with more than softies and the easiest of things. I would take the best-of-best lighting and just average parameter stability over average light and best-of-best parameter stability. Thankfully, the two are not mutually exclusive. I do think that the T5s will help in the future.

 

[Huskymaniac]

This is what the clam looks like now. The mantle still extends just nothing like before. The exhalant siphon is always tucked away as well. It looks the same day and night. Not terrible but no where near how it used to look.

 

[DSC reef]

Any noticeable growth on the upper margin of the shell?

 

[Huskymaniac]

Any noticeable growth on the upper margin of the shell?

A tad, not a lot.