Petco clam. PMD?

[SamMule]

Picked up this maxima clam last week from petco. Hasn't looked great, but for $40, I figured why not? Looks like it might have PMD. Can anyone confirm?

 

[dansyr]

Picked up this maxima clam last week from petco. Hasn't looked great, but for $40, I figured why not? Looks like it might have PMD. Can anyone confirm?

That looks like something to me with how foldy it is, hard to tell. But looks like it's not just retracted.

You've had it for a week, has it been consistently this one end of it that is crinkled, and is it about consistently crinkled? Clams from unhappy conditions may have weird mantles as they acclimate to the new one, but if it's staying the same crinkly and not just retracted-folded, I would be concerned. pinging @minus9 and @OrionN for the ID

FWIW, 4 of my clams are from petco, I lost one (5th) that was in super bad shape when I got it. None have been in good shape, but with bright light, good water, and lack of irritators to mess with it while it's building back up strength, they can pull through from some shockingly bad conditions.

 

[SamMule]

Yeah, it has looked about the same. There were 2 of them, but the other one didnt make it. This one seems to have put down byssal threads, which is a good sign, but that side of the mantle has been a little wonky. It took a few days to attach and was knocked off of the rocks several times within that time period.
And yeah, the petco tanks are terrible, but i figured for $40 each, i figured I'd try to rescue a couple maximas.

 

[Shirak]

I imagine you have it in quite a bit more par than Petco. I'm wondering if the crinkling along the edges is just in response to the better brighter light if it was at the Petco for an extended time. Does it look like more and more is looking odd or has it always been this much? If it is not progressing then perhaps it is something other than PMD. The side that's more open and towards the acro, is it getting a little less intensity from the coral? It looks like it might be a little shaded on that side?

Petco clams are usually cultured ORA so odds of PMD??

 

[SamMule]

I'm pretty sure petco owns liveaquaria now, so I would assume it's the same supplier.

 

[SamMule]

The mantle extension was better initially, but has gotten a little worse over time. I'll keep an eye on it

 

[reefernc02]

What are your parameters

 

[jmcdona6]

I'm pretty sure petco owns liveaquaria now, so I would assume it's the same supplier.

Petco sold liveaquaria many years ago.

Edit: 2020

 

[SamMule]

Petco sold liveaquaria many years ago.

Edit: 2020

Hmm. Didn't know that!

Parameters are fine.

Yes, i have plenty of light. Orphek icons supplemented with t5's. Clam is probably mid 400's if I'd have to guess.
Really just wanted to know if that looked like PMD. Never had a clam with that reaction before.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

And yeah, the petco tanks are terrible, but i figured for $40 each, i figured I'd try to rescue a couple maximas.

That's not a rescue. Petco will buy more clams to put into the "terrible tanks", and also will make a profit. It is simply a purchase, and one that perpetuates a less than ideal situation at that.

About 30k maximas are imported into the US each year; I think the percentage of those that don't live a year are the answer to the 'why not?'.

 

[minus9]

It’s hard to tell from the pic, but I wouldn’t rule out PMD. If the mantle keeps progressing like it is, then I would do a FW dip. It does look like the mantle has the “crinkle” to it.

 

[SamMule]

It’s hard to tell from the pic, but I wouldn’t rule out PMD. If the mantle keeps progressing like it is, then I would do a FW dip. It does look like the mantle has the “crinkle” to it.

Yes, a crinkle is a good way to describe it. Looks like it's the bottom half of the clam.
Here's a top-down the day after I got it. Definitely getting worse now that im looking atbthe two pics.

 

[minus9]

The neighbor doesn’t look good either. I would dip them both. Do you have another tank to put them in after you dip them?

 

[fish_collector]

Clams do well in a fresh water bath for 30 minutes. If PMD is what is causing the mantle to retract, a fresh water bath will indeed improve the situation. Dechlorinate some tap water of the same temp and drop him in, no need to even worry about harming the clam, they tolerate fresh water well. Do them both.

 

[SamMule]

The neighbor doesn’t look good either. I would dip them both. Do you have another tank to put them in after you dip them?

Yeah, that other clam didn't survive. No, I don't have another tank to put it in anymore.
Is RODI sufficient for FW dip? Just so happens i have some warmed up that is going to be mixed for a water change today

 

[dansyr]

Yeah, that other clam didn't survive. No, I don't have another tank to put it in anymore.
Is RODI sufficient for FW dip? Just so happens i have some warmed up that is going to be mixed for a water change today

RODI should be fine, I tend to put a splash of dechlorinated tap water (we have hard water) or a tiny bit of tank water to help keep pH as a rule when doing fw dips but fingers crossed I've never had to dip a clam tbh. But clams get rained on at low tide so I wouldn't worry.

 

[hart24601]

I doubt it’s pmd, not seen that in years (decades?), and just the clams slow decline. I wouldn’t expect either of those to live too long, sorry it sucks, but clams are hit and miss. Hope I am wrong, but nothing you can do and don’t fuss with it unless fish are picking at it or has pyramid snails.

It was probably doomed well before you bought it but I do hope it perks up for you, anything can happen! But having owned hundred of them that’s my 0.02

 

[minus9]

I doubt it’s pmd, not seen that in years (decades?), and just the clams slow decline. I wouldn’t expect either of those to live too long, sorry it sucks, but clams are hit and miss. Hope I am wrong, but nothing you can do and don’t fuss with it unless fish are picking at it or has pyramid snails.

It was probably doomed well before you bought it but I do hope it perks up for you, anything can happen! But having owned hundred of them that’s my 0.02

PMD is very much still a thing these days, in fact, there are other pathogens that have been seen in recent years as well. It only takes one clam to be infected, then spread to others near by, which can happen along the way from the culture facility, wild collection, wholesaler, retailer, etc.. If clams from various places are put together for any length of time, the chances of PMD existing and spreading rises.

 

[minus9]

I've used RO but I add an airstone for 30 minutes or more before I dip the clam. Dechlorinated tap is perfectly fine as well, regardless, I would use an airstone while the water is acclimating to temp.

 

[SamMule]

Well, wish I would have seen that before. Dip is done with RO, but no airstone.