Squamosa clam help

[herringtech]

Can anyone help me with my relatively new BIOTA squamosa clam? After over two months of looking good It’s now not looking good. Siphon holes are getting larger and flesh is getting less vibrant and retracted. It’s closing rapidly more often when a fish swims by too.
125G mixed reef. Clam near top of tank getting at least 200 PAR.

 

[OrionN]

Check for parasitic snails. Make sure the chemistry of your tank is up to par. Often for clams, when they look bad, it is already too late. Good luck with him.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I was going to say similar. Sometimes these babies get irritated by shrimp and cannot open to get the light they need. Also, so much action in a large tank will get them closing too much.
I tend to keep my babies in a grow out tank with no shrimp and few fish. Helps them adjust and grow bigger and stronger before moving to the main tank.
I realize not everyone can do this. Keep an eye on the guy and maybe try a cage if no parasitic snails. I have used clear mesh to form cages on corals and clams when needed to keep other creatures away.
Good luck. Clams can be very tough.

 

[herringtech]

I do have a very active cleaner shrimp but I rarely see him up that high. A cage is a good idea. I'm pretty sure I have no parasitic snails.

 

[minus9]

Pests, poor lighting and poor parameters are usually the culprit. I don't think fish swimming by would cause a clam stress unless that fish is picking at the mantle, otherwise, we wouldn't have that many clams on the reef. How old is the tank and what are your current parameters?

 

[OrionN]

You should make sure that you don't have parasitic snails. "Pretty sure" means, to me, "did not look" is not good. The timeline of your clam not doing well is actually perfect for parasitic snails as cause for demise of your clams.
Farm raise does not mean no parasites.

 

[herringtech]

I'll take a closer look and see if there are any snails

 

[Dburr1014]

Pyramid snails looks like grains of rice. They enter from under the clam or bore thru the shell.
https://reefs.com/pest/pyramid-snails/
Also, par of 200 I don't think is enough. You probably need to double that.
https://www.tankfacts.com/invertebrates/saltwater/clam/squamosa-clam_145
They also like sand but rock could work.

 

[minus9]

Pyramids will hitchhike on other snails too, that’s how they got into my tank. But agree, if the mantle is that far recessed, it’s pretty much done.

 

[OrionN]

I wrote an article on dealing with Parasitic snails here:
How I deal with Pyram snails, the Giant Clam parasitic snails.
pictures of these snails

 

[herringtech]

Definitely no snails. Moved clam up to a higher/brighter perch with a little more flow. Seems to be opening a little more and not as stressed. Fingers crossed