Dying/dead clam

[ericmcj31]

I have a 5'' Gold Maxima clam-that is apparently dying if not dead--was wondering if there was anything I could/should do at this point. He is on the sand bed and basically is just white around its top (mantle I guess)--anyways-I also have a blue crocea clam that appears to be doing great--it's also on the sand bed--I haven't tested my water, but everything else is doing fine--didn't know if I should just go ahead and get him out or move him around or what?

 

[ralph atl]

clams usually bleach from to much light to fast or a lack of light. if this is not an acclimation problem ( light shock ) then it is from a lack of light. the zooxanthellae that lives in the clams mantle requires large amounts of light. if it is not receiving enough to support the zoox the mantle will lose the zoox and turn white ( bleached )

what are your parems & what other fish & inverts do you have?

 

[ericmcj31]

Like I said, I haven't checked water-I was actually about to do a water change today, though--but-everything else seems to be doing fine; As far as other creatures-I have yellow tang, blue tang, foxface, chromis, sailfin tank, 4 cardinals (PJ & Bangaii), orange linkia star, engineer goby, 2 clowns, and lots of snails and BL & RL hermits. I do 15-20% WC's roughly every 7-10 days. Add calcium every 3-4 days and the buffer as well--should I take him out? Move him up in the tank? Or does it sound like he's gonna die anyways?

 

[ralph atl]

please post a picture. Is the mantle out? Is the clam open or closed? Is it completely white? or a large spot? I would venture an educated (or uneducated) guess that it is toast. However, without a picture & current parems, I don't have enough info to make a confident call. sorry.

 

[ericmcj31]

yeah, the inside is pretty much completely white--I mean I figured it's not dead yet, but is prob. on its way out

 

[ericmcj31]

Oh, it is still open, though; the blue crocea will still close some when I run my hand over the light, the maxima, however, doesn't, and hasn't been closing for a couple days now.

 

[victor626nj]

post pics please it helps alot to have a pic

 

[ericmcj31]

Here's some pics. I included one of the Crocea (the one thats doing fine)
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[ericmcj31]

actually upon further inspection, it's colors are still there, just deep inside of it. The outsides are completely white.

 

[ralph atl]

will it close if you cover the light? I would take that out of my tank if I were you, it looks very bad to me from those pics, however, it doesn't appear to be bleached or dead. It would be good to test your parems now! Alk, Calcium, trates, salinity, ph, etc.

 

[victor626nj]

im no expert but it seems as if it has pinched mantel

 

[victor626nj]

get in contact with panda he know a great deal about clams hope he chimes in soon

 

[ericmcj31]

No, it will not close when I cover the lights--could it be possible that it had been "burned" by calcium? I put some in the other night and he hasn't been the same since--I just poured it in the top:doh:

 

[drnecropolis]

To venture an uneducated guess.. Its losing zoox.. It might make it but once the mantle bleaches the color won't come back...

 

[ericmcj31]

what puzzles me, is the other clam is doing GREAT! The only thing I could even think of would be my calcium dosing mistake--either that, or maybe was on his way out anyways--b/c nothing else is showing signs of stress or anything?

 

[ralph atl]

now would be a good time to remove it.
Also, how are you measuring calcium & alk? and how are you dosing it?

 

[ericmcj31]

I just poured them in--that night--I usually dissolve them in a glass of RO water-don't know why I didn't that night---it actually "burned" some of my frogspawn too, but they came backnicely.

 

[jefft]

Pull it out and smell it, use the other one as a reference.

 

[linda lee]

Looking at your pictures, I noticed your BTA, which looks perfectly heathly. I'd be willing to bet that your water params and lights are fine or your 'nem would be sad, too.

 

[ralph atl]

Please do yourself a favor, go on-line or lfs and just get 1 api kh kit for 6 bucks & 1 api or salifert calcium kit for 12 bucks. This will save you a lot of money & stress. Corals & clams need a lot of stability with parems in order to survive for any length of time or they will just slowly (sometimes fast) wither away like a sapling without water.

One of the easiest ways to start dosing correctly is with a 2 part such as B-ionic or 2 little fishes. This would be measured & dosed daily at first until you have stability.

Here's a link to look at: