Hey all. I would like some advice here please. I have recently switched tanks, and in my old "matured" tank, I had a medium crocea clam that was doing well. When I first transferred it to my new tank it did well for about 3 days and has since been completely retracted with signs of pinched mantle disease. I gave it a little more light as it was reaching a little in my old tank. Water parameters are good, pH maybe a little low: pH 7.9-8.15, Alk 9, Cal 500, nitrate 5ppm. This is pretty close to what I kept it at in my old tank except nitrates were around 1. No pyramid snails. If it seems that my tank is too new I would be open to DBTC'ing this to someone who can save it, or is there something I can do to fix it first?
Crocea clam help/rescue
- Thread starter bubbarockies
- Start date
Re: Crocea clam help/rescue
What are your water params? IME croceas don't mind nitrates (they actually consume them)but cannot tolerate ammonia spikes at all. The combo of no nitrates, higher light, and ammonia could definitely stress it out and lead it to get sick I believe.
Do you feed your clams? If it has been dealing with no nitrates and the symbiotic algae is not producing due to the change in lighting, could it possibly now be starving? Adding even more to it's stress.
Wish I was closer to you I would throw it in with my 5 until your tank matured a little more and you could take it back. Let me know if you if I am a last resort...we will figure something out. I will be working near 44th & Harlan all week so maybe something could happen.
What are your water params? IME croceas don't mind nitrates (they actually consume them)but cannot tolerate ammonia spikes at all. The combo of no nitrates, higher light, and ammonia could definitely stress it out and lead it to get sick I believe.
Do you feed your clams? If it has been dealing with no nitrates and the symbiotic algae is not producing due to the change in lighting, could it possibly now be starving? Adding even more to it's stress.
Wish I was closer to you I would throw it in with my 5 until your tank matured a little more and you could take it back. Let me know if you if I am a last resort...we will figure something out. I will be working near 44th & Harlan all week so maybe something could happen.
I have a lot of clams if you think that it could tolerate a move. They do very well in my SPS tank and probably won't receive more light anywhere.
Did you switch lights in the new setup?
How long did you have it in the old tank? Are we talking a few weeks/months, or 6+ months? If it is a long term captive, then it could easily handle a FW dip if it indeed has PM. Can you post a picture? PM is easy to identify - the protozoan is nearly always with the clam and sometimes comes back during stressful times - kinda like ich on fish. If it has it, it is fairly easy to treat and otherwise healthy clams typically repsond very well. Most of the clams that die after a FW dip were probably going to die anyway.
The PH is fine - don't chase or try and change it.
Did you switch lights in the new setup?
How long did you have it in the old tank? Are we talking a few weeks/months, or 6+ months? If it is a long term captive, then it could easily handle a FW dip if it indeed has PM. Can you post a picture? PM is easy to identify - the protozoan is nearly always with the clam and sometimes comes back during stressful times - kinda like ich on fish. If it has it, it is fairly easy to treat and otherwise healthy clams typically repsond very well. Most of the clams that die after a FW dip were probably going to die anyway.
The PH is fine - don't chase or try and change it.
My nitrates are actually a little bit higher in this tank as my DSB hasn't kicked in yet. I actually took the skimmer out of my last tank to try and increase the live plankton population to naturally feed the clam and SPS corals. I don't have an ammonia test kit, but I'm pretty sure some other corals/shrimp/snails etc. would be reacting as well and everything else is happy. As far as lighting goes I kept the old lighting (AI sol blues).
I don't think so. I used to feed my clams, but have stopped after the research by Fatheree:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/7/inverts
Now, I just let them eat the DOC that is normally in the tank from feeding the fish and shrimp and stuff. I don't run carbon or skim too much anymore since the clams do such a good job of filtering for supplemental food.
Assuming that your tank parameters are all fine, then the clam's ability to live are based on light alone.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/7/inverts
Now, I just let them eat the DOC that is normally in the tank from feeding the fish and shrimp and stuff. I don't run carbon or skim too much anymore since the clams do such a good job of filtering for supplemental food.
Assuming that your tank parameters are all fine, then the clam's ability to live are based on light alone.
