Help sickly maxima

I know its hard to give advice without a picture but all i have is my stupid phone and you cant see anything with it. But here goes.....

I have two maxima one has par around 170 (blue) the other 270 (green). I did a water change saturday and for the last couple days the blue clam has been partially closed, with the middle portion of the mantle closed and the rest open. I've had it for about two months. I recently added a frogspawn coral to the tank but they are far apart. I have noticed a huge bristle worm i removed yesterday (after i added the frogspawn) but not much else. Only fish i have are two clowns (occ.) Feed dt's phyto every few days. It also had long bubbly strings coming from it the day i noticed all tis started.

QUESTION: Is there anything else that could be causing the clam to stay closed?

o nitrate
o ammonia
o nitrite
490-500 calcium
1350-1320 mag
3.20 meq/l alk (9.0 dkh)
8.1-8.2 ph
75.5- 78 degrees water (changes with the light)
sg 1.026 or 35 ppt

p.s. I have just had two new small peppermint shrimp die in the tank. No marks on them that I noticed and all parameters checked out fine when i checked (when i found them)

 

The lighting could be part of the problem or it was sick when you got it. Unfortunately clams slowly deteriorate but do not show it until it is too late more often than not. I don't think there is much you can do except to move it to higher light and hope.

 

Thank you very much for all the detail you included. Really makes things sooo much easier.

Please google Pinched Mantel Disease, and Pyramid snails if you have not already done so. For Pyramids you want to check after the lighting has been out for a couple of hours.

I would also run some new carbon in attempt to remove any contaminates that could have possibly contributed to their present condition. Weather coincidence or directly related to the water change is really impossible to tell.

Was this a new container of salt mix???
What is your water source?
Lastly if able try to check at night with a flashlight for other clam predators like polyclad worms.

Also, is the lighting sufficient, have the bulbs been changed routinely?

Good Luck, I hope the clams recover.

 

sorry to hear, unfortunately i cant give you anymore advice than these last two very experienced well know reefers just gave you, but i hope the best for your clam..i love clams..

 

I use oceanic salt in a mixing barrel for at least a few days. I run water through RO/DI system. As far as moving the clam he has attached himself to the LR and i know that moving them is tricky if they dont want to move (im not interested in cutting anything from the clam or whatever some people suggested in other threads). I have looked up pyramid snails but haven't seen any will keep lookin though. the salt bucket has not changed for a few months and the bulbs are all new and the par has not changed since i put them in. However, i bought some blue LEDs recently that seem to affect the clams (they recognize it). I did have a bit of calcium carbonate precipitate but dont know why (i dont dose and all levels are within range). is it possible the clams are too close to the MH (about 6 inches) or my equipment is giving off stray voltage (was told koralias are prone to do that)?

p.s. just looked up polyclad worms wacky.

 

on another note i have tons and tons and tons of tiny little iso pods some are bigger and look like mantis (but the curl up and scuttle across the rock with their abdomen tucked under which most sources said was isopod not mantis) others are tiny and look like baby shrimp (mysis pictures) but i havent caught any yet to get a good look

 

If the clams are 6 inches below a metal halide, I would think that would be too close. LED's I can not speak to, as I really do not have any first hand knowledge.

You maybe seeing amphipods as well, they are harmless.

Usually you can see pyramids around the margins of the mantel as well but that is usually at night hours after the lights have gone off. They are nocturnal for the most part, and some move up to the mantel, so you do not have to move the clam.

Been using koralia's since they came on the market, did not know they were known for that. If it were a stray voltage issue you should problems with other inverts and corals I would think.

 

i have not seen any amphipods and i have 5 koralias on three different tanks and i have not noticed any problems.

is that pinched mantel thing contagious between clams?

 

btw i appreciate all the advice and help

 

NP

Yes, it can spread from one clam to another easily.

It should first appear as a ruffling on the edges of the mantel. As time goes on the mantel becomes more distorted and the clams begins to appear stressed and the body of the clam pulls away from the shell. Usually by that time there is little hope.

Once you know what your are looking for it is easy to recognize, so googling images would be of assistance.

The reason for the Ca particpate is worth addressing as well. Are you using a 2 part system?