Clam not opening.

thanhk87 · May 13, 2019

I got a 1.5 in crocea clam in my tank for a week. It never fully open when i got it in my tank bit was nice and fine at the LFS. Today it was fully close all day.
I notice it have little black speck on its shell that move around alot. And by speck i mean <1mm.
Last night i found it on its side with my other clam( which was on it side also). I think its my pistol shrimp doing it. But the other clam is doing find now.
Please help.

thanhk87 · May 13, 2019

I have a picture of the clam when it was half open yesterday.

reef lover · May 13, 2019

Welcome to r2r!
What are your parameters...do you have them on a rock or cradle...they arw rock boring clams and would prefer to be on solid material. Did that frag fall on him?

thanhk87 · May 15, 2019

I try moving him to a rock but he move back down to the gravel.
Today he didnt make it. But the other one is doing well. My para is all within the normal range.
I just do not know why one is healthy and doing well and the other is dead.....

reef lover · May 15, 2019

Sorry to hear....sometimes theres nothing you can do....

homer1475 · May 15, 2019

reef lover said:
Welcome to r2r!
What are your parameters...

thanhk87 said:
Today he didnt make it. But the other one is doing well. My para is all within the normal range.

I can honestly say, I have never been on another reefing forum that when parameters are asked, the typical response is "within normal range". So tell me, what exactly is "normal range"? What one person thinks is normal, might be a glaring issue to another reefer.

People lets get one thing straight if things are dying, YOUR NOT WITHIN NORMAL RANGES. If they were, things wouldn't be dying, and you wouldn't be on this forum looking for help. So when parameters are asked, lets post some actual numbers, ok?

As for the OP,
Sorry for the loss. I have found tiny clams are real tough to keep alive in a mixed reef(once they are a couple inches, they do real well). Anything from snails, to your fish can and will knock over tiny clams. Look into a clam hammock(brightwell aquatics sold on BRS), I have had very good luck with them and long term health of tiny clams(prevents things from tipping them over, and gives them something to attach to). They also prefer to have their inhalant(mouth) toward the flow, with their vent facing away. Basically the fow to flow over them starting at the mouth.

DSC reef · May 15, 2019

Clams can absolutely die if your within normal ranges, it's not a coral.

homer1475 · May 15, 2019

Sorry OP my comments weren't really directed at you, but rather my frustration with this forum and the way people post "within normal ranges".

And yes a healthy clam can die even if your reef is "within normal parameters", but posting such does not help anyone help you.

DSC reef · May 15, 2019

homer1475 said:
Sorry OP my comments weren't really directed at you, but rather my frustration with this forum and the way people post "within normal ranges".

And yes a healthy clam can die even if your reef is "within normal parameters", but posting such does not help anyone help you.

Taking frustrations out on a new member just because your irritated by what others do is not very welcoming

homer1475 · May 15, 2019

DSC reef said:
Taking frustrations out on a new member just because your irritated by what others do is not very welcoming

Exactly why I reread what I posted, and posted a "sorry OP".

Lovemyreef2015 · May 15, 2019

Welcome to R2R, sorry about your clam.

thanhk87 · May 18, 2019

For me within normal is + or - 2%. To me that okay for my tank. Sometime its up and sometime its down. I dont have an doser and i like to dose my hand. It keep me doing water test as i learn that with a doser i tend to not test my water.
Calium is 420-440
Alk is 8.3
Mag is 1130
Salinity is 1.025
Nitrate and phos is near 0 but i can never tell when it comes to this 2. All i know from the test kit color chart is that its under 5ppm.
But for the clam, i just want to know why one is doing great while another is die. Within 2 days.

On a side note, i notice my clam sit away from the flow.

DSC reef · May 18, 2019

The clam pointing away from flow is normal, they don't always need the incurrent siphon positioned towards flow. If the mantle is constantly blowing or the clam is moving it could be an indicator of to much flow. Some clams are doomed from the start with disease you can't see and sometimes a sick clam can kill your other clams. New shell growth is a positive indicator of a healthy clam but unfortunately with tridacna there is no guarantee.

xjiang7 · May 18, 2019

I think I see some red slime in your tank, how old is the tank? Clams could suffer from an immature tank where parameters are less stable. Your magnesium could be higher but it is true if clams die within weeks in a tank it is very likely they are in poor health to begin with.