Crocea clam help needed - mantle edge browning

[shellynjason]

Bought my Crocea clam at a local frag swap and it was very healthy. the mantle was a nice deep blue.

For a few weeks now I see the mantle is not so brilliant blue and the mantle edges are biege brown looking.

I have it under 6x54w ATI T5 sunpowers (all 6 lights on 8 hours a day) , not on the floor bed but on a rock a few inches off the bed. I know the clam is 'fairly' healthy based on the fact that there is a nice bright white growth rim ring when the mantle closes. I see no gaping or anything and it closes fast when a hand or fish go over it. The tank is 120 gallon mixed reed and well established

temp 78-81
salinity 1.026
alk 8
calc 400
mag 1350
nitrates 0 (salifat kit) *I can't get any nitrates to read on two diff kits , thinking my softies consume it all*
ph 7.9
p04 .10 - .03 (hannah checker- running GFO and Ecobak) * I feed pretty heavy on certain days because I have a sun coral*

Can't figure out if it is too much light or not enough light, or Alk or something.

I was going to try to move it but it attacked it's foot pretty good in it's spot. It is not getting to much flow on the clam, made sure of that. And I can't find anything similar when google searching 'brown mantle edge',ect. Hmmmmm ... any one have any ideas?

 

[solar]

No idea, sorry to hear that hope you get it all figured out!

 

[Dnlstevenl]

I think you put too much gfo . It happens to me when I run too much . The calm close right away and next day dead. They needs light too


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[shellynjason]

I have the clam under T5's ATI, maybe that isn't good enough. And I don't put in the full amount of GFO , but I do change it out every 3 weeks now.

I seemed to start turning on the edges after I added another power head (Tunze) and that may have been when I changed the GFO too. so many variables.

 

[skinz78]

Can you post a pic?

 

[shellynjason]

I cannot get a better picture then this , but you can see the edges are not uniform with the mantle

 

[shellynjason]

This is how nice it looked when I first put it in my tank April 21st 2013

 

[shellynjason]

for what it's worth ... the approx. location where I placed this clam is where I had place a nice green birdsnest frag and within two weeks the birdsnest zoox jumped ship and it turned white . It didn't die, the polyps still were there, and now after three months is a 'less lite' location the birdsnest is coloring back up. So my first thought was not that the clam wasn't getting enough light.

I was wondering if a clam would do this if it wasn't getting enough nitrates or something like that.

 

[Dnlstevenl]

How is your clam condition get better? I think you should stop or cut dose gfo for weeks or month , let see if that it cause. Clam need phytoplankton. Give it try


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[shellynjason]

How is your clam condition get better? I think you should stop or cut dose gfo for weeks or month , let see if that it cause. Clam need phytoplankton. Give it try


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The clam was the same, still has the browning edge. But also still real light sensitive when a fish swims over it. Also the bright white 'growth rim' looks good and thick. I feed Phytoplan twice a week and have a huge copepod/amphipod/ect. population by p04 is higher then I'd like due to slightly over feeding the tank. I did not stop the GFO as my p04 is .10 and I need it a bit lower.

I couldn't stand it anymore so I wiggled the clam out of it's rock spot being super careful not to rip/tear the gland. I placed it up higher about 3inches an a flat ledge rock area closer to the T5 lights, so it is now 22inches from the lights. Hope this helps.

 

[Dnlstevenl]

This my maxima clam it's new tank about 1 month age

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[shellynjason]

This my maxima clam it's new tank about 1 month age

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Yes that is very beautiful you are definately doing it right ... do you know why a Crocea clam's mantle would turn brown on the edges?

my params
salinity 1.025
alk 8
ph 8
p04 .1 -.04 (hannah checker - last night it test .04)
nitrate 0 ( salfirt kit)
calcuim 400
mag 1310
iron 0 (used the red sea test kit)
temp during the day 80

 

[NanaReefer]

Great Read on the Tridacna Crocea. Hope this helps
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-10/jf/index.php


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[Chompers]

I was about to say that the Reefkeeping article was a word for word plagiarism from James Fatherree's book. Actually it is. He "plagiarized" his own work (he also wrote the Reefkeeping article).

His book right now averages about $35 on eBay, and is well worth it. Daniel Knops book is significantly cheaper since it is older, but it is by no means obsolete. I highly recommend both books (not one or the other, but get both).

 

[Chompers]

Oh, the original question:
Browning or fading is frequently due to a drastic reduction of lighting. The original owner probably had him under MH lighting. You did the right thing about raising him up, but I would raise it daily or every other day until it is near the top of your rock work and then slowly lower him to where you want him. However, do keep an eye on his mantle by the incurrent syphon. It looks like he has a large hole or clear spot by his syphon. And he appears to be gaping.

 

[Chompers]

They also like nitrates and/or ammonia. If I recall correctly, they have a preference for ammonia. The best thing you can do is increase your feeding of your fish and sun coral (they won't argue about it).

 

[Mike J.]

I have T5's ATI and my Crocea is doing great. It has it's vibrant blue color and the mantle seems to get thicker when it's healthy. Mine also went through the exact same thing, maybe to a lesser extent, when I had it lower in the tank. My clam is now about 15" from the light. So, I would presume it wanted more light.

 

[shellynjason]

Thank you all for the great help - everything I read and you all have confirmed the 'browning edge' could only be light related. I will continue moving my clam up. Note: the 'gapping picture of the crocea was about 2 hours after the intial add to my tank. It does not do that anymore - must have been a shock thing.

I will continue increasing my feeding - my fish population is at nine now so these fishy are creating nitrates I just think the yellow star polyps and maybe xenia are consuming it all as they are growing so fast.

 

[shellynjason]

Well yesterday afternoon I moved the clam up to the highest rock in the tank and watched it all day. There is much more flow up high , for the sps, so I was
concerned about that. Well - this morning I found the clam on the sandbed. Yikes that was a 20" dive off the edge.

I bought online a reefbrite xho LED (72watts) yesterday as well. So maybe the additional lighting will help supplement my T5's.

Does anyone have a approx. 'par' reading for where there Crocea clams are? So I can get a general idea how far off I am.

 

[Liquid360]

Mine is at midway and has done brilliantly for a year at just under 475par, 27in Maxspect Razor 160w/16k.