Derasa clam mantle receding

[capnjazz]

I recently bought a derasa clam and it was doing well for a while but has looked under the weather lately. It responds to shade sometimes and other times it doesn't but it always closes when I touch it.

I have a 10 gallon tank and have AI Prime as lighting. I started a new schedule on it and I think the clam may not be getting enough light. I'm running my lights at 100% and the clam seems to be reacting better to it.

The first picture is when I got it and the next two were about an hour or two ago. I posted my entire tank (don't mind the coralline algae) for distance reference and the last picture is the clam after I started blasting the lights. He has expelled waste from his siphon and seems to be feeding. (He closes fast and shoots stuff out and then he opens back up)

Maybe I should run a higher intensity light schedule? Here are my levels:

Calcium 450
Magnesium 1400
Alkalinity 11

 

[capnjazz]

For some reason it's posting the first picture again at the end and I'm not able to delete it.

 

[mystersyster]

Light is too high if anything. The waste he's expelling is the algae he uses for photosynthesis. This is because he doesn't need as much. 100 with LED is bright. I would turn it down and keep your water parameters in line.

 

[Tahoe61]

I am in agreement the Prime should be more than sufficient.
The clam seems to in decline, check for Pyramid Snails at the base of the clam and at night.
For future reference I would let the Alk drift down to 9ish.
Are you dosing and if so how and what products?
Being honest I would be surprised if that clam makes a come back, once they withdraw from the margin of shell it's rare that the clam survives.
If able I would run some new charcoal in the HOB.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Light is too high if anything. The waste he's expelling is the algae he uses for photosynthesis. This is because he doesn't need as much. 100 with LED is bright. I would turn it down and keep your water parameters in line.

Im curious where your getting this info.

 

[mystersyster]

Im curious where your getting this info.

From my experience keeping derasa clams. Look up any scientific article on their biology. A prime at 100 percent is fine as long as there is an acclimation to the light.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

From my experience keeping derasa clams. Look up any scientific article on their biology. A prime at 100 percent is fine as long as there is an acclimation to the light.

Thank you. Ill look again. I've just never seen read anything like that. Def Agree on acclimation.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It appears its likely about 125 PAR or so assuming its just under 24in from the light.

 

[capnjazz]

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. I have been dosing Red Sea reef foundation with calcium, barium and stronium but nothing else. I also run Red Sea carbon in my hob. I don't expect the clam to survive either but it's still closing and reacting to stimuli.

I'm pretty much at a loss as to why the clam isn't doing well but everything else in my tank is doing fine. I also forgot to mention in my first post that I've had the tank running since December of 2015. I have the Prime on a schedule and it doesn't ever get to 100%.

 

[mystersyster]

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. I have been dosing Red Sea reef foundation with calcium, barium and stronium but nothing else. I also run Red Sea carbon in my hob. I don't expect the clam to survive either but it's still closing and reacting to stimuli.

I'm pretty much at a loss as to why the clam isn't doing well but everything else in my tank is doing fine. I also forgot to mention in my first post that I've had the tank running since December of 2015. I have the Prime on a schedule and it doesn't ever get to 100%.

Deraaa Clams are typically VERY hardy under normal conditions. However, sometimes they just don't do well. Don't let it get you down.