Dersa clam gapping

[Bruce Burnett]

Purchased a dersa back 6 months ago. It was maybe 2.5 inches. Picture is from early January this year. It is now about 6 inches.
Saturday morning I had a toadstool leather that had fallen onto the clam. The clam was not fully extending the mantel. I moved the leather. The mantel looks like it is separating the shell partway down. Mantel is curling in. I am assuming it will be dead Sunday morning. I want to know if the toadstool could be the cause. My parameters are not perfect but they are stable. Calcium, alk, temp all within range nitrate and phosphate are high but have been for the six months and it has been growing well. Since it was quick like one day and nothing added to tank I think it was the toadstool. The mantel still has color. Looking for opinions.

 

[Doctorgori]

Not a good sign, my samples with that are 100% loss…
…..fingers crossed

 

[minus9]

Post a pic of it now with daylight spectrum and top down if you can so we can see the entire mantle. Don't panic just yet, it probably needs a little time to recover.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Post a pic of it now with daylight spectrum and top down if you can so we can see the entire mantle. Don't panic just yet, it probably needs a little time to recover.

It is done. Pulled it.

 

[minus9]

Did you check for pyramid snails? I'm not sure a sarcophyton would do this much damage unless the clam closed up with the leather inside it's shell/mantle? How long was the leather on the clam?

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Did you check for pyramid snails? I'm not sure a sarcophyton would do this much damage unless the clam closed up with the leather inside it's shell/mantle? How long was the leather on the clam?

No pyramid snails it has been in tank over six month and I always inspecting it. The toadstool was on it probably 12 hrs. I don't think it was the problem with the toadstool either as it was against it before and never phased it. I will just strike it up to the unknown. It had been growing well and the mantle had been fully extending over edge of shell.. all happened in a 24 hr period everything else is fine. I have a mixed reef. If it happened sooner I would blame the diamond goby. Nothing new in tank for sometime.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Pinched mantle Mayb. U could have done a fresh water dip rodi water temp to 77,and buffered to tank alkalinity and let it sit there for 30min. After dip back in tank. Would have been a shot of was gonna go. I know it saved my derasa. There’s a
Video on it. Good luck w the nxt clam

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Pinched mantle Mayb. U could have done a fresh water dip rodi water temp to 77,and buffered to tank alkalinity and let it sit there for 30min. After dip back in tank. Would have been a shot of was gonna go. I know it saved my derasa. There’s a
Video on it. Good luck w the nxt clam

I wish I knew, going to wait a while and try one more time. I know some people have poor luck with them and others can keep them longer than they keep their tank. While some have them for years and then they suddenly die.

 

[minus9]

Stable parameters and plenty of light. I feel like most clams would benefit from more full spectrum light. I think people assume that derasa are “low light” clams, but that simply isn’t the case. True, they can be found deeper than other clams, but they’re still getting a good amount of light. It’s kinda like how people consider soft corals low light, while some are found in deeper water, there are plenty found right next to acropora in very shallow waters.
In the meantime, I would buy James Fatherree’s book on clams. There’s a wealth of information in his book and that information is still very relevant today. I think too many people (especially new to the hobby) overlook books as a valid source of information. I still reference my books to this day.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Agree. And I have all my reef volumes and gennet and borneman books.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Stable parameters and plenty of light. I feel like most clams would benefit from more full spectrum light. I think people assume that derasa are “low light” clams, but that simply isn’t the case. True, they can be found deeper than other clams, but they’re still getting a good amount of light. It’s kinda like how people consider soft corals low light, while some are found in deeper water, there are plenty found right next to acropora in very shallow waters.
In the meantime, I would buy James Fatherree’s book on clams. There’s a wealth of information in his book and that information is still very relevant today. I think too many people (especially new to the hobby) overlook books as a valid source of information. I still reference my books to this day.

Somewhere I have that book. Not new to reefing been doing it over 30 years. Just never kept a clam before.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Agree. And I have all my reef volumes and gennet and borneman books.

I have many books as that use to be the only source of info. Your clam looked like mine a day before it went south. Except mine had developed more blue around the edges of the mantel.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Enjoy sharing experiences with old time reefers. Over 20 yrs here. This hobby goes from real good bad in what appears to b overnite only to realize that the effect u see in the present started weeks if not months ago. It’s like seeing light from space. Old news. Lol

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I have many books as that use to be the only source of info. Your clam looked like mine a day before it went south. Except mine had developed more blue around the edges of the mantel.

That clam had pinched mantle and it went down hill in like 24 hours I did a quick search and came across a video w a fresh water dip method and fig if it’s gonna go might as well and it worked. Astonished.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

See what tomw brings. Lol

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Enjoy sharing experiences with old time reefers. Over 20 yrs here. This hobby goes from real good bad in what appears to b overnite only to realize that the effect u see in the present started weeks if not months ago. It’s like seeing light from space. Old news. Lol

Yes and if I had the experience on clams way back when I was younger and had more expendable money then. I will be doing more reading maybe buy the book suggested. The one I have is by Knop. Way back what I could not find in books I would use wetwebmedia Bob Fenner's site. You really have to search that site not organized like reef2reef. Even though I have been in the hobby long time long way from an expert. I raised my family and worked long hours so it really was a hobby.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

So I just ordered the newest book by James Fatherree. Clams in the reef aquarium. Do more reading before I get another clam.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

That site was the go to bible of the salt
Water hobby. Replies in <>. Lol

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

So I just ordered the newest book by James Fatherree. Clams in the reef aquarium. Do more reading before I get another clam.

Ordering it too. Good luck with the nxt. Pacific east aqua has a good rep w clams. Looking for that blue squamosa.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Ordering it too. Good luck with the nxt. Pacific east aqua has a good rep w clams. Looking for that blue squamosa.

It is an updated version 2020 date. This tank is the first one that has no fish that will go after clams and I don't do crabs. Also getting away from Red Sea pro salt mix as the alk is to high. Just wished I had a lfs other than petco. 2.5 hrs to closest one.