Help Needed

Rovert · Apr 3, 2023

Not sure what to make of this. For the better part of a month of more, this clams was doing great. I had a CaRx glitch where a dump of CO2 went into the tank and the pH dropped to low 7's for a couple hours a while back that I immediately remedied with kalkwasser. Not sure if the two things are related, but your feedback would be appreciated.

Parameters:
pH 7.8 - 8.1
Alk 7.5 - 9.5
Ca 440 - 550
Mg 1300 - 1500

MischiefReef · Apr 3, 2023

It looks pretty upset, is that a derasa?

Hard to tell from just a snapshot, is it retracted like this all day?

Some tank parameters information would help. Edit: thanks for updating parameters!

When you say you remedied pH with kalk, how rapidly was this done? And what pH did you correct back to? Have you tested your calcium since then? Fluctuations can be extremely stressful on not just your clams but everything else in your tank too.

Lastly, I may be WRONG on this one and someone please correct me if I am- but I wouldn’t normally use kalkwasser in correcting pH alone. As other parameters can get screwed up. Something like reef buffer or reef builder would work better in that regards.

Rovert · Apr 3, 2023

MischiefReef said:
It looks pretty upset, is that a derasa?

Maxima.

MischiefReef · Apr 3, 2023

Rovert said:
Maxima.

Hmm, could just be the photo shell ridges look really smoothed/worn down for a maxima. I’d suspect it’s not getting enough calcium.

PS while you were typing, I posted an edit to my post above please check it.^^^

MischiefReef · Apr 3, 2023

It looks to be around 2-3 inches size is that correct?

How often are you feeding it?

What kind of lighting is it under?

Sorry for the torrent of questions.

Basically my go to checklist when clams act strange is lighting, pH, kH, calcium and feedings.

exnisstech · Apr 3, 2023

I'm not an expert but have a maxima and a Derasa that are doing well. That clam looks bad. It is mostly closed and I see no indication of new growth on the shell which is ussualy a sign that they are not doing well. New growth is the first thing I look for when purchasing a clam. They don't need to be fed but do need very good lighting.

jimk60 · Apr 3, 2023

That's quite a range of parameters you got there. Not what I would consider stable.

MischiefReef · Apr 3, 2023

exnisstech said:
They don't need to be fed but do need very good lighting.

I would politely argue that if it’s a low nutrient system, then feeding may be necessary on top of good lighting, especially in the case of smaller/younger clams! But otherwise I fully agree that lighting sits higher on the priority list in most cases!

MischiefReef · Apr 3, 2023

jimk60 said:
That's quite a range of parameters you got there. Not what I would consider stable.

+1 This. Especially your alk, I hope you didn’t correct from 7.5 to 9.5 in one go?

Mr. Mojo Rising · Apr 3, 2023

How long have you had it? From the top down it looks like there is no new growth at all.

minus9 · Apr 4, 2023

The location of that clam tells me it wasn't getting sufficient light in your tank. Your parameters have nothing to do with the clams health, but lack of light does. As mentioned earlier, there's no new shell growth, which is the number indicator of a healthy clam. I get why people put clams on the sand bed, but you better make sure there's enough light in that location to support them.
By the looks of it, that clam is on it's way out. If you have any hope in saving it, you need to put it up high on the rocks where it will get enough light. This is why I always tell people (especially hobbyists who are new to clams) to put maximas and croceas on the rock work, because more than likely, they'll have sufficient light in those locations.

MischiefReef · Apr 4, 2023

minus9 said:
make sure there's enough light in that location to support them.
By the looks of it, that clam is on it's way out. If you have any hope in saving it, you need to put it up high on the rocks where it will get enough light. This is why I always tell people (especially hobbyists who are new to clams) to put maximas and croceas on the rock work, because more than likely, they'll have sufficient light in those locations.

+1 to this info. Also, it’s a different species, but since it was brought up, would like to point out Croceas are boring clams and absolutely should be placed in the rockworks where they can bore into the rock, rather than on the sand bed.

MartinM · Apr 6, 2023

+1 to everything here

- Parameters need to be stable, even if something nosedives from an accident, don’t knee-jerk it back up (that makes two swings instead of one)
- Those are not real/true parameters, or they wouldn’t have wide ranges like that. Why ask for help, then make stuff up?
- Maximas and Croceas have no place on the sand bed. These clams ideally need 400+ PAR and both like to have their foot attached to rock
- NO3/PO4 shouldn’t be or UNLS for clams
- You should have learned all of this before getting a clam, all the info you need is available at your fingertips with just a little bit of a searching, you shouldn’t be murdering a clam because of your laziness

Rovert · Apr 22, 2023

MischiefReef said:
+1 This. Especially your alk, I hope you didn’t correct from 7.5 to 9.5 in one go?

No, it's been a swing over weeks as I try to dial in my CaRx. Solved the problem by adding a CarbonDoser to the regulator. What a huge difference in ease of use and stability!

MartinM said:
+1 to everything here

- Parameters need to be stable, even if something nosedives from an accident, don’t knee-jerk it back up (that makes two swings instead of one)
- Those are not real/true parameters, or they wouldn’t have wide ranges like that. Why ask for help, then make stuff up?
- Maximas and Croceas have no place on the sand bed. These clams ideally need 400+ PAR and both like to have their foot attached to rock
- NO3/PO4 shouldn’t be or UNLS for clams
- You should have learned all of this before getting a clam, all the info you need is available at your fingertips with just a little bit of a searching, you shouldn’t be murdering a clam because of your laziness

I don't appreciate your condescending, sanctimonious tone and unfounded accusation about "making up" my parameters. I've successfully kept clams in years past, on the sand bed. My challenge has been an erratic reactor that caused a pH dip, likely the cause of this clam"s demise. What's odd is that it doesn't explain why another small 1.5" clam has been happily going strong for months prior while the larger 5" one ultimately tanked.

That said, if you want to help, do so by asking questions instead of lobbing hand grenades, please.

Uncle99 · Apr 22, 2023

Rovert said:
No, it's been a swing over weeks as I try to dial in my CaRx. Solved the problem by adding a CarbonDoser to the regulator. What a huge difference in ease of use and stability!

I don't appreciate your condescending, sanctimonious tone and unfounded accusation about "making up" my parameters. I've successfully kept clams in years past, on the sand bed. My challenge has been an erratic reactor that caused a pH dip, likely the cause of this clam"s demise. What's odd is that it doesn't explain why another small 1.5" clam has been happily going strong for months prior while the larger 5" one ultimately tanked.

That said, if you want to help, do so by asking questions instead of lobbing hand grenades, please.

It’s been 19 days,Has it returned to normal, or stayed closed?

Rovert · Apr 22, 2023

Uncle99 said:
It’s been 19 days,Has it returned to normal, or stayed closed?

Lost the clam a while back, just haven't had a chance in my schedule to post here. Thanks for following up.

OrionN · Apr 22, 2023

Most reef hobby test kits are not what I consider really reliable. I would not go chasing the number. I think your mistake is to check the pH and try to correct it at all.
I would have recommended leave the pH alone after the Ca reactor mishaps. CO2 will escape into the air and pH will go back to normal (for your tank). I agree that try to correct it actually does more harm than good.

The Maxima pictured above have not done well for a while, no new shell growth. Likely it was on its last leg and died with the increase stress. You cannot know that clams are stressed from mantle extensions, just from the amount of tissue in the clams (I can pick up a clam and look into the opening, and estimate if it is severely thin and stressed, but not really reliably). This in addition to growth, I can tell if a clam has been healthy or not. Obviously, we cannot tell about acute injury due to shipping mishaps like temperature shock, shipping stress ect...

Good luck with your other clams. Consider not chasing numbers in keeping your reef. Good luck again.

Uncle99 · Apr 22, 2023

Rovert said:
Lost the clam a while back, just haven't had a chance in my schedule to post here. Thanks for following up.

Sorry to hear that. Clams are not cheap!
Sometimes they just go for no apparent reason.
Could have been a million things or nothing at all.

Rovert · Apr 22, 2023

OrionN said:
Most reef hobby test kits are not what I consider really reliable. I would not go chasing the number. I think your mistake is to check the pH and try to correct it at all.
I would have recommended leave the pH alone after the Ca reactor mishaps. CO2 will escape into the air and pH will go back to normal (for your tank). I agree that try to correct it actually does more harm than good.

The Maxima pictured above have not done well for a while, no new shell growth. Likely it was on its last leg and died with the increase stress. You cannot know that clams are stressed from mantle extensions, just from the amount of tissue in the clams (I can pick up a clam and look into the opening, and estimate if it is severely thin and stressed, but not really reliably). This in addition to growth, I can tell if a clam has been healthy or not. Obviously, we cannot tell about acute injury due to shipping mishaps like temperature shock, shipping stress ect...

Good luck with your other clams. Consider not chasing numbers in keeping your reef. Good luck again.

Been using an Apex and Trident. I periodically check against my NYOS kits, and they're close enough that it's not worth worrying about. Again, it's odd that the tiny clam that I have is flourishing and the other bombed. Sometimes there's no figuring it, I suppose. Thanks for your input!

OrionN · Apr 22, 2023

Rovert said:
Been using an Apex and Trident. I periodically check against my NYOS kits, and they're close enough that it's not worth worrying about. Again, it's odd that the tiny clam that I have is flourishing and the other bombed. Sometimes there's no figuring it, I suppose. Thanks for your input!

When did you get the clams? Mail ordered or from local source? I am sure you checked for parasitic snails. It looks like someone clean that Maxima, and broke all the scuttes to clean it (which is what I always do for wild collected clams before put them into my tanks). It looks like that clam was wild collected (my guess)