Maxima Clam

[dadnjesse]

My clam has two like vents on the side that I noticed today open and close, is that normal?

 

[Tahoe61]

Looks like an awesome bivalve on your clam. That would not concern me. Does the clam open and expand normally?
New clam?

 

[BranchingHammer]

Looks like some cool bivalve hitch hikers! Cool!

 

[jda]

As long as the bivalve does not grow past the clam mantle and keep them from extending, then they are no issue.

 

[dadnjesse]

Well something keep making it close I thought a fish was bothering it. Can I remove those things. I have had him a few years but lately he has been closing.

 

[dadnjesse]

I recently added some rock from KP Aquatics in my sump, I wonder If that's when I got them.

 

[Tahoe61]

Are those Hydroids on the shell near the mantle?
Have you introduced any other clams recently?
Have you checked for Pyramid snails?

 

[dadnjesse]

I did check for pyramid snail and didn't find any, so I think I will remove those bivalves.

 

[BranchingHammer]

The pointy things near the mantle look to be vermetid snails. Their mucous strands could be irritating the clam and not allowing it to open. I would look at water parameters too... could you post them? Also, have you moved the clam or changed lighting/flow recently? I don’t think it’s likely that it settled as a larva from the live rock you added. It must have been on the shell from the beginning when you got it.

 

[Billdogg]

The pointy things near the mantle look to be vermetid snails. Their mucous strands could be irritating the clam and not allowing it to open. I would look at water parameters too... could you post them? Also, have you moved the clam or changed lighting/flow recently? I don’t think it’s likely that it settled as a larva from the live rock you added. It must have been on the shell from the beginning when you got it.

^^^This^^^

I'd be way more concerned about the vermetid snails than I would the (really cool) hitchhikers.

 

[dadnjesse]

I removed all the vermetid snail from it today. I don't think it's my water as my sps are growing so fast I have to cut them back every week and basically through them away.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I removed all the vermetid snail from it today. I don't think it's my water as my sps are growing so fast I have to cut them back every week and basically through them away.

Can you take a photo of the clam when it’s open to it’s maximum potential for the day? If he is this closed up throughout the majority of the day, it is likely a pinched mantle disease. In that case, your last hail marry is to do a proper freshwater dip with a matching ph and temperature. Otherwise, he is likely going to die in a few days. If the clam was close up like that because it reacted to something then you should be ok.

 

[dadnjesse]

Clam seem much better since I removed the Vermetid snails and those Bivalves, I'm not sure which helped, but he's staying open now.

 

[dadnjesse]

Calm today

 

[GabeM]

Sucks that the bivalves are gone though, that was pretty cool.