Need Clam Help ASAP- Clam releasing white particles

Squishie89 · Jun 16, 2013

My crocea clam, ~4-5" has started releasing white particles from its siphon. I just did a water change, including cleaning out the sump (which I have never done before). The pumps and heater were off for about 45 minutes. I did put back in relatively warm water. I am not sure what is happening. I do not think they are air bubbles it is releasing as I turned off the pumps/powerheads and it spewed 4 times (up to over a dozen times total) and the particles just drifted.

KoleTang · Jun 16, 2013

Maybe it's spawning(?)

Squishie89 · Jun 16, 2013

That is right now the best guess. I am concerned it is or thinks it is dying and thus trying to continue his bloodline before he dies.
Here are pictures of him as of 5 minutes ago.

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bct15 · Jun 16, 2013

Is it sand? Mine spit sand after water changes.

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skinz78 · Jun 16, 2013

It sounds to me like it's spawning and the clam doesn't look very happy at all to me. What are your fish and inverts, water params, and how far is it from the lights?

Squishie89 · Jun 16, 2013

Fish; 2 clownfish, 1 tribal blenny, 1 gumdrop coral croucher, 1 blue/green mandarin (mandarin just added yesterday). Inverts; 1 pom pom crab, 1 tiger pistol shrimp, 1 fire shrimp, 4 sexy shrimp, 10+ hermits, 100+ snails (including 1 large turbo 1 cone shaped snail), 1 maxima clam. Parameters (taken this evening after the clam started spawning); pH 8.0-8.2 (API), Ammonia 0 (API), NO3 5-10 (API), NO3 2-5 (Salifert), Salinity ~1.0240 (refractometer). I would say it is 1.5 feet give or take from the lights. Lights; 1 14k reef spectrum fixtures with 60 degree lenses from buildmyled.com and 1 actinic fixture with 60 degree lenses from buildmyled.com, due to the narrowness of the lenses I have the lights pointed right at the clams.
I have been battling flatworms and using flatworm exit, but I have been using carbon enough for 200-300gallons. The crocea spawned for over an hour, almost 1.5-2.

skinz78 · Jun 16, 2013

I'd move the clam to the sandbed, I'm thinking it's getting too much light.

Squishie89 · Jun 16, 2013

Too much? Oh wow. Okay, I will move him. The maxima seems to be fine on the sand bed for reference (although maxima seems awfully confused by the spawning).

skinz78 · Jun 16, 2013

Post a pic of the Maxima if you could please?

Squishie89 · Jun 16, 2013

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skinz78 · Jun 17, 2013

The Maxima looks fine to me, the Crocea looks bleached in the center.

Squishie89 · Jun 17, 2013

Well today the crocea seemed a bit better. He is a bit closed up at the moment though. The maxima concerns me, he is not reacting to shadows very much and seems awfully gaped and is not extending its mantle.
Came home to this;

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Now the Crocea looks like this

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The maxima went from this, to more closed, to more closed and now is only open about 6-8mm.

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skinz78 · Jun 17, 2013

Well the Maxima looks like it's on it's way out now. There isn't anything you can do.

On the other hand the Crocea looks a lot better to me today.

Mr. E Wrasse · Jun 17, 2013

Wow that maxima is gaping bad. Is it a french poly by chance?

Squishie89 · Jun 17, 2013

I got it from Drs Fosters LA, so I don't know =/
It is still alive, it reacted slightly to me nudging it a bit. Should I take it out and put it in my QT? There is a fish in QT, but I don't think he will mind a neighbor. It has crap lighting, but it at least is separate.

What is weird about the Crocea is I had it on the sand about a week or so ago when I first upgraded the lighting, but he began to reach so I put him on the rocks. But now he seems to like the sand bed. Silly clam needs to make up his mind!