Need some help here

[Reefnjunkie]

So I have had this crocea for about 3 months and got it from a local reefer who has had it for nearly 4 years.
Its looking like its going downhill and I can imagne what is the cause or if there is anything I can do.
all params are fine and its one of 6 other clams I keep-you can see a maxima next to it.
Nothing is new, nothing has changed.
Ca-500
Mg-1550
NO3 -0
KH -9.5
PO4 -.04

These params have been rock solid and everything else is doing fine.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Sorry for the blurry pics

TIA

Here it is like 4 days ago-Bottom right hand corner, all open and looking great

 

[miyags]

Great looking corals!!!. may be check for a large worm under clam?. Thats what got mine.

 

[wysiwyg]

the params from his tank might be different from yours such as his alch might have been higher or lower than yours as well as his ph or maybe even the salinity of his tank might have been different from yours

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Great looking corals!!!. may be check for a large worm under clam?. Thats what got mine.

I checked for that, I've read how that can happen

the params from his tank might be different from yours such as his alch might have been higher or lower than yours as well as his ph or maybe even the salinity of his tank might have been different from yours

I think it would not have taken 3 months to exhibit this???

 

[robert]

I'm just guessing - but I suspect he's slowly starving. Your tank looks deep (beautiful by the way) and being on the bottom - he's probably not getting enough light. What lighting did he come from? What lighting do you have now? My crocea loves light - the more the better. In a few inches of water directly below full metal halide would suit him. Croceas also like rock under them - I've seen em on the sand at the LFS and maybe some keep them that way - but they usually anchor them selves in a pocket in rock. Last, they need nitrate - (or ammonium) - in aquafarms they sometimes add ammonium nitrate to help them along. Your tank may be too clean (not enough fish) for the number of clams your keeping.

I really don't know - the clam is seriously sick - If you could move him to a high light - higher nitrate environment - that's what I'd try.

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Sorry for the mistake, its a Derasa not a Crocea, I get the 2 mixed up:der:

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Thanks for the ideas Robert, he is under LEDs are the other 6 clams I have. I think the par there is about 250??? Not sure exactly but as I mentioned I have 5 others on the sand bed, 2 crocea and 3 maximas so the light thing I am not feeling is the issue, could be but I gotta go with the odds. Also the clam came from a T5 set up that ran similar par to where it is now.


I suppose I just wait and see what develops, I have not found anything online.


Bump for some other ideas

 

[BarbH]

Reefnjunkie you might want to try sending a pm to skinz78, he might have some ideas

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Reefnjunkie you might want to try sending a pm to skinz78, he might have some ideas

Will do
Thanks!

 

[skinz78]

Sorry I missed this one. What fish and inverts do you have?

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Sorry I missed this one. What fish and inverts do you have?

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

Inverts are 2 fire shrimp
1 peppermint
1 harlequin
6-8 emeralds
A few hundred misc hemits, and snails

Fish-OMG
I think about 30-35
Purple tang
Lavendar tang
Malenarius
Potters
Mystery
Coris
Lineatus
Pair of Hawaiian flames
Red head
Swallow tail angel
Lyre tail
4 disbars
Clowns
Cardinals
Sargassum
Blue throat
Red flamehawk

A few others, chromis, goby all I have had for a LONG time

You mention fish, I did see my potters wrasse one time last week peck at the center of the clam, not the mantle but full on the center fleshy part.

The clam reacts, when I put oyster feast it opens/closes and I actually moved it yesterday thinking it may be light but then moved it back afterward since I felt the flow was to strong where I moved it.
When I did move it, it closed up tight and and then opened again.

Thanks for any advise/suggestions.

The malanerius is in on the short list although I have not seen him eat more than snails

 

[ritter6788]

Pyramid snails? Whelks? Angels or tangs nipping?

FWIW mine looked like yours not too long ago and I thought it was going to die. The shell grew a small, outward scute and after that the clam looks fine. No idea what the deal was and the clam is still growing upwards with no more scutes yet. The mouth on mine wasn't gaping like yours is though.

 

[skinz78]

Something in there is picking on it. IMHO, since it is a new addition someone is being a bit territorial or just plain nosey. I think it is possibly a shrimp, Angel, or Tang. I've seen Peppermint shrimp pester clams to death. Can you qt the clam somewhere in the same system? Maybe build a guard with egg crate? I'm not sure if that would keep the shrimp out though.

If you are target feeding the clam with oyster feast, stop. Clams don't need Fed, this could actually stress the clam as well.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Thanks for the thoughts Ritter, I did inspect for snails, actually peeled of two sponges that I know where not a problem but wanted to clean the shell with anything that was not part of the actual shell.

I have seen the lavander tang eat off the side of the shell, pecking at alge or what ever but it does that on the rocks, snails etc.
The clam has been in that same spot, it could be more like 4 months not 3 and I spend a good amount of time watching the tank even more so lately and have not "seen" anything going on but I cant watch 24/7

I have a frag tank in the garage I can move it to, there is no sand though but no fish/shrimp etc either.

Will the lack of sand be an issue, I could always scoop some out- I put about 360 pounds in the main system-LOL

Its just odd that after all these months with the same fish/shrimp everything that someone is starting to just now messing with it, I have other clams that have as much if not more mantle per square inch exposed, but this is my only Deresa, maybe they taste better-:cry:

Not disagreeing just thinking out loud.

Let me know about the bare bottom frag tank if thats ok

Thanks again

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Oh and the oyster feast is added to the sump so it sprays out the returns- I thought I read on the label its for clams as well as other filtwr feeders?????

 

[ritter6788]

I like the idea of the guard made out of egg crate. You could always try it for a while and see if the clam opens up under the guard. If it does then it's most likely a fish picking at it.

 

[skinz78]

fish that pick are like kids sneaking in the cookie jar, they know when you're watching..... I would keep it in the same system, less stress.

Sorry for the short posts, I hate typing on my phone.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reefnjunkie]

fish that pick are like kids sneaking in the cookie jar, they know when you're watching..... I would keep it in the same system, less stress.

Sorry for the short posts, I hate typing on my phone.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

The frag tank is plumbed into the 'same system' so that works correct?

I can take a tupperware bowl and fill it with sand so it wont be on the bare bottom and its LED too so the only difference...... No fish or inverts.

 

[skinz78]

Yep, you're good to go then

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Well its only been about an hour, but just in that short time, it looks worse in the frag tank than it was before I moved it, the "flesh" is sucked back deep in the shell now to where I can see about a full inch of shell all aroung the inner rim.

If I did not know better I would say its reacting to "to much light"

I think whatever has caused what has happened to happen the damage has done and its not reversible-I am afraid this guy is "chowder"

:mad2: