Why can’t I keep a clam

[Orcus Varuna]

I wonder if running UV in our systems is effective. I see the article says "Ultravioletlight sterilization greater than 28,000(μWs/cm2) is effective against P. marinus, but 60,000 μWs/cm2 is required to kill P. olseni." But I wonder if UV is enough to control mortality if a clam is infected in the system or if small inevitable transmission will still kill the clams no matter the power of the UV we use.

Likely is a viable way to contain it unfortunately it would require a commercial UV sterilizer to administer a UV dose that large.

 

[reefwiser]

What size Clam have you been getting? The smaller clams in the 2 to 3 inch range have a real high mortality rate. At that size they are depending more on filter feeding than light and our aquariums are not made for filter feeders. When you get into 6 inch clams they need 200 par to be healthy.

 

[miyags]

My guess is a certain type of bristle worm.

 

[hart24601]

Likely is a viable way to contain it unfortunately it would require a commercial UV sterilizer to administer a UV dose that large.

The model on BRS (Pentair) look to be able to handle it pretty easily. The two flow rates they give across models are 30,000 and 180,00 μWs/cm2 and it looks to be a linear relationship between those numbers so just half the flow on the 30k flow rate and should be good to go. Of course scale the model to appropriate sized system or oversize the UV.


Model No.
02040
Maximum Aquarium Size
260 Gallons
No. Lamps/Watts
1/40
Water Flow Rate Algae and Bacteria 30,000 µWs/cm² Suggested/Maximum
943 GPH/1574 GPH
Protozoa
180,000 µWs/cm² Suggested/Maximum
157 GPH/262 GPH

 

[Orcus Varuna]

The model on BRS (Pentair) look to be able to handle it pretty easily. The two flow rates they give across models are 30,000 and 180,00 μWs/cm2 and it looks to be a linear relationship between those numbers so just half the flow on the 30k flow rate and should be good to go. Of course scale the model to appropriate sized system or oversize the UV.


Model No.
02040
Maximum Aquarium Size
260 Gallons
No. Lamps/Watts
1/40
Water Flow Rate Algae and Bacteria 30,000 µWs/cm² Suggested/Maximum
943 GPH/1574 GPH
Protozoa
180,000 µWs/cm² Suggested/Maximum
157 GPH/262 GPH

Very nice haven’t seen that one before, a 40 watt sterilizer is decent sized and at lower flow rates should work.

 

[bigcheese]

Also, if your looking for research on what’s being explored for treatment of fish and other marine organisms the University of Florida receives huge sums of money from big food to conduct aquaculture research including disease treatment. They sponsored the study I posted here and are actively conducting research on large scale treatment of velvet which is currently ravaging the aquaculture fish industry, especially salmon.

+1 for UofFL. One of the promising studies I saw from them (replicated by Alaska) involved Halamid Aqua (Chloramine Trihydrate) for clams and shellfish. It's widely used in salmon farming.
I've been wanting to try it myself but haven't had anything deathly sick lately.

In case you want to give it a shot, there are a bunch of products out there for Koi that are Chloramine-T (one of my LFS carries Kusuri from time to time).

 

[RalphTech]

I too have zero luck with clams. Bought them at a swap meet and one lasted 3 months and another was history in 2 weeks. Have a 2.5 year old EVO 13G tank and replaced the light with a full adjustable reef light. blue @ 61, white @ 48, green and red to highlight coral but > 10
The fish didn't pick on maxima and I have no worms.
Alk=10.2
Calc=320
pH=7.83
temp=77

 

[Orcus Varuna]

+1 for UofFL. One of the promising studies I saw from them (replicated by Alaska) involved Halamid Aqua (Chloramine Trihydrate) for clams and shellfish. It's widely used in salmon farming.
I've been wanting to try it myself but haven't had anything deathly sick lately.

In case you want to give it a shot, there are a bunch of products out there for Koi that are Chloramine-T (one of my LFS carries Kusuri from time to time).

Hmm just read that study hadn’t seen that one previously. I’ll definitely try this at some point as I want a Hippo clam bad. Clams are one of the few animals I don’t mind trying again and again because these cultured clams are either going in a fish tank or on someone’s dinner plate somewhere in Asia/Oceania and they have a better chance in my care vs a dinner plate lol

 

[Clarke]

I have tried 6 different maxima calms from an online retailer and they all die in the first 2 weeks. This particular retailer has a great warranty policy, so the keep refunding me, and I keep trying. I have a 6 year old aquarium full of large SPS and LPS colonies grown from frags. I’m pretty confident in my water chemistry.

The clams arrive healthy and go down hill over the next 2 weeks. I don’t think it’s an acclimation issue, but I have tried different methods. They usually look good after acclimation.

My only guess is my African Flameback is picking at the clams, but I’ve never seen him pick at the mantle.

I would love to keep a maxima. That’s the last animal I want to add.

Any ideas?

Flame Back’s are known to pick on fleshy Corals & clams . Mine did killed my clam that I had for years. Either catch him or don’t put anymore clams in your tank.

 

[Phycodurus]

*sigh* ... add me to the list of DD attempts ... beautiful little jewels, but they always perished ... typically within 2-3 weeks. I wish there were as hardy as GHA lol.

I've since sworn off DD clams.

 

[rkpetersen]

I've had so many tridacnas from LA/DD die, sometimes literally within a day.
Some absolutely gorgeous ones too, made me quite sad.
Never could figure out the issue, so I stopped buying clams there.
In fact I've since been rather gunshy about clams in general.
Although I have a couple now (sourced elsewhere) that are doing well.

 

[rkpetersen]

It’s an LA/DD issue not your tank. I sacrificed a divers den clam last year and dissected it when it arrived, the gills were severely atrophied which is a telltale sign of a severe Perkinsus infection. IMO and based on my experiences ordering clams from LA both the quality marine and divers den systems have a systemic issue with Perkinsus. So by the time you receive the clam they are beyond saving and since they never go clam fallow the disease just keeps running like wildfire from shipment to shipment. I will say the ORA direct clams (the ORA tab on the LA homepage NOT divers den ORA clams) are usually good just very small. Also, I just recently ordered from pac east and both clams arrived looking good with new shell growth so we shall see how they do...

The current state of the clam trade is truly unfortunate. 10 years ago you could buy one from basically anywhere and as long as your tank wasn’t completely neglected and had adequate lighting clams were basically unkillable. O and one more thing I almost forgot DO NOT put new clams in with established clams you must quarantine and observe for at least a month. Perkinsus is highly contagious and will infect and kill your existing bivalves with near 100% efficacy. If you have had Perkinsus infected clams there is mixed data on how long of a clam fallow period is needed but most wholesalers are recommending and practicing 30 day fallow periods.

Honestly this appears to explain my entire experience with DD clams.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Just to add that I had an almost 20 inch derasa clam that got wiped out by a liveaquaria DD clam. Since that time I haven't been able to keep any clam alive in my tank. They all stop siphoning water and than gradually wither away over a few weeks. I even went 30 days fallow and plumbed a 120 watt pentair sterilizer inline with no luck. I just moved a maxima from my old nano into the display that was doing very well so will see on this one. Clearly they have some type of major issue with some disease or clam parasite. If this clam doesn't make it I will end up doing a 6 month or so clam less period. Very frustrating indeed.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Just to add that I had an almost 20 inch derasa clam that got wiped out by a liveaquaria DD clam. Since that time I haven't been able to keep any clam alive in my tank. They all stop siphoning water and than gradually wither away over a few weeks. I even went 30 days fallow and plumbed a 120 watt pentair sterilizer inline with no luck. I just moved a maxima from my old nano into the display that was doing very well so will see on this one. Clearly they have some type of major issue with some disease or clam parasite. If this clam doesn't make it I will end up doing a 6 month or so clam less period. Very frustrating indeed.

That’s a shame you lost such a large clam... Some of the newer research shows certain Perkinsus species can live nearly 200 days without a host so a 6 month fallow would be appropriate if your new addition croaks.

 

[Huskymaniac]

I always associated Perkinsus with pinched mantle. Whatever I have it kills all and any species of clam the same way. I believe it attacks the internal organs first. The first symptom is the clam stops siphoning water. You can tell because the exhalant siphon is flat or contorted. It just looks odd and obviously if water was going out of it would look different. Once this happens the clam is gone. It will still expand and look normal otherwise. Gradually the clam will remain closed a little bit longer until it gapes and then dies. I have lost 3 Derasa clams not including my original, 2 Maximas, and 3 Squamosa's.

 

[Jay Z]

I bought a pair of maximas from a gentle man on here the other month. 2-3” range.

Acclimation was float for 15 minutes, add tank water to bag, repeat 3 times. Then set in tank.

I set both on rocks in the middle of my tank. My gold attached in 10 minutes and has not moved since. My blue wander down to the substrate and has remained.

No drip, no light adjustments.

I do feed a mix of rods, mysis, coral nectar, photo, and reef roids once a day, broadcast, no spot feed.

Both clams did settle in higher flow areas. They have been opened and excellent mantle extension since the first day.

Running a a700 and a 80 on my tank. Golds in 175 par. Blue went to 100.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I always associated Perkinsus with pinched mantle. Whatever I have it kills all and any species of clam the same way. I believe it attacks the internal organs first. The first symptom is the clam stops siphoning water. You can tell because the exhalant siphon is flat or contorted. It just looks odd and obviously if water was going out of it would look different. Once this happens the clam is gone. It will still expand and look normal otherwise. Gradually the clam will remain closed a little bit longer until it gapes and then dies. I have lost 3 Derasa clams not including my original, 2 Maximas, and 3 Squamosa's.

I answered this already but certain Perkinsus species attack the gills and I posted a link to a peer reviewed study on other bivalves that shows Perkinsus does not always manifest with outward facing symptoms such as pm or gaping. I also dissected a clam from dd and the gills as you have observed were completely atrophied with evidence of limited to no circulation for quite some time.

 

[Jay Z]

Moon lights are coming on. So they’re tucked in for the night.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Moon lights are coming on. So they’re tucked in for the night.

Look at that new shell growth! Looks like you got some winners

 

[xjiang7]

A buddy of mine from college works for a large food company which has successfully used chlorinated water to effectively contain Perkinsus outbreaks in bivalves. It’s a drastic measure for sure and there is very little peer reviewed research on Perkinsus but he directed me to this article awhile back showing freshwater for 10 minutes and chlorine at 300 mg/l may be an effective treatment. The company he works for is also funding multiple ongoing study’s to develop treatment strategies for Perkinsus. The disease costs big food hundreds of millions a year so they have the motivation to figure something out. The scary thing about the attached article is it suggests Perkinsus can survive nearly 200 days in a closed system without a bivalve host. http://shellfish.ifas.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/Perkinsus-Infections-of-Bivalve-Molluscs.pdf

Lol I just graduated from UF last year