[Rhonda.J]

I have a Derasa clam that I have had for months with it doing very well. I bought another clam about 3 weeks ago that only lived a few days. When it died I found several of the predator snails on it and in it. I searched the other one and found none. Anyway the derasa starting rocking the other day like it was intentially trying to move. It kept rocking back and forth like it was trying to pull its muscle lose. This afternoon it finally pulled the musle lose but now he is just staying open with his mantle slightly retracted. I thought he was dead and went to take him out before he contamanated the tank. But he closed up slightly so I left him. It looks like his mouth opens really wide but when I get close you can see it close up and reopen. I have also seen his output siphon move slightly. His muscle is still intact. He didn't pull any of it off. But he has retracted it inside his mantle now. I don't know if he is alive or just doing these things out of reflex. And if he is alive is he slowly dieing, which is what I fear. I don't know what could have killed him. He was doing so well. I did find one of the bad snails on him today, but only one. I can see in his mouth when he opens it wide and everything looks in tact there. So far there are no snails going after it which I assume they will do when he dies. also he is still stuck in an open position. He doesn't even try to close when I get near it. The only time it tried to close was when I was looking at it to make sure there were no snails and I turned him a little on his side. Do you think he just needs time to heal after pulling his muscle lose? The tank parameters are as follows.
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
ph 8.2
alk 2.5
calcium 465
SG 1.024

Everything else looks really good.