Clams dying, please help...

[Cam]

Hi,

I am having some problems with the clams that I keep. To date I have lost 2 and a third is now showing signs of the same thing.

Basically the mantle of the clam will not fully open. It starts in only a small area of the mantle and spreads to the whole thing over a period of weeks. The effected mantle is shrunk back and curls up slightly and eventually the clam dies there is no loss of coloration etc.

I have studied the Sprung book on clams and it would seem that a parasite would be to blame, however the last clam that showed these symptoms was checked VERY thoroughly on many occasions both day and night and I could find nothing. I had a six line wrasse in the tank but never saw it take any interest in any of the clams. I have seen no signs of any parasitic snails. I do have bristleworms in the system but again they have never bothered any of my clams in the 20 months that I have been keeping clams.

Any help here would be appreciated as I do not want to lose this clam as it a is particularly lovely specimen of a maxima in light blue and gold. It also cost me a fortune!!

Thanks,

Cam.

[Barry N.]

Hi Cam and welcome to ReefLand.

Let get some more information first such as water chemistry. pH, salinity, , etc. also lighting.

How long have you had the clams in the tank and what period of time after you introduct them do they start to decline?

What like of clams are they? Have you introducted a Pohnpei clam to the tank in the past months? The reason I ask about the Pohnpei clams is that a few months ago there were large loses of clams after introducing Pohnpei clams to several hobbyist. Some had thought that they had a viral/bacteria infections that spread to the other clams.

When these clams started to decline, you stated that there were no discoloration in the mantles, was there any tiny white spots on the mantles? Did you check the byssal and how did that look?

A lot of question I know but with the information you provided it is very hard to say.


Regards,

Barry

PS I also received your e-mail

[reefcat01]

Some thoughts on this subject, and things Ive been through with calm deaths. The first thing is that when i tried to keep calms in the beginning the tank was about 6 months old and no calm lasted more than a month. I thought that it was a food problem but feeding didnt change mortality rates. The next thing i decided to investigate was the snail destruction of calms and saw 2 to none...and never on the clams...\
Well now i have been deeping cams for quite a while and have had no problems with die offs ( vacation hot weather caused deaths due to overheated water) The thing i did was to suspect viral infection that was killing them off so i got a uv unit and installed it and left it run for 2 months. My next clam that i added is still alive and kicking and have had no problems since...this might help and maybe not...but its worth a try if its a pathogen. Jim...M

[Barry N.]

Hi Jim,

Have heard that as well with the UV. No one seem to know how long that viral/bactery will remain in the tank. I have heard that some people that was infected badly did several water changes and waited for 3 months and had no problems but then again I have heard that some waited and still had a problem.

What ever that problems was a few months ago seems to have vanished. Haven't heard anymore about great loses like there was 3 months ago. Knock on wood, I had no problems at all.

[Barry N.]

Hi Jim,

Have heard that as well with the UV. No one seem to know how long that viral/bactery will remain in the tank. I have heard that some people that was infected badly did several water changes and waited for 3 months and had no problems but then again I have heard that some waited and still had a problem.

What ever that problems was a few months ago seems to have vanished. Haven't heard anymore about great loses like there was 3 months ago. Knock on wood, I had no problems at all.

[Barry N.]

Cam,

One thing you might try is a fresh water dip. Have had to do this a few times and had luck with it.

Barry

[Cam]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replys. Barry, in answer to your questions, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Phosphate are all 0. Calcium is about 450 and dkh is aprox 13, Ph is 8.24 and salinity is 1.026.

The first clam to be affected was a small 2 1/2 inch maxima that I had had for around a year or more. Interestingly it first showed symptoms several weeks after a new addition (also maxima) was added but died overnight without warning after about 3 weeks. It took the original clam several weeks before it finally died but for most of that time it's mantle was curled etc. There was no white spots on the mantle and there did not appear to be anything wrong with the byssal opening. When I split the clam open there was no sign of parasites, snails etc.

The possibility of some sort of virus/bacterial infection sounds plausable due to the lack of any visible parasites. I do not have a UV at the moment.

How long do you dip a clam for, and is it dipped in Ro water or a mild saltwater? I don't want to overely stress the clam but I am willing to try if it helps save it.

Thanks,

Cam.

[Captain Clam]

Cam, read my thread titled "evil microscopic clam stabber". My clam that was being stabbed reacted much as you describe yours with the mantle curling back. I still have that clam and he seems to be doing OK but the section of the mantle that was being stabbed has still not expanded back out yet. I have seen no evidence of the "stabber" in about a month. I scrubbed the hell out of the shell with a toothbrush twice after I witnessed the attack. I have recieved no enlightening responses as to what it may have been or what to do about it though. Sorry I don't have any helpful info for you, good luck.

[Barry N.]

Cam,

I have dipped up to 10 minutes and have heard that some have done it longer. I use RO water .

What are you feeding your clams?

Barry

[Cam]

Hi Barry,

I feed my tank on phytoplankton (nanochloropsis). This is the only food that I add that I think the clams will use. I also have an in tank deep sand bed which seems to have plenty of life thus the planktonic life in the water coloum is probably OK. The clams seem happy with this, I have a squamosa that has more tham doubled isn size in well under a year

Would you ever consider exporting clams here to the UK?

Cam.

[Barry N.]

I am so pleased that you feed your clam as some do not and then wonder why they die.

The amount of paper work that I would have to do to export wouldn't be worth it unless I had a big volume of business. Dealing with the UK may also be hard. I will do some checking for you with a major supplier and see what he says.

Regards,

Barry

[Cam]

Thanks Barry,

I am interested in buying some small clams and growing them on for a while for my own pleasure and perhaps a small profit at a later stage. Trouble is I don't know how to even begin to source a supplier directly, ideally I would like to import some specimens myself but I may have to go through a third party as I don't know any supliers and I don't think anyone will give me contacts.

Cam.