Help with maxima clam

[drew300]

I got my new clam 2 days ago and it seems to be doing good. Ive just noticed that one side (left) of the mantle isnt as open as the rest of the mantle and it looks a little dicolored. Any thoughts?

 

[MarineExpert]

This could be due to the clam getting used to your water parameters , keep a good eye on that side of the clam for whitening , which isn’t a good sign. It may take a few days to adjust but as long as you don’t see any of the flesh retracting from the body structure you should be fine , very nice clam btw

 

[drew300]

If it does start to bleach what can i do? Thanks

 

[MarineExpert]

If you do start to see bleaching you have to identify what is causing the problem , so it’s best to start with the basics I.e lighting , water parameters , test for sudden changes in the clarity of your water , temperature, it can sometimes be where we place the clam in our tanks too , also feeding some particulated foods can also perk up your clam if there isn’t enough food being produced by zooxanthellaes so a little extra can go along way sometimes , and raises your chances of your clam surviving , as it’s still early days , I’d keep a close eye on your clam try not to panic and if you see any signs of bleaching start with the above mentioned basics , hope this helps ��

 

[drew300]

Ok thanks...hope its ok fingers crossed

 

[MarineExpert]

No problem at all hope all goes well for you

 

[drew300]

No problem at all hope all goes well for you

Ok so this morning i saw that my clam's matle was much more extended than it was yesterday. The side that wasnt extending seems to be extending more. The only problem is that the clam doesnt react to any movement. If i touch it with my net it will close but it wont react to any movement like it did yesterday i dont see any gaping @_@

 

[Sniperhank]

Well that isn't a good sign. A healthy clam will retract its mantle from a simple shadow over the tank.
Can you tell us more about the system? Can you tell us more about how the clam was acclimated?

 

[drew300]

The tank is 55 g and has been up and running for over a year. I currently dose kalk to keep my calcium at 450 and alk at 9. I did notice my magnesium level was high at 1380 yesterday. The water movement isnt too strong. I floated the clam in the bag for about 40 minutes and then drip acclimated for another 45 minutes. While dripping i removed some aptasia that was present. I also looked for any pyramid snails which i couldnt find any. I then placed the clam where it sits now. I rotated the clam 360 under the water to get any bubbles out.

 

[drew300]

I also added calcium yester because it was down at 400 and added some to bring it back up to 450

 

[Sniperhank]

Was the clam 'burped'?
In general, the color is still vibrant in the clam. If things are kept stable and pristine there should be able to recover without issue...I'd keep an eye on how reactive the clam is. You want to see retraction of the mantle from shadows.

 

[drew300]

Was the clam 'burped'?
In general, the color is still vibrant in the clam. If things are kept stable and pristine there should be able to recover without issue...I'd keep an eye on how reactive the clam is. You want to see retraction of the mantle from shadows.

Yes it was. I saw a few large bubbles come out of the matle. This morning it seems to be much more reactive. Its not as quick as before but it is starting to react to shadows. It's nice and plump and the mouth doesnt seem to be gaping. Ill keep a close eye thanks for the help

 

[Sniperhank]

Good call. As long as it keeps reacting to shadows and stays colorful without gaping things should be fine. Make sure it hasn’t pushed itself up against the glass as it will prevent it from opening fully and fully extending the mantle.

 

[drew300]

Good call. As long as it keeps reacting to shadows and stays colorful without gaping things should be fine. Make sure it hasn’t pushed itself up against the glass as it will prevent it from opening fully and fully extending the mantle.

Yeah i think it will be fine. Its nice and plump and colorer up