Pinched Mantle

[mss]

I have a question about pinched mantle in Crocea clams. I have a total of 6 clams...3 crocea, 2 Dersea and 1 maxima clam. 1 of my crocea clam is showing signs of a pinched mantle which just started today. I researched and saw that the best treatment is to do a FW dip for about 30 minutes. I understand that it is probably a protozoan infection (and this clam did have its rock fall over a couple days ago so some damage might have occured) but my question is should I go ahead and dip all the clams even though none of the other clams are showing any signs? If so, can I dip a couple at the same time in a large enough bucket or should only 1 be dipped at a time?

Thank you very much

 

[skinz78]

Can you post a pic of the clam?

Are you running carbon? if so how, in front of a powerhead or through a canister filter?

What do you dose and how do you add it

Are you running any phosphate removers? If so stop them until this clears up.

Hold off on the FW dip, this is very stressful and is a last resort thing to do.

 

[mss]

I probably should have included some parameters for the tank....sorry....
it is a 135 and I have (this is strange and only temp until other 250 comes in) 1 2x250W Outer Orbit light with LED and HOT5 and 1 2x150W same fixture.

I will attempt to post picture of tank and ind clam later today...my main computer crashed this weekend laptop crummy!

I dose with 2part solution..I have been doing at night into sump...I did forget to do it on Wed and Thurs. I try to do it everynight but I will honestly say I do occasionallt forget
I have carbon and phos-lock in my sump. Can remove those if needed.

I did just rerun my water tests just now....as of 9:00am
Kh 11 (low like it around 13)
ca 420 (again low around 460)
ammonia neg
nitrate neg
nitrite neg
ph 7.8 (low again...last test 2 weeks ago was 8.2) My ph runs low however I am thinking maybe my test kit might be off...not sure

again will try to get pictures later on today.......

I thought that I read somewhere that a pinched mantle is 100% fatal if not treated? I am not excited about doing a FW dip and will def wait till pic gets posted

Oh yeah...I feed Rods Food daily to fish and supplement live phyto feedings a couple times a week and will target feed about every week or so....I also use Reef Plus a couple times a week and add selco and selcon and vit c to my fish food

Thanks

 

[returnofsid]

I don't have a lot of information to offer except that your low pH reading may be due to the time of day you tested. pH drops at night and raises during the day. Testing so early probably has something to do with the low reading. Try testing this afternoon and see what you get.

I'd recommend removing the phos-lock for now. Can't say I'd recommend removing the carbon though. But I'd definitely take the advice of those more familiar with clam problems. I do have 2 T. Croceas and recently rehomed a T Derasa due to it's growing size. However, never had any problems that needed treatment. I'd also recommend posting this on Barry's forum, which used to be found at clamsdirect, but is now found here... http://www.reefaquariumforum.com/

Getting that picture will definitely help. Pinched Mantle is pretty hard to diagnose without one, and even with one, clams sometimes act like they have it, but then come out of it in a week or 2. There's not a whole lot known about PM yet...unfortunately.

 

[mss]

Here is some pictures that I just took...not sure what is going on today...everything else is doing great but this particular clam is not opening up for some reason today. Started out like I said yesterday as just being the right side seemed pinched, now today it seems like the only thing that is doing is opening up a little in the middle a little bit, otherwise it has been closed all day...all the other clams are doing great..I have included pictures of the tank in general, each clam and the effected clam.

I will also post this on Barry's site...thanks.

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1613-1.jpg
my whole tank

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1604.jpg
my dersea...last clam that was added about 3 weeks ago..was tank raised

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1605.jpg
my golden teardrop...

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1607.jpg
my oldest crocea clam...have had this one for about 1 year now

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1608.jpg
my other crocea and dersea

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1609.jpg
http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1610.jpg
http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/schackmel/?action=view&current=100_1612.jpg

the effected clam....I have an awful lot of airbubbles as my sump pump is surging and has been for several months....been fighting the people who installed it to come and fix it so that is why the pictures are sooooo bad. Hopefully enough that you can see it

thanks again

 

[skinz78]

There are some suspected clam nipping fish in the tank and I am betting one has been nipping at the clam, I don't think it is pm.

 

[mss]

thanks!
I overlooked the obvious....the stupid bicolor that has mad a den right next to the clam! Now I am going to go fishing!
This morning the clam released its footing....I dont think voluntarily as there are a lot of bibasil tendons left on the rock so I did move this clam away from the den of the bicolor blenny at least....not sure if that will help or not now that he has a taste but until I can figure out a way to catch a small fish in a big tank!
Thanks again for everybodies help

 

[returnofsid]

I don't think he's referring to the bicolor. Wouldn't be surprised if he's referring to the trigger or possibly the dwarf angel I seem to see in the background. Possibly even the Hippo Tang...though doubtful.

 

[mss]

I don't think he's referring to the bicolor. Wouldn't be surprised if he's referring to the trigger or possibly the dwarf angel I seem to see in the background. Possibly even the Hippo Tang...though doubtful.

I am on a mission to find who the guilty party is :badgrin::badgrin::badgrin:
I work from home and since my desktop broke I have set my crummy laptop out in the living room and am watching the tank.....its going down today! :evil: Though I hope it is not my Bellus angel...she is beatiful. So far I have not seen anything mess with the clams but they all have ate pieces of the tendon that is attached to the rock...the rabbit, the angel, the bicolor and the blue hippo.......jerks...it is on! I have multiple algea feeding stations set up for them....even some cheap corals...dont mess with my clams!

 

[returnofsid]

Hope the taste of Bysal thread doesn't turn them on to clams!! Could be a real concern.

 

[Barry N.]

From what I can see it does not appear to be PM. You tank looks like a new setup. How long has it been up and running????

 

[mss]

the tank has been up for about 5 months..but it was a transfer (upgrade) from a 75g that was a year old...so it is still relatively new.

I did removed the bicolor blenny into another tank and the clam is looking great now! Open and healthy looking. I caught him nipping at the clam..he made one of his dens on the rock next to the clam and I guess he got angry when it would open!!!! So now all my clams are happy and the bicolor is banned into a smaller tank:lol:

thanks for the response

 

[skinz78]

Thats great to hear