New Maxima clam gapping??

[bsung413]

Hi guys

I purchased a new maxima clam about a week ago, since then it never fully extend it mantle.

Is it just acclimating into the tank or is it gapping an unhealthy clam?

If it's just acclimating how long does it usually take??

It will react to lighting change (blocking lights with my hand) it's mantle will retreat. Sometime it's inhalant will be open sometimes not.

I have AI SOL BLUE LED for lighting, it's about 16" deep from lighting.

My tank Parameter are
Salinity:1.025
Calcium: 460
PH: 8.1
Alk: 8-9
Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite:0
Phosphate: 0.25-0.5
Temperature: 79-80

Sorry for the bad iPhone picture, don't know how to take a better shot.

Thanks for any comments or suggestion

Berny

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8749/16750742694_4222af3a3b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rwcWdw)

[gobytron]

I was looking at those on Canada Corals too.

It's never good, generally the acclimate pretty quickly if they are introduced to the system slowly but they should only be gapping if unhappy for some reason.

Have you had a clam before?

How do you have it mounted?

Anything protecting the foot?

Can you see any obvious pinching or damage to the mantle?


from
http://animal-world.com/Aquarium-Coral-Reefs/Care-of-Tridacnid-Clams


" Recently imported or transported clams usually exhibit a behavior called gaping. A gaping clam will appear as follows: shell fully open, mantle poorly extended, and inhalant siphon widely stretched. This eventually passes.
Gaping will continue if the clam is kept under insufficient lighting, is damaged, or unhealthy. The mantle will begin to pull inwards, shriveling and tearing between the siphons. A healthy clam's inhalant siphon can open wide sometimes, but gaping leaves a very wide opening.
The clam will stay like this for as long as the clam is unhealthy."

[bsung413]

Yeah I have another crocea for I think 2 or 3 years

The new maxima I think he's foot is already attach to a small rock that comes with the clam. I just place him on a flat rock but yeah no fish or inverts can get to its foot.


And no obvious damage to its mantle. At night it will still close up fully at least from the past week it did.

If you guys want I can take a picture of its foot. But I just don't want to stress it out by picking it up.

[Aquattro]

Based on that pic, I wouldn't worry a whole lot yet. Leave it alone, see if it fills out a bit. Sometimes they just need a bit of time. My most recent clam looked like it was dying for about 6 weeks, then it just opened fully and is fine now.

Unless that pic is not a real good shot, I don't see it as pinched or gaping

[gobytron]

have a read over the whole article that was linked.

Make sure it is indeed gapping...if it is, and If it keeps gapping, it's because it's unhappy.


Since you already have had a clam for a few years, I would rule out some kind of pest or pathogen.

Keep a close eye on it and see if it continues to gap, if it does, you will have to try to figure out why and make some changes.

it's most likely light related, as spectrum as well as intensity matter quite a bit to clams and it will either adjust, or you will have to help it out.

[bsung413]

Yeah I have read through the article, no pest for sure.

I just google up my lights and at 100% it give 785 PAR at 18"

Does 700 PAR sound too high or about right? If I have to I can slowly adjust the light to 100% for the clam


Thanks for all the fast reply, I will keep my eye close on it

[gobytron]

it's not about the amount of par....your light has enough par for sure.

It's about the amount of par and the spectrum your new clam is used to and how much different your lights par and spectrum are in comparison.

if you've already kept a clam for 2 or 3 years, you know your light can cut it for them.

Honestly, if Aquattro doesn't feel that your pic indicates a gapping mantle, you should probably just keep a close eye on it and let it do it's thing...

To me, that pic looks like it COULD be gapping, but it's not obviously unhappy or gapping for sure.

[bsung413]

Thanks I will try take a photo with my gopro see if it's any better thank iPhone

Thank you guys

[christyf5]

thats not even close to gaping, when you can see the gills inside, like obviously, *maybe* then you've got problems. until then, its just adjusting. As far as I know maximas aren't as prone to pinched mantle as the croceas. As long as its still retracting to light changes you should be ok. Also keep an eye on new shell, it should be putting on new shell regularly so keep your params in check

[bsung413]

Sometime it will have its inhalant open, I think I just didn't catch it in that photo, but yeah when I have my hands covering the light it will retreat.

I check my tank about once a week and I do 10% water change weekly to make up the calcium and stuff

Thanks

[Aquattro]

Honestly, it's fine. Let it settle in :)

[Ryanerickson]

Clam looks fine to me as Christi said its not gaping just not 100% open give it time.

[TimT]

The clam is not gaping and looks like a healthy specimen. I would leave it and not worry about it.

A few things to moniter to keep your clam happy:
Make sure your Alk and Ca are maintained. Clams can use a lot.
Make sure that your Nitrate does not get too low(<2mg/l).
Make sure your Phosphate stays low(<0.16mg/l)
Make sure that water current does not cause the mantle to move.
Make sure fish or shrimp are not bothering it.
Check at night to see if there is any worms or crabs bothering it.
Check at night for pyramidalid snails. They like to hide right near where the mantle hangs over the shell.

Cheers,
Tim

[bsung413]

Hi Tim thanks for the reply

I will keep my Alk and Ca in checks, as for phosphate even I replace my GFO weekly I still can't get a read lower than 0.25 ( I use colors chemical checked)

As for nitrate how do I keep it up? Less water change? I always get a read of 0 but there are probably some in there just my test kit isn't showing.

I check everynight to see if I can catch any pest and stuff but nothing! Good thing.

Here are picture taken with my GoPro hope it's better and a photo taken at night when it closed up

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7713/17357551236_611ef2a4f0_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/srPZfL)

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8817/17383159531_9d666cacab_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/su6eH6)