Calling all clam experts!

chuckfu wrote: When it rains it pours. Sorry.

No kidding...marine velvet now this...my family is almost to the point of taking bets on what will happen next...

In looking at the photos...I just noticed I didn't see a fresh white growth band. Is there one? It looks like the most recent one has some algae on it. To me, that suggests a long-term issue (possibly starvation). How big was the clam when you got it...and how big was it when it died?

Ok...well...I'm out of ideas. There are a ton of protozoan/bacterial diseases...that's still my best bet. Sorry.

Aloha,

Every organism is different and what works for one may not work for another. Two things concern me about your setup and feeding in general. I'll throw in my 2 cents here.

Even large clams do better with a regular diet of phytoplankton and Nitrates. If I were wanting to see what effect a change might have, I'd allow a little more nutrients to remain in the water and feed Phyto paste to the entire tank. A lot of important marine organisms both large and teeny weeny, thrive on phytoplankton. Clams are very efficient at eating phyto, so good that within hours they and other teeny weenies have eaten so much of the phyto that the water is clear again. No need for spot feeding in my experience.

I don't keep temps at 78-80 degrees. Everything does better at 75-78, where all the organisms' metabolism is at a more manageable level for the amount of water flow (flow is a a lot better in the wild)so that when the tank gets a little hotter it doesn't suffocate. Suffocate? Yes, because dissolved O2 is significantly reduced for every 1 degree increase in temperature. In my opinion, we are better off keeping our tanks at a base temp of 75.

That's my 2 cents.
Mahalo,
Mark

Mark Peterson wrote: Aloha, Every organism is different and what works for one may not work for another. Two things concern me about your setup and feeding in general. I'll throw in my 2 cents here. Even large clams do better with a regular diet of phytoplankton and Nitrates. If I were wanting to see what effect a change might have, I'd allow a little more nutrients to remain in the water and feed Phyto paste to the entire tank. A lot of important marine organisms both large and teeny weeny, thrive on phytoplankton. Clams are very efficient at eating phyto, so good that within hours they and other teeny weenies have eaten so much of the phyto that the water is clear again. No need for spot feeding in my experience. I don't keep temps at 78-80 degrees. Everything does better at 75-78, where all the organisms' metabolism is at a more manageable level for the amount of water flow (flow is a a lot better in the wild)so that when the tank gets a little hotter it doesn't suffocate. Suffocate? Yes, because dissolved O2 is significantly reduced for every 1 degree increase in temperature. In my opinion, we are better off keeping our tanks at a base temp of 75. That's my 2 cents. Mahalo, Mark

ReefdUp wrote: Mark, This clam was alive and healthy just a few days ago (as evidenced by the new growth). If it was starving, it would not have the new growth, and it would instead have a ring of algae along the inside of the shell. Clams are photosynthetic, and she's running high quality lights of the correct spectrum. As she mentioned, she also feeds her nonphotosynthetic corals, and the clam benefits from the stray food. If she had fed more when she first noticed the problem, it probably would've only exacerbated the issue. There have been plenty of studies showing that sudden nutrient increases in captive aquaria cause bacteria populations (both beneficial and detrimental) to explode and cause a variety of issues. Again, there's nothing to indicate it was starving in the first place. Next, her temperature is not the problem. Clams can survive in that temperature range, and she's had no spikes. It's not where I keep my temperature, but it's not a bad range either. Regardless, that temp range would not have wiped out a healthy clam in just a few days. And...btw...we all know you went to Hawaii. No need to keep reminding everyone.

+1

I think Nikki was simply pointing out why the issues Mark mentioned were not very applicable in this situation. No need to feel negatively about her explanation.

Same as jwoo - don't feed my clams, never have, never will