What happened to my maxima clam and how do I help it?

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

Context before today: I’ve had this clan roughly a year now, it initially got attacked by bristlworms on my sand bed before I moved it up to rock work, in the last month or two I’ve seen my Melanarus wrasse occasionally nip at the mantle leaving small holes that heal over.

Today, I woke up to see my maxima clam like this (photos taken thisafternoon) and not responding to the light being blocked or when I picked it up to inspect the foot.

I didn’t see the Melanarus or bristle works attack the clam thismorning or last night but I was out yesterday. Also aptasia has not gotten close enough to touch the mantle or foot but yes I’m working on kicking that out

Any input is welcome on the cause or how to help or prevent it happening again. Or if the clam is even alive anymore.

Viking_Reefing · Jun 9, 2020

That thing is dead as a rock unfortunately, I would remove it before it fouls the water.
It’s hard to say what happened but if your wrasse has been picking at it it’s not good.
do you have any progression pics? Could it be pinched mantle perhaps?

I’ve found that clams are extremely hit or miss these days compared to back in the day :/

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

MichaelE said:
That thing is dead as a rock unfortunately, I would remove it before it fouls the water.
It’s hard to say what happened but if your wrasse has been picking at it it’s not good.
do you have any progression pics? Could it be pinched mantle perhaps?

I’ve found that clams are extremely hit or miss these days compared to back in the day :/

Any hope of it recovering if I leave it in? I’ll attach the most recent photos of it I have but none are close ups unfortunately. also forgot to mention I added two peppermint shrimp 4 days ago but never saw them attacking clam if it could be related

Any idea what did this?

najer · Jun 9, 2020

Possibly the lta stinging it?

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

najer said:
Possibly the lta stinging it?

only ever seen it touch the hard shell never the mantle or foot and even then only briefly, good idea though.

homer1475 · Jun 9, 2020

Completely dead, remove it before it fouls the water. If it does not respond to touching it(your picture shows it still open when holding it).

Leaving it in for a hopeful recovery, will result in more things dying when your ammonia spikes.

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

homer1475 said:
Completely dead, remove it before it fouls the water. If it does not respond to touching it(your picture shows it still open when holding it).

Leaving it in for a hopeful recovery, will result in more things dying when your ammonia spikes.

thanks for the advice, any idea what killed it?

homer1475 · Jun 9, 2020

No idea unfortunately.

I had a squamosa for like 6 years, looked great, and tripled in size. Woke up one day to a gaping shell and a half eaten clam(thats what our CUC is for FYI). When they start to go south, it's usually pretty rapid.

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

Just took the clam out and buried it, it smelt like a warf or breakwater if that helps. There was a small feather duster behind it if that could of done anything but I doubt it.

Anyone got any ideas as to what happened? The mantle did have two Small ish holes in it and the ‘pipe’ part was picked off

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

homer1475 said:
No idea unfortunately.

I had a squamosa for like 6 years, looked great, and tripled in size. Woke up one day to a gaping shell and a half eaten clam(thats what our CUC is for FYI). When they start to go south, it's usually pretty rapid.

Sorry to hear that happened to you and good point about the cleanup crew they do help manage Anything gone wrong until we can help

Viking_Reefing · Jun 9, 2020

Looking at your pictures it looks like it’s very extended and possibly gaping. What lights are you running?

xjiang7 · Jun 9, 2020

The clam seems bleached and now it's too far gone. Are there any thing changed (water parameter, light, temp etc.) recently?

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

Light is an AI prime HD, it was getting about 190 par and high flow to its shell but too high to the mantle

Temperature has stayed pretty stable around 25 degrees and a parameters have swung a bit as I’m dialing in a dosing pump

Tahoe61 · Jun 9, 2020

If a fish was picking on the mantle to the point of tissue injury to the clam imo that is easily enough to stress a clam to death.

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

Tahoe61 said:
If a fish was picking on the mantle to the point of tissue injury to the clam imo that is easily enough to stress a clam to death.

Thats a fair point but would that also explain damage to the foot it seemed pretty banged up or could the wrasse of killed it and something seeing it dead attacked the foot?

Tahoe61 · Jun 9, 2020

Peach02 said:
Thats a fair point but would that also explain damage to the foot it seemed pretty banged up or could the wrasse of killed it and something seeing it dead attacked the foot?

When a clam is essential dead the internal structures retract. The damage to the foot could have happened at night by activity of a CUC. Inverts can smell a dying clam before we see it.

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

Tahoe61 said:
When a clam is essential dead the internal structures retract. The damage to the foot could have happened at night by activity of a CUC. Inverts can smell a dying clam before we see it.

so you think the wrasse killed the clam from stress after attacking the mantle, and CUC attacked the foot once the clam died?

Tahoe61 · Jun 9, 2020

Peach02 said:
so you think the wrasse killed the clam from stress after attacking the mantle, and CUC attacked the foot once the clam died?

That pretty much sums it up.

Years of practice killing clams.

A stressed clam is typically a dead clam ime.

Very frustrating.

Peach02 · Jun 9, 2020

Tahoe61 said:
That pretty much sums it up.

Years of practice killing clams.

A stressed clam is typically a dead clam ime.

Very frustrating.

thanks for the input ill see if my LFS would take back the wrasse for free or I can find a good home for him. Any advice on passing on a fish you got attached to?

xjiang7 · Jun 9, 2020

I have my share of dead maxima clams in a tank with thriving squamosa, derasa, and gigas. Even I don’t know the exact cause I suspect they are very intolerant of swings especially alkalinity. They will appear bleached (almost translucent in center) but not by over lighting but simply stress, then the clam starves. Death soon follows if not corrected