my dying clam

[Reefdude]

My maxima clam has been doing horrible the last few days and I just checked her out and it seems she has parasitic snails...they are so tiny I can barely see them. Is there anyway to take them off besides manually..it would take forever.

[MikeP]

Bummer, I know sixline wrasses will eat them. There may be some type of dip you can do to provide them with some releif temporarily. Are these all over the mantle or on the byssal thread too? If you think it will help you can 'borrow' my 6 line (I have one in big reef and small one in nano) otherwise I might check the FAQs at wetwebmedia they have a number of them relating to this very problem.

[TexasState]

When you take clam in and out of water, remember to burp it.

Try a 6-line Wrass for the parasitic snails. It might also eat away your Flatworm, Bristle Worms, etc. Maybe Jim Norris would have a better answer.

And remember not to drop it:
http://tanku.net.futuresite.register.com/_wsn/page8.html

[Chris]

In the mean time.. you can easily pry them off yourself.... at least the ones you can find.

[Reefdude]

I was just in there prying away and found a couple..of course I hope it helps but she is in bad shape...my poor clam. :cry2:

[OrionN]

You must take the clam out of the water, break off all the scutttes off the shell. Only after doing this, you can remove all the snails effective. Tank the clam out every few days and remove all the snails you se. After a few weeks, you clam will be snail free.
This is the reason I like to keep my clam on the sand. I cna easy clean them the first month or two to eliminate parasitic snails from my tank.
If you clam is not too far gone, and your tank is in good condition for clams, you clam will recover.
Minh

[Tim Marvin]

Depending on what shape the clam is in... If it is starting to decay then bristle worms, hermits, and nassarius snail will go after it. This will cause the rest to begin to die. Clams usually go pretty fast, a couple days max. I have never seen one recover, but like Chris said Jim Norris is the clam guy. I ask all my clam questions to him.

[Jimnorris]

Minh is right on with his statement. The only sure fireway to get rid of those snails is manual labor. Trick of the trade--- hard, long brittle tooth brush is the TOOL! Take the clam over to the sink, run warm water and BRUSH the shell everywhere! I also use a exacto knife to really clean into the scules! Also look for a clearish jelly type mass---this is the eggs of the snails---remove it! This must be done every few days to zap these snails. And again remember to burp the air pockets out of the clam while it is going back into it's tank. Also if you have larger snail like turbo and etc. pick these out of the tank and look them over the (rice) snails will attack them also! A sixline wrasse is a good natural way for control of these pests BUT! The pests mostly come out at night (the best time to check your clam) and the wrasse is sound asleep!
Jim

[Reefdude]

Well I got home from school and the clam is gone...it just all fell in on itself. That snail picking sounds like alot of work especially with school and 2 little ones running around. I may have to wait until I'm retired and have the time to spend my nights picking at clams.

[Reefdude]

He is the one I got with you almost two months ago

[Jimnorris]

Clams are tuff! Under the right condistions. Go to my website and read about "SCAR". Clams can also catch diseases and die. IMO if you have several clams in your tank and one does catch an infection you must get it out! Kinda like ick with fish. Chances are if one gets it most will. Clams have to be fed!!!!!!! The smaller the more food required. Lighting also comes into play alot. BUT you can IMO give too much light!!!! of course then there are creatures that prey on clams. Then there is farmed raise clams VS wild. I buy and import clams which are farm raised in the Marshall Islands. ORA does too---just got in 12 maximas and 12 ORA frags and some black clownfish???? Clams are wonderful creatures don't give up.
Jim

[Jimnorris]

I think there was a problem with a large shipment of wild clams that was shipped into LA by one large wholesaler. These shipment of clams were infected and then spread to the story in RC. Notice of late the infection is rarely talked about.
Jim

[Jimnorris]

I watch all the talk specially during that time with great interest. Sadly many people lost many clams. Luckly I lost none. That time all my clams were shipped right from the Marshall Island farm to me. Therefore bypassing the whole LA area! I also think that maybe a general sense the area is a huge meat market. If several hundred (thousand) clams are brought into LA everyone buys them there and then resells them all over the world. One of the reason I really want to go to LA is to see the different systems. The old saying can one bad apple spoil the bunch??? To me it appear so.
Jim

[TexasState]

I'm sure there are valid reason, but "Those who can't hang, make/use excuses, after excuses."

Some Clam live in the mud bed, I'm sure that there would be a heck lot more bacteria/virus where they originally lived.

[Tim Marvin]

I have two tanks that keep clams great, but my corner tank isn't very friendly to them. I'm not sure why as there are no parasites in the tank, and it grows acropora and other corals fine? As soon as a I put a clam in there they don't open quite as well and slowly start to close more and more each day. As soon as I move it back to the other tanks BOOM, opened right back to normal. The tank has good current, lights, and water parameters. I am guessing, but I would say it either has something in the water that is not measurable or something missing from the water...?? It just happens the way I look at it. Some tanks grow certain things and not others.. Some people grow xenia like weeds while others can't get it to survive no matter what they do...

[ziggyrocket]

I am in agreement with tim. I have been doing some comparisons between saltwater taken from key west, and synthetically produced Instant ocean by aquarium systems. I dont think the argument is what the synthetic does have, but what it dosent. There are plenty of differences, but i wouldnt be concerned with things in exponential ppm, but more like the absence of Molybdenium. I dont know much from a clam standpoint..as to what trace elements really make a difference in how well they prosper, im just lookin at it from water chemistry...and i think you should try to mimic their natural circumstances as much as possible, without goin overboard like me. One thing i have noticed with the help of some more experienced reefers...is that sometimes it is better to just leave it alone...and let nature take its course...our own little captive piece of nature that is. So maybe thats the solution...the clams were homesick?