New clams

[Minh Nguyen]

I have some new clams coming next week, and I think that I will try the dipping technique for prophylaxis before adding them to the tank. Let me just confirm with you that you have never had a healthy clam die after being in temperature equalized RO water for 1/2 hour (30 minutes). Of course, I would not hold you responsible if something did happen to my clams - I am just making sure that I got the dipping time and technique correct.

One of my clam died after a dip. It was the second one that I dipped. I dipped my least beautiful Maxima first. He was not too sick. He did well. I then dipped my sickest (and very beautiful) Maxima next. He died. I think he was too far gone. I only dipped for 30 minutes, find that they tolerate the dip and that it took care of the problem so I did not change the lenght of the dip.
After I find that they get re-infected, I dipped all my visiabley sick clams other than the Gigas next. This did not take care of the problem. They would get well then re-infected. I then arrange to dipped and transter to another tank (my friend's tank). This works very well.
Then my friend got divoiced and I lost three of my best clams. I no longer have an option to put them in another tank. I decided to dipped all of my clams, include my Gigas, at the same time. This took care of the problem.

After shipping, clams will be stressed. If they are well befor shipping, i think they sould be OK. Your vendor may void any guarrantee if you dipped your clams.

Good luck
Minh

 

[jamesw]

Hi Guys,

You can view Minh's beautiful Gigas and the others that "passed on" in the January issue of Advanced Aquarist. Minh's aquarium was featured:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... uarium.htm

Cheers
James

 

[Minh Nguyen]

The blue Maxima in this picture show early evidence of this disease that devastated my clams.
Minh Nguyen

 

[texman]

Minh, that looks exactly like my clams just before they died.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Minh, that looks exactly like my clams just before they died.

I would be happy if this thread hepl some one save their clams.
Minh

 

[eddi]

Minh,

I am a clam lover as well and lost six clams this year to the misterious disease so I have been following this thread very closely. I am slowly building up my clam supply again, I may do the freshwater dip as a precaution with my next one.

One thins you said caught my attention. You do not feed your clams? May I ask why? I always thought that clams needed to be fed (I use live DT). Is that not true? Where do you clams get their nutrients from?


Thanks,

Eddi

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I don't target feed my clams but I don't get tiny clams either. Minimal Crocea clam for me is about 1.5 inches and minimal Maxima is about 2 inches.
My tank is absolutely thriving with lots of breeding animals (worms and snails and various things in the rock) Often either at dust or drawn my tank would be cloudy from something spawned. I have a thriving 10-14 inches deep sand bed.
I think they got something from all these activity. Clams are photosynthetic also and able to extract nutrients dissolved in the water. I would say that my tank got feed heavier than a usual tank and is skimmer less.
I am off to visit my family. Happy Thanksgiving everybody.
Minh Nguyen

 

[Vixyswillie]

Gorgeous clams, Minh. You've certainly been through a lot - and thank Heavens you didn't lose that Gigas! Best of luck with your new additions.

 

[dzhuo]

I would avoid T. crocea and T. maxima. You may want to try T. derasa or T. squamosa
Many people recommended no clams unless you have some MH because of the point source of light. You can get high intensity if you bring the clams closer to the MH, while it is not as true regarding VHO or PC lights.
Good luck,
Minh Nguyen

Hi Minh,
If I have a 100G (48"x24"x20") with a 4" DSB so total water deepth is 16", I have 2 250W MH + 2 VHO actinic, will I be able to keep those calms?

thanks!
david

 

[eddi]

David,

with 2 250W MH you can keep any clams. 48" is kind of deep so you may want to place any croces you get higher up in the tank, but for everything else, you are more than fine.


Eddi

PS Happy Thanksgiving to Minh and everyone else.

 

[HK StYle]

hi minh this is stephen here from Australia and i would like to know if people from America would ship clams to australia. The ones we have here are like brown in colour

cheers
Stephen

 

[texman]

Hey HK,

I thought that we were getting them from you guys (or your general vicinity). I guess you guys are sending all the good stuff over here and are left with the crappy ones.

 

[Veng68]

hi minh this is stephen here from Australia and i would like to know if people from America would ship clams to australia. The ones we have here are like brown in colour

cheers
Stephen

I would think that it would be next to impossible to import giant clams from the USA to Australia. The permit process alone would kill you,

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Leopardshark]

man, this thread is soo much interesting and educative.
Thanks Minh for sahring your experiences with us. Now I´m all freaked out because I´m about to receive about 20 clams, all are 4-5 inches and I will keep an eye on them.
Pinching is the mantle recesion I suppose right? is there any other symptom rather than not fully opening???
Thanks guys

 

[Minh Nguyen]

If you are interested you need to read these treads:
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22102
http://www.reefland.com/forum/showthrea ... eadid=8607
http://reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showth ... did=131880
I hope this will help many clams and reefers from getting clams wipeout.

Minh Nguyen

 

[Leopardshark]

Thanks Mihn, I´ve already read all these.
Do you know where are the infected clams coming from??
I´m getting mines from Fiji. Do you know if this sickness is coming from the ocean or developing in our tanks?
TIA

 

[Minh Nguyen]

My friend, whose clams got wipe out by this disease, and I think the infection started in our tank when we order a clam from one of the online vender. I don't know the actual origin of the clam other than the fact that it was originally farm raised. I think if was infected in transit because it has evidences of recent good shell growth when we got it.
Minh

 

[AgentSPS]

One trend that I have noticed is that this disease has not really affected smaller sized clams (less than 3 inches). I have two 5+ inch clams which are exhibiting the disease right now and and my 3 inch clam does not seem to show any signs of it. I will try a freshwater dip this evening and see if it makes a difference. I did notice copepods on the mantle this morning when I shined a flashlight on the clams. I am wondering if they might be the cause or a possible cure for the problem. Perhaps they are eating the parasites? Well whatever the case, it does not seem to be solving the problem.

EVERYBODY KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR COPEPODS ON THE MANTLES to see if this is a common trend. We can solve this together as Minh suggests!

 

[Minh Nguyen]

One trend that I have noticed is that this disease has not really affected smaller sized clams (less than 3 inches). I have two 5+ inch clams which are exhibiting the disease right now and and my 3 inch clam does not seem to show any signs of it. I will try a freshwater dip this evening and see if it makes a difference.....

In my case, all the clams will eventually get infected and the smaller clams will die quicker if untreated. The original clam that was infected was a 2 inches Maxima.
There got to be several different diseases out there. This is one of them. It is really important for us to observe closely and make note of your observation, your treatment and outcome. I don't have a microscope or stains, but if some microbiologist out there can stain and look for the causative agents of these problems, it would be great.

Minh

 

[AgentSPS]

I think it would be most helpful to understand if we are dealing with a parasite, bacterium, or virus. While I am definitely going to dip my clams, I am afraid this is not a solution to the problem but rather a patch. I suspect the bug is not just in our clams as it is capable of spreading through the water column to others.