Ok, for all you clam experts out there, I have a problem. Please give me some advice or clues!
I have a tank with 14 tridacna clams in it. 3 large Derasas, 2 small derasas, 2 large maximas, 2 large croceas, 3 small maximas, and 2 medium squamosas.
Problem: I have been losing my maximas, one by one and sometimes in groups of 2.... They look absolutely fine one day, and then I wake up the next and find them withered and sick. they subsequently die that day. I observe no bleaching, no bites from the siphonal mantle, no bacterial absesses, and no macroscopic parasites upon dissection. One observation of note, I find that they are detached from the rock that they were attached to the day before as if the byssal threads just let go(but they haven't moved), and the byssal organ and attached muscles seem retracted and withered also. I have not lost any clams besides maximas. (i lost one squamosa, but it withered and died the moment I got it home from the 2 hour drive from the shop... the maximas have been in the tank for over a month and were doing great...)
Background info:
I have 3 tanks all connected together with water volume totaling approx. 180 gal... One is a sump, one is full of corals and fish, the thrid is full of my clam specimens and a six line wrasse to get rid of the parasites. I run a 400W iwasaki bulb on each tank with ultra-actinic "color correcting" power compacts. I supplement the tank with buffered ion blocks to keep up the trace elements and keep the Ca++ up with powder supplement. I give every other day feeding with DT's phytoplanton. All the corals are blossoming and growing rapidly and the fish (blue regal tangs) get occasional ich.
HELP!
Thank you...
-Justin
I have a tank with 14 tridacna clams in it. 3 large Derasas, 2 small derasas, 2 large maximas, 2 large croceas, 3 small maximas, and 2 medium squamosas.
Problem: I have been losing my maximas, one by one and sometimes in groups of 2.... They look absolutely fine one day, and then I wake up the next and find them withered and sick. they subsequently die that day. I observe no bleaching, no bites from the siphonal mantle, no bacterial absesses, and no macroscopic parasites upon dissection. One observation of note, I find that they are detached from the rock that they were attached to the day before as if the byssal threads just let go(but they haven't moved), and the byssal organ and attached muscles seem retracted and withered also. I have not lost any clams besides maximas. (i lost one squamosa, but it withered and died the moment I got it home from the 2 hour drive from the shop... the maximas have been in the tank for over a month and were doing great...)
Background info:
I have 3 tanks all connected together with water volume totaling approx. 180 gal... One is a sump, one is full of corals and fish, the thrid is full of my clam specimens and a six line wrasse to get rid of the parasites. I run a 400W iwasaki bulb on each tank with ultra-actinic "color correcting" power compacts. I supplement the tank with buffered ion blocks to keep up the trace elements and keep the Ca++ up with powder supplement. I give every other day feeding with DT's phytoplanton. All the corals are blossoming and growing rapidly and the fish (blue regal tangs) get occasional ich.
HELP!
Thank you...
-Justin
