Clam in trouble

[shy07guy]

I have been have some bad luck lately. I used to have 3 clams in my tank all over 3" one crocea, one teardrop, and one ultra maxima but over the last 3 or 4 weeks I have lost two of them and the third one is looking like its on its way out as well. I wanted to know if anyone using Zeo uses phytoplankton or anything of that sort to feed their clams? I am not sure if it is a food thing or something else the last thing I did to the tank before they started looking bad was to treat the tank with interceptor. I just tested the tank today and nothing is giving a red flag. The only other possible thing I can thing of is I took my Ca reactor off line about 6 weeks ago and have been doseing with calcmax which is what I did for a year before I had the Ca reactor but when I dose I get a PH swing from about 8.1 to 8.4 could that be enough to kill 2 clams and maybe a 3rd? Any thoughts would be great I think I will go to th store and get some DT's and feed the clam in a seperate container for now. Thanks
Derek

[GTR]

Derek...
I'd suspect a parasite of some sort.

I have 3 clams and they are all fine since starting zeo in July 04.
Target feeding out of the tank might help but my experience is once they "look" bad it's already over.

SteveU

[barky]

Derek
have you tested your calcium after you stopped the reactor and started the calcmax, I check mine weekly, and you will have changes once you stop the reactor and switch over to dosing with calcmax. and you might have a parasite like steve said. good luck!!! Brian

[Znut Reefer]

I have 4 clams in my tank and dosed interceptor before starting Zeo, and have treated since starting Zeo. All mine all fine. I agree with the others must have been a parasite or a fish picking on them. I don't feed mine since starting the zeo and they have shown alot of new growth.

[shy07guy]

I check my ca weekly and its stable at 425 with alk at 7.4. If it is a parasite what kind and is there anything I can do? I check for pryamid snails all the time but havent seen any what else should I look for?

[rjf]

When ever I had a problem with my clams it was always a fish pecking at it. It might only do it when your out of the room. So keep an eye out for that. Try to look from the other room or around the corner.

[barky]

What size are your clams? If they are under 3" I believe you have to target feed them, does anything bother them fish urchins anything that might tip or move them over, once put into place they should not be bothered, just like any other animal in your tank be sure nothing is picking on them even after lights out.

[shy07guy]

Yeah I have looked and watched but nothing an occasional nip to the shell by my chevron tang but we are talking like once maybe twice a day and its to the shell not the clam so the clam closes a bit but thats about it. I did have some pyramid snails but that was 3 months ago and havent seen to many since then and when I do they get vacuumed out. The one remaining clam is close to 4" I target fed him the other day by taking the half clam shell its attached to out and into a seperate container for feeding for 45min. I left to go out of town that evening so I am not sure how it is doing right now I am crossing my fingers. This clam did look this bad once before when I first got it and by target feeding it everyother day I got it to come back so hopefully I can do the same again so long as its the same problem.
Derek