So I picked up a maxima clam from dr Mac. I drop acclimated for about 2 hrs before adding to my tank. The next morning , the inner skin was receding and clam looked horrible. About 3-4 hrs later , I looked at clam again and it's Insides were coming out and became food for my fish. Why would this happened? It was about the only thing I bought from swap and was really excited about it. Did I acclimate right ?
Acclimating a clam
- Thread starter bigdog1428
- Start date
- Location
- Staten Island ny
Sound like you acclimated right but perhaps had to much of an instAbility in temp perhaps, clams are very temperamental as I have lost 2 clams in similar fashion , but who knows , maybe the clam was stressed in transport , I had the same thing happen to me with a frag swap purchased clam , it was active and great but it didn't make the journey home, but that was just with clams.
Typically the best acclimation for the clams is about 45 minutes via steady drip type acclimation and then not exposing the clam to the air when putting it in the tank and then burping it to expel any trapped air, they should be placed on rock rubble in the sand, and also need intense lighting for long term survival. Despite the best handling and acclimation sometimes the stress of handling and getting to a swap and then the unpredictable handling after they leave our tank at the swap may be too much for an individual animal.
- Location
- astoria,new york
I've got about 10 various clams now ,most of them were shipped over night never dripped any of them just temp acclimated them and burp them never had issues ,was gonna say pinched mantel disease but yours died pretty fast so don't think it was that,what are your tank parameters?or just could of been a bad clam to begin with from all the back and forth stress
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- Location
- Staten Island ny
Good point !! It's the gamble we take with any livestock we buy!!! We will always have that livestock loss , I remember I got a shipment this past summer and it was a malanarus wrasse female , a pair of helfrichi firefish, 4 chromis , a mystery wrasse and stary blenny I had them delivered and I boxed em and took the train home from work , and when I got home I had to rush out in a emergency and it was hot that day, I left them in the car for 15 minutes and needles to say I lost it all!!!
- Location
- Long Island NY
+1 I think the fact that it died within 24 hours indicates a bad clam in this situation. When it comes down to it, it could have been any small factor between the facility, the swap, and the home.. If it was me I would ask for store credit or some type of compensation in good faith. This hobby is tight nit and word of mouth is valuable. Cant replace a bad taste in someones mouth. IMHO of course.
great deal on the clams at the swap though! +1 to the vendor for that.
- Location
- astoria,new york
Yep I've got 4 clams from dr.mac all were shipped and must say are one of the nicest clams out there excellent shipping/packing too..
Your was just too stressed probably
Your was just too stressed probably
- Location
- Brooklyn
2 hours seems a bit long, maybe the temperature dropped while it was being acclimated? Can someone explain to me what "burping" is? I've had clams, but never done that
I have a heater and airstone plus a drip acclimator for new fish/inverts. I have had a clam before and lost it due to hurricane sandy.
- Location
- astoria,new york
Clam burping
grab him under water, and move him around... try to make the air escape through the mouths/vents...
grab him under water, and move him around... try to make the air escape through the mouths/vents...
- Location
- Long Island, NY
Contact Dr Mac, he will do the right thing. He always does.
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
I bought clams from Dr. Mac at his last 2 East Coast shows and they are doing fine. The one I bought on Sunday, I bought it at 10:10am and didn't get it into my tank until 9pm. Also sat in my car for 6 hours since I didn't want to lug 20lbs of water around with my purchases that day.
Clams are iffy, they can be fine and then dying the next day.
Had a 3" Sqaumi that grew to 12" over a period of 4 years and then without any reason noticed, it started to pinch one day and dead within 48 hrs.
Clams are iffy, they can be fine and then dying the next day.
Had a 3" Sqaumi that grew to 12" over a period of 4 years and then without any reason noticed, it started to pinch one day and dead within 48 hrs.
- Location
- New Jersey
I bought 2 clams from Dr Mac as well at the swap. I dod a drip acclimation for 45 - 50 minutes and added them to my DT.
They are doing OK. I have yet to see them open fully but they are trying..
The stress they went through before/after and during the swap is enormous. It will take time for them to get normal.
Sunny
They are doing OK. I have yet to see them open fully but they are trying..
The stress they went through before/after and during the swap is enormous. It will take time for them to get normal.
Sunny
my clam from the swap has a pinched mantle, people are telling me to give it a fresh water dip? any input?
this is an hour ago and it seems like its getting worse.
any input?
Alk 10
Cal 460
Mag 1300
Salinity 1026
ph 8.23
temp 77.7
this is an hour ago and it seems like its getting worse.
any input?
Alk 10
Cal 460
Mag 1300
Salinity 1026
ph 8.23
temp 77.7
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
my clam from the swap has a pinched mantle, people are telling me to give it a fresh water dip? any input?
this is an hour ago and it seems like its getting worse.
any input?
Alk 10
Cal 460
Mag 1300
Salinity 1026
ph 8.23
temp 77.7
The baby maxima that I bought from the last swap had pinched mantle as well. I did a 30min. freshwater dip. The trick is to do it with TAP WATER, treated with Prime NOT RO. Obviously make sure that the water is the same temp. You burp the clam after 30 minutes and place it directly back in the tank...no reacclimating. The shock from that kills the parasite. It will look worse for a bit. I've done this with both of my clams because it spread to the crocea that I've owned for a long time. So I had to dip them both and they both survived and are doing better than ever. So if there are any other clams in your tank, you may need to dip them as well. I wish there was info on MR, but here's an indepth link to a thread on NR about pinched mantle and how to treat it, etc.
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=303365
Someone was even questioning why all of the clams were closed as well. It's possible that they all had it?
Edit: Not at all slandering Dr. Mac...I love shopping with them and always will. This is just something that happens with clams, unfortunately, no matter where they come from. Wanted to make that clear.
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Same thing happened to me. Got a nice maxima at the swap Sunday. Aclimated right and the next morning it was dead. Ive had a derasa for over 4 months and doing great. My tank is sps dominant and all my parameters are fine.
I emailed dr. Mac and I got a response saying that they can't guarantee livestock from swaps and that because the clams were at such a discounted price they can't refund me or give me any store credit. Pretty disappointed. Was my first purchase from them.
It is apparent from this thread that we have more than one person with an issue with a clam they got from us at the swap. If anyone is unhappy with the quality of a clam they got from us at the swap please send us a pic via PM and we will gladly give you credit in the amount you spent for the clam at the swap toward any clam we have on our site. This offer will be extended until Saturday, to receive credit we will need to hear from you by Saturday. We brought 70 clams to the swap and sold them all, while it is impossible for us to know how they are handled after they left our tank at the swap, we do want everyone to be happy with what they bought, so please PM us and we will take care of you. Thanks.
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