Clams are open but flesh is closed?

deeze · 03/08/2006, 03:29 PM

Hey everyone... not sure if I need to panic or not but my clams have been acting strange today. Starting yesterday evening and especially today they are opening about 40% of the way but the fleshy part is sticking straight up and each side are closed. Almost like if they're praying... does that make sense? Shells open but flesh is closed. There's also a slight milky appearance in the tank. My other corals (flowerpot, galaxia) don't seem to be opened as usual either. Water is testing very clean... I did add my usual 4 drops of weekly iodine and my usual dosage of Oceans Blend. Is there something I should be doing?

I'll include a pic to give you an idea...

Thanks for all your help.

Dr. Beer · 03/08/2006, 03:44 PM

It's possible they've released eggs and sperm. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, or both, depending on the causes.

Clams, like many invertebrates, can have as a spawn trigger a change in their environment, usually a negative one, that causes a "survival of the species" instinct. These types of stress are sometimes purposely induced in order to cause spawning, but if you haven't changed anything it is possible something in your tank is bothering your clams.

On the other hand, your clams could be so happy and healthy that they have the extra energy to procreate, which is indicative of a healthy tank.

If it is indeed a spawning incident, it's odd that your other corals are closed up. Generally, in my experience, in cases where corals and other invertebrates spew forth their DNA, the rest of the filter feeders in the tank go nuts trying to eat it all up. So this indicates that something in the tank is causing it to cloud over, and this something probably isn't detectable by most tests.

So, my guess is that something died that has released something into the water, OR, something in your tank that hasn't died has released something into your water.

Have you added any extra calcium lately? Do you have a kalk drip or reactor or anything? It's possible that the cloudiness is very slight Ca precipitation, and this could cause your corals to act as they are. What about pH buffers?

iCam · 03/08/2006, 04:05 PM

As a start, I would quit dosing iodine. Iodine is essentially toxic, and nothing has really proven that it's necessary.

deeze · 03/08/2006, 05:46 PM

wow... that's some good info about them maybe spawning. I use Oceans Blend which is supposed to be good for my PH. I don't have a kalk reactor or anything either. I'm going to look close at my tank and see if anythings died. I did tear back a sponge which I've discovered is a Clathrina sp. It was getting kind of large so I ripped it back a bit...

That's interesting abou the Iodine... I've heard that was good for inverts...

deeze · 03/08/2006, 06:31 PM

Could it be my Flowerpot coral? Here's a before picture with my sailfin tang swimming by and the picture today with it looking like it's going to pop or something...

I'm also going to do a seperate thread because he looks so weird...

FEEDERFISH · 03/08/2006, 06:41 PM

what is your ALK, measure?

mbbuna · 03/08/2006, 08:49 PM

check your ALK. have you made any adjustments to Ca/Alk? that pic of the clams doesn't look good

deeze · 03/08/2006, 09:27 PM

Holy moley... I figured it out! My UV sterilizer pump was bad (in my sump) and sending a small electrical current in the water. I have a grounding plug but I guess it couldn't counter the live broken pump. What led me to figure it out was the OUTRAGUS temperature of 87 degrees and after I turned my lights off to help cool it went up to 88 (normal is 78). The pump was leaking scalding water into my system. I think it initiated a survival spawning from my corals. I hope all is well in the am. Still going to do a water change... jeesh... keep an eye on those pumps.

mbbuna · 03/08/2006, 09:53 PM

bring the temp down slowly

deeze · 03/08/2006, 10:04 PM

Yea, I have 3 80mm computer fans that blow down into my sump 24/7... I'm just going to let them do their job. They work great for evaporation too...

03/08/2006, 03:29 PM	#1
deeze Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 68	Clams are open but flesh is closed? Hey everyone... not sure if I need to panic or not but my clams have been acting strange today. Starting yesterday evening and especially today they are opening about 40% of the way but the fleshy part is sticking straight up and each side are closed. Almost like if they're praying... does that make sense? Shells open but flesh is closed. There's also a slight milky appearance in the tank. My other corals (flowerpot, galaxia) don't seem to be opened as usual either. Water is testing very clean... I did add my usual 4 drops of weekly iodine and my usual dosage of Oceans Blend. Is there something I should be doing? I'll include a pic to give you an idea... Thanks for all your help.

03/08/2006, 03:44 PM	#2
Dr. Beer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 377	It's possible they've released eggs and sperm. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, or both, depending on the causes. Clams, like many invertebrates, can have as a spawn trigger a change in their environment, usually a negative one, that causes a "survival of the species" instinct. These types of stress are sometimes purposely induced in order to cause spawning, but if you haven't changed anything it is possible something in your tank is bothering your clams. On the other hand, your clams could be so happy and healthy that they have the extra energy to procreate, which is indicative of a healthy tank. If it is indeed a spawning incident, it's odd that your other corals are closed up. Generally, in my experience, in cases where corals and other invertebrates spew forth their DNA, the rest of the filter feeders in the tank go nuts trying to eat it all up. So this indicates that something in the tank is causing it to cloud over, and this something probably isn't detectable by most tests. So, my guess is that something died that has released something into the water, OR, something in your tank that hasn't died has released something into your water. Have you added any extra calcium lately? Do you have a kalk drip or reactor or anything? It's possible that the cloudiness is very slight Ca precipitation, and this could cause your corals to act as they are. What about pH buffers? __________________ Save worms Kill birds Current Tank Info: None at the moment.

03/08/2006, 06:41 PM	#6
FEEDERFISH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Waupun, Wisconsin Posts: 1,060	what is your ALK, measure? __________________ --Roads?..... Where were going...... We don't need.......Roads --Doc. Brown Current Tank Info: Custom AO 30 Gal Starphire Display , 2x150DE Hamilton Reefstar - Reeflux 12k / XM 15K, IceCap 430 24" T5-UVL Super Actinic, Aqua C EV-180 w/ Mag 9.5, Closed Loop on a Panworld 40px, Return Mag 12

03/08/2006, 04:05 PM	#3
iCam Window Seat Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: D/FW, Texas Posts: 4,135	As a start, I would quit dosing iodine. Iodine is essentially toxic, and nothing has really proven that it's necessary.

03/08/2006, 05:46 PM	#4
deeze Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 68	wow... that's some good info about them maybe spawning. I use Oceans Blend which is supposed to be good for my PH. I don't have a kalk reactor or anything either. I'm going to look close at my tank and see if anythings died. I did tear back a sponge which I've discovered is a Clathrina sp. It was getting kind of large so I ripped it back a bit... That's interesting abou the Iodine... I've heard that was good for inverts...

03/08/2006, 06:31 PM	#5
deeze Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 68	Could it be my Flowerpot coral? Here's a before picture with my sailfin tang swimming by and the picture today with it looking like it's going to pop or something... I'm also going to do a seperate thread because he looks so weird...

03/08/2006, 08:49 PM	#7
mbbuna Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 6,847	check your ALK. have you made any adjustments to Ca/Alk? that pic of the clams doesn't look good

03/08/2006, 09:27 PM	#8
deeze Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 68	Holy moley... I figured it out! My UV sterilizer pump was bad (in my sump) and sending a small electrical current in the water. I have a grounding plug but I guess it couldn't counter the live broken pump. What led me to figure it out was the OUTRAGUS temperature of 87 degrees and after I turned my lights off to help cool it went up to 88 (normal is 78). The pump was leaking scalding water into my system. I think it initiated a survival spawning from my corals. I hope all is well in the am. Still going to do a water change... jeesh... keep an eye on those pumps.

03/08/2006, 09:53 PM	#9
mbbuna Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 6,847	bring the temp down slowly

03/08/2006, 10:04 PM	#10
deeze Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 68	Yea, I have 3 80mm computer fans that blow down into my sump 24/7... I'm just going to let them do their job. They work great for evaporation too...