Clam fresh water dip
 

It looks like I need to do a fresh water dip on my Squamosa clam. My question is does the water NEED to be RO water. I have a lot of aged/dechlorinated tap water but I don't have access to RO water at the moment. Will using the tap water harm the clam?

What are you dipping for? Pinched mantle? Is the dechlorinated tap water the same water you are using in the tank the clam is in? If so, then it should be fine, but be careful with freshwater dips on a clam. Have you done it before?

Can't you buy RO water at the Safeway right by your house?

It's the first clam I have ever purchased, and it was doing great for a few weeks, but a few days ago I noticed that the mantle was looking pinched. I checked it over and I did find a few pyramid snails. I removed those and have not seen any more for a couple days but the clam still looks unhappy. I was going to wait a few more more days and if the clam doesn't appear to improve, and I don't find any more snails, I was going to dip it. And yes this will be the first time I have tried this

Could you take a decent quality photo and post it?

Ok so it's looking better but you can see what I'm talking about on the top left side of the clam

Hmm, ya that looks as if it is a minor case of pinched mantle. Are you using GFO and/or carbon? If so, how much are you using, which brands, how often do you change them, and how to you use them (reactor or filter bag?)?

I'm using carbon, just the cheap hagen stuff. I'm using about 2/3 - 3/4 of a cup and changing it once every 3 - 4 weeks, in a 65 gallon tank. It is being run in a canister filter.

Ok, I ask because lots of carbon seems to help pinched mantle, and GFO seems to be a trigger sometimes. Looks like you are doing ok in that area though. Time for a dip! Pinched mantle is a pretty serious disease...best to catch it early!

What lights are you using? How long has the tank been running? What are your parameters? Cal, alk, mg, temp, ph, salinity, nitrate, phosphate? Any ammonia present?

Be sure to match pH with a digital meter, match temperature as well. Use dechlorinated tap or RO water...preferably the latter. I would advise 20 minute dip, but here is a link that suggests a 30 minute dip:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/jf/index.php

To me that does not look like anything... But that just me.. I have tried to dip clams and never had luck. I think if it was closed up it was from the prymaid snails there a clam killer. I ended up changing the substrate to control them in my tank I would just keep an eye on the clam pick it up if you can every few weeks take it out and give it a scrub down with a tooth brush until there gone some wrasses will eat them also.

wow, I have been using GFO since day one with my crocea. So far no pinched mantle that I can see but I am not sure how it looks anyway.

I use lots of GFO in my tanks too, and I have two clams. It has never bothered my clams, but in some cases if you remove GFO from a clam with pinched mantle it will resolve itself. I don't like doing dips on clams either, but pinched mantle is serious and needs to be caught early. Most people who lose clams in a dip don't dip early enough and the clam is beyond the hope of any return.

Well, the clam has been looking less irritated ever since I removed those few snails. The last couple days it has looked as healthy as ever. I have been looking it over with a flashlight after the lights go out and I have not been able to find any more snails. If there are any left hopefully my six-line wrasses will snack on them. For right now I think I'm going to hold off on the dip, as long as it doesn't take a turn for the worse.

It is hard to tell by the picture but when I had it on one clam the edges of the mantles looked almost rolled up or folded. Clams don't take well to anything touching there foot. Try building a base for your clams and burry it a bit under the sand they should grab on to that. As for the snails you will probably have to manually pick the clam up and inspect it every few days especially if it does not look happy and scrub them off. Its a good practice to scrub a clam with a tooth brush not yours but someone else's, while its being acclimated.

:biggrin::mrgreen::lol:

I had pyramid snails on one of my clams once and I thought the clam was a goner. I picked the snails off and scrubs with someone else's toothbrush and then went on vacation for 12 days, man when I got back, I though the clam would be empty, but it was thriving. I couldn't believe it.