Pinched mantle & freshwater dip

[Delphinus]

Clams are more resilient to freshwater dips than you might think - as long as the water is temperature matched. There's an old story about how one guy did a FW dip on a clam, did something else for the 20 minutes, forgot about the clam until the next morning - freaked out - but put the clam back in the tank - and the clam lived happily ever after. They just shut themselves up tight as .. well .. clam, and they can ride it out for a bit.

(This person may or may not have been me - I offer no further comment!)

My biggest concern with FW dips is that sometimes they're attached to a big honking rock and then what do you do? I guess this is an argument against my usual rant about how clams belong in the rock and not the sand (well .. they do! Usually, anyhow, if you look at pictures of clams in the real reef, they're never on the sand, they're literally burrowed into the rock). But having them attached to a smaller rock works better if you ever have to do a FW dip.

Before you do a FW dip though, I would try to make certain it is pinched mantle and not just an irritation (ie, something touched it or is touching it, any vermetids nearly, any aiptasia's tiny or not-so-tiny, a burr on a nearby rock, etc.), or just one of those things. Sometimes my clams will pinch in but only for a day or two, I sometimes wonder if they pinch in a little if they're laying down new shell. But .. I'm not sure.

BTW, these two books are awesome:
http://oceanaquatics.com/store/produ...ms-in-the-Sea/
http://oceanaquatics.com/store/product/848/Giant-Clams/
(in case you don't have them already that is )