My clam looks healthy?

[DPhan909]

I've been reading that gaping hole is bad. What you think?

 

[Tangwich]

a gaping hole is always good..unless it's your own :rofl:

 

[DPhan909]

a gaping hole is always good..unless it's your own :rofl:

Lol. That last sentence made my day.

 

[Tangwich]

but seriously that looks healthy to me. i think you might be thinking of anemones...gaping holes or mouths in their case is usually a sign of stress or imminent death.

 

[Tangwich]

Lol. That last sentence made my day.

then you my friend deserve good rep polyps. here ya go.

 

[jeffreylam1132]

Clam looks very healthy and happy to me.

 

[jesuses]

Is it new? Only gaping for a bit?

Sometimes they like to open wide and then close back up. If it doesn't react to your hand moving over it and it starts to stay like that at night you have problems

 

[DPhan909]

then you my friend deserve good rep polyps here ya go.

Lol. Thanks.. Im just paranoid today. Lol

 

[DPhan909]

Is it new? Only gaping for a bit?

Sometimes they like to open wide and then close back up. If it doesn't react to your hand moving over it and it starts to stay like that at night you have problems

He does close up when i wave my had over it. At Nights he's fully closed. Thanks.

 

[DPhan909]

One more picture.

 

[Pegasus]

from my understanding gaping hole on clams is bad. keep an eye on it. IMO thats way too open to be healthy.

found this info on nano reefs

Clams have an intake siphon and an output siphon. The intake siphon looks somewhat like a mouth and is a slit opening that is found on the center line off to one side of the mantle while the output siphon looks like a cone or rod. A clam is considered to be gaping when the intake siphon is open very wide almost like a tear. Indication of gaping vs. normal feeding would be not only that the intake siphon is open abnormally wide but that the mantle isn't extending normally and the shell is fully open. Gaping is caused by poor lighting, parasites, or poor health and if gaping continues the clam will not recover. Treatment should be examination for parasites followed by moving the clam to a higher or lower level in the tank depending on its proximity to the light source.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/153218-a-faq-on-clams/

 

[ndrwater]

That looks like a perfectly happy clam to me...

 

[jesuses]

The new pic does look more open. Check your salinity and alk. That's what's killed like 5 clams in my tank and they are the first to go.

 

[Tangwich]

from my understanding gaping hole on clams is bad. keep an eye on it. IMO thats way too open to be healthy.

found this info on nano reefs

Clams have an intake siphon and an output siphon. The intake siphon looks somewhat like a mouth and is a slit opening that is found on the center line off to one side of the mantle while the output siphon looks like a cone or rod. A clam is considered to be gaping when the intake siphon is open very wide almost like a tear. Indication of gaping vs. normal feeding would be not only that the intake siphon is open abnormally wide but that the mantle isn't extending normally and the shell is fully open. Gaping is caused by poor lighting, parasites, or poor health and if gaping continues the clam will not recover. Treatment should be examination for parasites followed by moving the clam to a higher or lower level in the tank depending on its proximity to the light source.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/153218-a-faq-on-clams/

I respectfully disagree with you. This is contrary to your position.

"Indication of gaping vs. normal feeding would be not only that the intake siphon is open abnormally wide but that the mantle isn't extending normally and the shell is fully open."

That mantle looks as fully extended as any of the healthy clams I have kept over the years.

 

[DPhan909]

I respectfully disagree with you. This is contrary to your position.

"Indication of gaping vs. normal feeding would be not only that the intake siphon is open abnormally wide but that the mantle isn't extending normally and the shell is fully open."

That mantle looks as fully extended as any of the healthy clams I have kept over the years.

Im guessing that clams are so new to the hobby that we have yet to understand how they live and react to home aquariums. Thanks for all the info y'all. I will continue to monitor my tank carfully.

 

[Pegasus]

while i agree with you saying the mantel and shell being healthy and open like a normal clam, i too have kept clams successfully and unsuccessfully but again this is my opinion and as far as i know having a gaping siphon is no bueno. keep an eye on it. its a nice clam for sure and losing stuff sucks.

do you use sponge power from KZ? i love this stuff and my clam does as well.

 

[Tangwich]

while i agree with you saying the mantel and shell being healthy and open like a normal clam, i too have kept clams successfully and unsuccessfully but again this is my opinion and as far as i know having a gaping siphon is no bueno. keep an eye on it. its a nice clam for sure and losing stuff sucks.

do you use sponge power from KZ? i love this stuff and my clam does as well.

I can appreciate your opinion. Keep us updated OP and here's hoping for the best, as that's a real beauty you have there.