crocea not opening

[bwoolfrey]

My blue crocea isn't opening fully. Everything else in the tank looks perfect.
I tested nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia which were all undetectable. And calcium is almost 400. The clam is under dual 175mh on a 75. It's close to 3 inches now but for the last two days just isn't coming out of the shell much. He does still close if I go near him but not as quick. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[smcnally]

What do you have for fish? Any new additions? Sounds like something may be nipping at its mantle.

 

[bwoolfrey]

Steve,
thanks for the response. I almost just asked you direct. I have a coral beauty but I haven't seen it go near it. Not to say it hasn't though. I haven't fed it phyto like I read in other posts. I only have a micro-vert diet that I'm not sure if he would eat. I don't think I would ever be able to catch the coral beauty. And I don't think the clam would get enough light if I put it in the sump Any other ideas for protecting it to see if he'll recover.

 

[smcnally]

If it is only 3" I would try sticking something like a strawberry basket over it and see if it stays open. I'd be willing to bet the Coral Beauty is just swimming by and taking a quick nip at it. If you can cover it with a basket like that and it opens up after a few days I'd try catching that CB.

 

[bwoolfrey]

Great idea. Thanks Steve. I will see if I can find one tonight.

 

[Andy O]

Steve,
I haven't fed it phyto like I read in other posts.

3" should be big enough so that you don't have to supplimentally feed it althoguh it probably wouldn't hurt to pick up somthing like phyto feast to feed the tank once or twice a week.

How long has it been in the tank? I had a large crocea that I put in my tank and it opened for the first couple of days and then would not open up after that and within about 5 days of introducing it into my tank it died. I wanted to say that someone was nipping at it but never actually saw it. Since then I have introduced an 7" crocea and 5" and 3" maximas and have not had any problems. Good sign that yours reacts to movement above it. I also agree with the strawberry basket.

 

[bwoolfrey]

Thanks Andy. It's been in there for about a month. Looking good until now.

 

[dz6t]

When I moved a clam into my 90 gallon, I found out it did not open as wide as before. I sat there and watched the tank for a while and found out my yellow tang was constantly swim on top of the clam for unknow reason. Some times the tang will pick on the clam shell and caused the clam to close. When I move the clam back to its original tank that only fish in it is your big fat Seabae clownfish, the clam opens wide right away.

 

[Reefdweller]

While it could be a fish nipping at it, I had a 2" blue crocea that was doing fine until one day it didn't open. Some of the other corals looked a little sick. It turned out my Kalc drip had run dry and added the Kalc powder to the tank. Once I got the pH back everthign was fine. I would check all your tank parameters to make sure you don't have a water chemistry problem.

 

[bwoolfrey]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm covering it over and will check the rest of my chemistry.