I brought home a very nice 4-5" clam from a very trusted and reliable source. It was observed one week in the clam tank and was doing well as are all the other clams before bring it home. As soon as I got home it started to open when my two cleaner shrimp started pestering its mantle and it closed. It will open a little, the shrimp arrive and it closes again. This went on a week and I've covered it with a net covered plastic frame which does not compromise light, water, food, etc. This keeps the shrimp off the clam but 24 hours later he still has not opened but a tiny bit. :?: :?: The shrimp stay close to the cover trying to get to the clam. Why are the shrimp after this clam? My other clam is open and beautiul - on the other side of the tank.
was the clam fully extended at the lfs? It would be my guess that there is something on the clam a parasite perhaps that the shrimp are going after or some other harmless orginism that the shrimp are feeding on. You could move the clam perhaps , or maybey do a freashwater dip for the clam if incase it is a parasite. Your best bet to to go find the answer is to go to www.clamsdirect.com and post your question on the board, ither barry nuegit or sue would be more than happy to give you better advice than I can!
You said that you did not feel that the netting that you placed over the clam compromised its light, but I know that when measuring PAR below an egg crate, that I often use to keep fish from jumping, the reduction in PAR is around 30% because of the directional change that the egg crate has on the light waves. I would think that any covering over the clam would reduce or change its light more than you might suspect. At Reef Splash, one of the guys was telling me that his shrimp actually crawled inside his clam, which doesn't speak well for the clams health that it would allow that but anyway...... Scuba Dog is the local clam guru so be sure to grill him with your problems, if anyone knows about clams it is him.
