Dose Iron???

[kenargo]

I've never been able to keep my refugium with chateo going; the chateo dies. As near as I've been able to determine, from reading all I can find about keeping chateo health is that is like to have a little bit of iron in the water. I also, however remember reading that iron is not good for clams. Am I just stuck?

[mbbuna]

its not that iron is bad for clams but that some clams may carry a protozoan that is excited by iron and then will kill the clam. if your clams don't carry it then you should be fine

[kenargo]

that some clams may carry a protozoan that is excited by iron

How would I know if my clam carries this protozoa?

[mbbuna]

you cant

[kenargo]

Suggestions??

Can I dose a little and watch the clam for a sign? Do you know if this is a 1-way operation; iron == clam dead (if protozoa there) or is it gradual and reversible?

[mbbuna]

it causes whats called pinch mantle. ive had pretty good success reversing it but its not something i want to play with.

try dosing some and if the clams mantle starts curling on the outer edges any time from when you start to 2 to 4 weeks later start a new thread here with photos of the clam and we will do the best we can

[kenargo]

I am familular with pinched mantle; had it on my clam way back and had cured it (the clam had been free of PM for +8 months now).

Question; the last research I had seen indicated that the research was not definitive; only a theory. As I recall there where clams which contained the protozoa (thought) to be the cause but not always did the clam show pinched mantle. Do you have links to what you have read?

[mbbuna]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12037622#post12037622 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kenargo
Do you have links to what you have read?

your speaking to the source :D

it has been proven but i dont have links

[kenargo]

Question; the treatment for PM (or at least the one I used) was a fresh water bath; my clam took 2 baths before the PM was completely gone and as I mentioned it has been PM free and growing very well for over 8 months (more than doubled in size in that time). Does the bath kill the protozoa or just reduce it; put another way are the chances good that since I cured the PM before that the clam is no longer hosting the protozoa in question?

[Witch-King]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12037664#post12037664 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mbbuna
your speaking to the source :D


OK, so this might be just a reef forum, but that was actually kind of cool. :thumbsup:

[mbbuna]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12037711#post12037711 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kenargo
Question; the treatment for PM (or at least the one I used) was a fresh water bath; my clam took 2 baths before the PM was completely gone and as I mentioned it has been PM free and growing very well for over 8 months (more than doubled in size in that time). Does the bath kill the protozoa or just reduce it; put another way are the chances good that since I cured the PM before that the clam is no longer hosting the protozoa in question?

Fresh water dips will kill the protozoan, but will it kill them all? There is no way to tell. FWD's from 20 to 30 minutes seem to work well but if the trigger isn't removed the condition returns.

PM isn't caused by a single protozoan, its caused by a massive infestation of protozoa(Pekinsus).