4 clams just died on me within 4 or 5 days

[saurus]

I am not sure what has happened but 4 of my clams just died within a week. 3 crocea and 1 maxima. My last crocea doesn't look so good. I have not changed anything and my water parameters have remained the same. The only thing I could come up with is that I added some liverock from another fish only tank. I added the rocks to the sump only i think and there were no fish in the other tank, just rocks.

ph 8.3-8.4
1.024-5
nitrates 25-50 has been that for a while
phosphate .5-1 coming down slowly but been like that.

One clam i have had for probably a year and the others from 3 months to a year. Could it be a parasite?

Thanks in advance,

Clint

 

[kfisc]

Well, I'd take the rock out of there asap. Any idea why the tank the rock came from had only rocks? What's the composition of the rock? Also- how long ago did you add the rocks? How long have you had the clams and did you buy them from the same source at the same time? Have you checked for pyramid snails? A number of creatures lurk in rock that are bad news for clams. Sorry for your losses-

 

[Electrobes]

I also want to about your rocks, that kfisc is asking. Though pyramid snails are a problem, they wouldn't kill within days without being completely noticeable (they would have to be in very great numbers to kill that quickly).

Other than the clams, is there anything else in your tank that is also dying out of nowhere??

Your nitrates and phosphates are seriously not in good level, though I doubt your clams may have died from that... I am sure it stressed them having those parameters that high. With them being stressed it would make them a lot more vunerable to problems. I do agree with kfisc that it is most likely a parasite.. possibly a worm (not bristle worms) of some sort that may have hitch hiked on your rock?

 

[saurus]

Well, everything else in my tank looks great. I have blastos and some sps which are growing regardless of the nitrates and phosphates. I have rbta's and even a carpet which all look fine. Other zoos and lps look great. Even some zenia which is fine. I am running a phosban reactor with the correct media. It has been running for months. I drip calc with a knopc which has been in there for 6 months. Its ph drip is at 6.7. Calc is about 430. I was concerened over the heat. I have a chiller and the tank water never rises above 82.3. I keep the normal temp at 80. The room can get to 95-100 but the tank never reaches 82.4.

The rocks I put in there were from another tank I had owned where I sold off all the fish and only the rocks were left. I am in the middle of upgrading my tank from a 150 to a 300. Infact, I pick up the new tank tomorrow. I took the other rock from the tank and put in in my sump because I was going to transfer all my livestock from my 150 to the other "holding tank". The temp did get kind of high in the holding tank because of no chiller but it was rock only. I did test for amonia and saw nothing. And the rocks I did add were pretty small (maybe fist size) and only about 6 of them. Maybe its karma because I was planning on some loss with the move. And I know clams can be sensitive. Thanks for the responses.

Clint

 

[saurus]

The rocks are figi and tonga. I did not notice any bugs but I was not looking for them. What size are they, where do they attack and what do they look like? I will check my last remaining clam.

Thanks,

Clint

 

[Electrobes]

well I am almost too sure that it is a worm or some kind.. this might sound s abit strange but stay up a bit late at night and keep a watch around the last remaining clam for at least 30 minutes or so. You should see something there...

 

[saurus]

I just thought of something. Would a mystery wrasse bother the clams. I put him in about 2 1/2 months ago and he finally got comfortable and is moving about the tank in the last couple weeks. Oh I hope it wasnt him, I just paid 145 for him through a local with a merchant license and he is beautiful.

Clint

 

[mbbuna]

i dont see anywhere in here where you say what kind of lighting you have so what do you have

 

[saurus]

I have two 250 watt xm 15k halides running on a pfo dual hqi ballast. It has been up and running for 4 months. The bulbs about 2 months. My tank is 60x24x24. The halides are about 14 inches off the water (kinda high) and the clams are from half way up to the bottom. Some on rocks and some on sand.

 

[Electrobes]

Actually I would count him out. Most wrasses are actually clam friendly from what I have seen. I purposely got a sixline wrasse to be my "clam gardener/guardian".

 

[jman77]

Could the FishOnly tank have been treated with some type of copper medication, and the live rick has copper still in it ?

 

[saurus]

I never treated the fo tank with any meds. It was only operational for a short time. I could not give my attention to both tanks so I sold off the fish only.

 

[TaterInTheSouth]

Temp???

 

[saurus]

79.5-80.7 contolled by aquacontroller. One day last week it did get up to 82.2 because of the heat.