<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8311624#post8311624 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lagger
Omar: could you provide a little more insight on how this clam went south so fast? From another thread, you mentioned
Salty Brothers clam died in a month..........
My only observations of what could have gone wrong stem from using using solely a 20k spectrum bulb and having the clam deep in the sandbed. Should have crocea on the rocks. I see some SPS mid-tank which look good, although, I would suggest either supplementing the 20k with a 10k bulb or during the next change out of bulbs swap the 20k for a 14k. You'll still have that nice purple tint, just not as much of it 
Tank looks great btw
Lagger,
Just to clear out the point I made in that post, keep in mind that was in reference to keeping clams under PC lighting. It's just that everytime somebody asks about this topic, a lot of people jump in to say that they've had their clams for X months and they're perfect. Unfortunately most of these cases relate to clams being kept in there for 1, 2, 3 months, etc. The thing with clams is that they take a lot of time to die from starvation from light insufficency. They look perfectly fine for months and then die without any apparent cause. Some people have been succesful, most have not. IMO, I would not call it a succes until it's been in the same tank for at least a year. Yeah, that's a long time, but that's my opinion. It's just that I think less time it may be the clam surviving on its accumulated energy or just barely making it until they can no longer do it. Now, over a year, the clam has put some growth into its shell and mantle, and if it can grow, then it's thriving, then it can be called a sucess.
Now as to the cause of Salty's clam death, well it's hard to determine even when you have the tank and animals in front of you. All we can hope is to try as best as we can and with as much knowledge as we have or can get together (which is why we all come to websites like this, right?). Still my guess at it is inclined towards what was said previously about the tank. I wouldn't try a clam in a new tank, even if it was just an upgrade transfer. About the gaping, I'm not so sure. While the inhalent opening is too wide, I would not have called it gaping at that stage. I would like to see the mantle receeding before saying it's gaping.
If the clam went down in less than a month, it could be that it was already ailing at the time of acquisition. Still, I'm inclined towards the new tank being the issue. After all, crocea is the most demanding clam of all.
HTH
Omar :strooper:
