Cirrhilabrus Rubrisquamos and Closed Crocea

[gookster]

I got my first clam more than a month ago and its been doing really well. I can see his growth on his shell when he closes and it seems to be growing at a decent rate and he was always very expanded.

However, recently i got a cirrhilabrus rubrisquamos and after it got settled in, the clam has started to be closed a lot. When it is closed it retracts more than i have ever seen it retract normally. Around the mantle there seems to be small bite marks which i think are coming from the rubrisquamos. Today I taped a mirror to the wall of the aquarium to keep the fairy wrasse preoccupied and the clam is expanded like normal. I thought fairy wrasses were supposed to be reef safe with clams. Has anyone had a similar experience with fairy wrasses?

Currently I have a mandarin, possum wrasse and a small goby along with the fairy wrasse. I have a 30 gallon tank and dripping kalkwater.

Specs:
temp - 80
ph - 8.1 - 8.4
salinity - 1.021


havent checked teh calcium or nitrates but my tank has been very stable and my sps corals are doing fine

 

[grimmjohn]

Strawberry Fairy Wrasse/Red Velvet Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis

Had to look it up () : )

 

[gookster]

I'm not sure maybe the "bite marks" are just unique indents in the mantle that all clams have and i just never noticed, but they just seem to look like the right size for his mouth

 

[grimmjohn]

I don't think I've ever heard one biting clams either...though one site that sells them says they eat plankton..and another one says to fed them small pieces of CLAM! () : )

If you don't have a cover for your tank you might not have to worry about the wrasse for very long hehe

Cheers,

grimmjohn