Clam Eaten!!

[k9cop1512]

Just purchased my first blue clam today. It's about 2" long. I put him on the sandbed of my 2yr old - 65gal tank, 500W of MH light.

Put him in at 4PM. He opened up right after, closed when a shadow, etc. All seemed fine. I left the house and got back at Midnight, 7hrs later, only to find his shell only about 6" from where I put him. Not a trace of him left!! What got him?

My Livestock: Coral Beauty, Pair of Clown, 6 line wrasse, 1 green Cromis, cleaner shrimp, Serpent Star, Bristal star, sand sifting star, lots of snails, small red legged crabs, a blue legged white stripe crab, and a Cuke.

I am shocked there is not a trace of it left....just disappeared in 7 hrs! Any comments and suggestions if I ever get another?

Tim

 

[currentking]

Red legged hermit crabs.......especially if they are a little bit bigger. They got mine also. Its funny how every shop is differet. One tells us "oh its fine, they are reef safe", but fails to tell us that there are some things they will snack on. theres 40 bucks down the drain

 

[k9cop1512]

I've had bad luck with anything i've put on the sandbed......My parameters have always been great except for an occassional phosphate spike that I take care of. Do you all think these could be the main culprit? In the last 2 years, i've lost 2 favias, an orange sponge, Christmas tree rock, (2) wellsophilas corals....I've also lost a pink birds trea coral and (2) acopora coral located at the top of my tank--- which I've always caught those red hermits nipping on.

Should I just get rid of the red hermits? I'm sick of losing expensive stock, as I'm sure eveyone knows the feeling. Like I said, my lighting is fine and all of my water parameters have been tested countless times by me and by the LFS. I noticed with the christmas tree rock that the cleaner shrimp liked putting his claws in the holes and when I used to have pepermint shrimp, they always seemed to pick on the various sand be corals the worst of all.

I would like to get a carpet anenome and start stocking my tank with some corals again, but have been afraid to because of my losses. I want some color back!!

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[!wrass!]

The red legs are definitely the prime suspects in the clam incident. If you want another small clam, trade them in for some blues. I would not fault the sand bed in the other cases. The Christmas tree rack and the sponge are ones that I would not try to keep because of feeding needs. Any SPS's require very high water quality compared to LPS or softies so I would start there (pH,dKH,temp,salinity...the basics, along with nit,phos,cal) Keep the system stable, do water changes if necessary (most find it the only way).

 

[currentking]

and if ur thinking of getting a carpet, do it before you get any other coral so it will find a nice home and hopefully stay there

 

[Henry Bowman]

I have stopped purchasing any red leg hermits. They get big and are pretty agressive. Took the last one back to the LFS after he caught my Blenny and was eating it when I went looking for the fish.

Get the itty bitty blue leg crabs, I've got a bunch and have never had any incidents. Got a new blenny, no probs.

 

[wtac]

I'd keep an eye on your Coral Beauty as well. IME, they have always had a taste for wellsophila brain corals and nipping at clam mantles.

 

[k9cop1512]

Thanks to all for the comments, I am going to try and get the red hermits out and put them in my sump of refugium. I did catch my coral beauty picking at the wellsophila coral a couple times.

Any suggestions on what kind of carpet anenome that my pair of clowns may host with? They've never hosted to anything for the past year and a half and basically sleep at the top of the tank near my glass magnet...Thanks, Tim

 

[WILDTHING]

this probably isn't the norm but I haven't been able to get clowns to host my green carpet. Tried a pair of ocelaris, pink skunk, GSM...nada My friend gave me a bubble from one of his splits, now the skunk hosts in it and the Maroon hangs out by the side wiggling. The only thing that shows ANY interest in my lonely carpet is my skunk cleaner shrimp. The bubble is about to split and I'm planning a larger tank a 125g when the bubble splits I plan on putting one on either side of the tank for the 2 clowns and the carpet in the middle for me to enjoy.

here is a good thread for you
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=282136

 

[bureau13]

When I was looking for a clown for my haddoni carpet, I was told Clarkii or Sebae. I got a Sebae clown, and he was in the anemone by morning (introduced in the evening when lights went out). You may want to give him a try, although if you have the other clowns already, that's not generally recommended (oddly enough, I already had a pair of gold-striped maroons in the tank hosting a variety of BTA clones...they initially were not too happy about the Sebae, but contrary to what most told me would happen, they all get along fine now and mostly just ignore each other).

jds

jds

 

[TeeLapia]

look out for the coral beauty... couldbe possible.

 

[WILDTHING]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9945195#post9945195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bureau13
When I was looking for a clown for my haddoni carpet, I was told Clarkii or Sebae. I got a Sebae clown, and he was in the anemone by morning (introduced in the evening when lights went out). You may want to give him a try, although if you have the other clowns already, that's not generally recommended (oddly enough, I already had a pair of gold-striped maroons in the tank hosting a variety of BTA clones...they initially were not too happy about the Sebae, but contrary to what most told me would happen, they all get along fine now and mostly just ignore each other).

jds

jds

unfortunately those are 2 clowns I don't like the look of otherwise I might give it a try once I set up the 120g. Was thinking about getting some sexy shrimp instead.

 

[sunfish11]

I think that blaming the hermits is silly. There was something wrong with the clam to begin with and you weren't there to see what happened. Any of your cleaning crew would have eaten the clam if the clam wasn't healthy or near death. When they go they go fast.



Lisa

 

[smithcreek]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9951875#post9951875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sunfish11
I think that blaming the hermits is silly.

Thank you, ditto. If you have the standard issue red-leg hermits it wasn't them. I can't believe the lousy advice that gets passed out around here on a regular basis.