Clam Killer?

[ironman2]

Hello, I have tried clams several times and they always do very well. they open up nicely and show no signs of stress. they will stay this way for weeks to months. and then Ill go to sleep one nite and in the morning there will be nothing left but a shell. The last one I lost was a month ago and right before I went to bed I saw a nessarious snail on its shell. I didnt think anything of it and in the morning nothing was left but a shell.
Does anyone know what predetors there are out there? Nothing else in my tank has any problems. I love clams and have my eye on a 8" teardrop but cant take a chance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sk8r]

Nassarius are undertakers. I think possibly something was wrong beforehand...but I'm not taking bets on it.

 

[ironman2]

I dont know what in my tank could eat that much in one night. From watching clams in the lfs they seem to die slowly when theres stress or something wrong with the clam, I dont understand how mine go from full open to a shell in 12 hours. three have done this.

 

[Peabody]

Can you give us a detailed description of your tank, equipment, chemistry, and livestock?

 

[DonavonsReef]

I'm sure the Nassarius cleaned up the dead mess but they diden't kill your clam. I have over a dozen big nassarius snails in my tanks with my clams & never had a problem. Nassarius are like vultures they eat the dead carcus.

 

[ironman2]

In my main tank I have very few nassarious snails, maybe 5 which I just pulled out. I have a few varieties of crabs, mostly blue legs and scarlets. which I have also started pulling out. I have 1 sally light foot, 1 fire shrimp, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 coral banded shrimp. 1 large brittle star. some turbo snails.
I dont ever see any bristle worms, or anything other than copapods and amphipods.
My water perameters always stay stabil, my nitrates run alittle high nomater what I do.
my tank is heavily loaded with lps, some acros and monti plates.
everthing does very good.
the tank is a reef ready 120, 24" deep. im running 2 250 14k halides and 2 110 watt vhos.
the sump is a 40 gallon with half refuigium half sump.
Im going to pic the new clam up today so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Peabody]

What about fish?

 

[ironman2]

I have a regal tang, purple tang, yellow tang, scopas tang, sailfin tang, perc clown, skunk clown, 3 green chromis, six line wrasse, cleaner wrasse, sailfin algae blenny.

none of them ever bothered my clams

 

[a4twenty]

are you sure they are nassarius, check this out.

 

[ironman2]

A4twenty, I think you hit the nail on the head. the snails I was calling nassarious are in deed whelks according to that article. they look exaclly like his pictures. they did grow fast and are at least 1" big, they dont burrow in the sand, there snout are tatood looking, they do have a protective shells on there underside. and that is the snail that was on my clam when the last one disapeared.
Ive had them for years and they never bothered anything.
Man if getting those out solves the problem I owe you big! This is what the forums are all about! thanks man.