Clam Problem, What Went Wrong?

[mrw64]

I have had a 3" crocea clam for a few months and it was doing fine. Last week I bought a 5" teardrop maxima and put it in the tank next to the crocea. The next morning the maxima was covered with red leg crabs and peppermint shrimp. I brushed off all the crabs but some were even inside it and it was pretty much dead. Could the crabs have killed it? It looked fine the night before.
The worse part is that later that day they were attacking the crocea clam. I took it out and put it in my refugium. It has been there for 5 days and looked pretty good but had some damage near the large opening where the crabs were. last night I decided it was time to put it back into the main tank, no matter what happens. When I picked it up the foot looked loose and shrunken. When I put it into the tank instantly dozens of nassarious snails came out of the sand and attached it. The clam was moving but pretty much open and the snails were crawling in and out of it. This morning it is all retracted into the shell with crabs and snails in the shell. I'm sure it is a goner. What could have gone wrong. I now have no more clams. Water parameters are perfect and everything else is thriving.

 

[Peabody]

Can you please list your water parameters and how you tested them (and when they were tested). Also, what are your lights?

Crabs and shrimp won't attack a healthy clam, but will love to finish off a dead one.

 

[Bayliner]

Also how old is your tank and how long did you have the first Crocea?

 

[Chris777]

Can you please list your water parameters and how you tested them (and when they were tested). Also, what are your lights?

Crabs and shrimp won't attack a healthy clam, but will love to finish off a dead one.

I would have to agree.

 

[Silversurfer]

Hey, I had a the same kind of thing happen to me. Cleaner shrimps started attacking my clams. They ended up killing three of my calms. What happened was I bought a maxima clam and it looked good in the store. Got it home later that night I saw the cleaner shrimps checking it out. Wasn't to shure why. I had two other clams in the tank for months and no prob. In the morn. I found the clam picked apart and the shrimps having a snack. couldn't beleave my eyes!!! I checked out the clam after and found a rough ridge on the inside of the clam. It was probably a sore on the clam, bang the shrimps must of smelt a weekness and lunch was had. Shrimps and crabs are scavengers they will take what smells good...

 

[Silversurfer]

oops forgot to finish... I have sea urchins in my tank, they sometimes knock over rocks $@#$ any how. They knocked over a clam one night after the first sacrificed clam. This was about a week later. The clam was doing great. Responding well feeding well and growing. Bammmm... in the morning saw a swarm of cleaner shrimp sure enough clam was lunch...