Clamtastraphy

Sullyman

Sullyman

Premium Member
I've kept clams for a few years now, but I need help sorting this out. A month ago I had 8 clams in my 125, all healthy. 3 Croceas, 2 Squamies, 1 Gigas, 1 maxima, 1 Deresa. AS of today I have just the Gigas and 1 of the Croceas left. One by one they started looking poorly, then gapping, then RIP.
I thought I had if figured out, a juv Yellow Coris wrasse, so I got him out. Things were ok for a few days and then it started again.
Never more than one clam looked bad at one time.
Checked for parasites all the while this has been going on. Watched the tank for hours to see if a fish was doing anything to the clams.
Have checked and rechecked the water parameters.
Done my regular water changes.
One thing that I changed during this period was the addition of a second Tunze stream pump to the tank. It did affect the clams until I got the 2 pumps located properly, so the flow was not an issue for them.
Nothing else in the tank has looked bad during this time.
Water Params as follows
Ph 7.9 at night to 8.3 during the day
Cal 440
Alk 8.4
Sal 1.025
Mag 1170
Am 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Phos 0
Lighting 72" Aqua Medic fixture
3 250w 10,000K
2 150W 20,000k
Fish in the tank Pair of True Perculas
3 Anthias
1 Canary Blenny
1 bi-color Blenny
1 Black cap Basslet
1 Rabbit fish
1 Razor wrasse
1 Carpenters wrasse
3 Leopard wrasses
Starfish 1 Purple Linkia
1 X-Large Blue Linkia
Shrimp 1 Cleaner
2 Pepermints
Crabs 2 Emeralds
many Hermits, no large ones
a couple Hitchers of unknown species
Snails Astreas, Turbos, Nerites, Nassarius

Any ideas welcome, ask any questions, toss out any ideas. I am at a loss right now and I'd really like to figure out how/why this happened. I love having clams in my tank and until I figure this out, I'm going to have to get the last 2 out and get them somewhere for a while and see if they live. I won't be able to put anymore clams in my tank until I know it's safe for both our sakes.
Bob
 
My wild guess - Bi-color blenny. Those little ba$tards are terrible with clams, and they always get them when you are not looking.

I remember a thread here with similar a similar situation where the guy swore the blenny couldn't be doing it, he says he watched the tank constantly. Out of boredom and frustration he sat down in front of his tank with a beer and watched for several hours. The blenny didn't touch the clams and then all of the sudden, BAM, tried to take a huge chunk out of one. He removed the blenny and all got better slowly.

There's another thread here tonight about a guy and his Bi-color trying to kill the clams....
 
The last clam was the Deresa, 2 to 3 weeks before this started.
I've had the bi-color a year and a half, so unless they just start going after clams??????
The fact that it was just one clam at a time makes me think it was a fish, that's why I got rid of the yellow Coris.
But I don't kinow for sure, Read a lot lately and can't find out enough about diseases.
I know it's not water quality or lighting.
I have been wondering if that last clam might have brought something in with it. I don't quarantine, no tank to do it with,
I will check tomorrow to see if the Deresa was wild or not.
This is a nightmare, I love clams but I hate seeing them dying.
Thanks for trying to help, have to figure out why this happened, so I can get my tank back to normal.
Bob
 
Mbbuna - Thanks...been busy, and being in N.O., that little storm we had messed up things pretty badly as well ;) Got my tank restarted, though!

Sullyman - FIsh have been known to all the sudden start nipping, sometimes after several years. I've heard of that with angels, blennys and more. I'm no expert, but that Bi-color is a red-flag to me. No way to know for certain until caught in the act.
 
i agree with Peabody that some fish will start for what seems like no reason, at any time. also the fact that you added a clam just a few weeks before is suspect. and IMO it doesnt mater if it was wild or cultured as far as disease and parasites go. the culturing farms use open systems that pump in NSW, and then when the clams get larger they are placed into lagoons so there exposed to anything a wild clam would be exposed to.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6235447#post6235447 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peabody
Mbbuna - Thanks...been busy, and being in N.O., that little storm we had messed up things pretty badly as well ;) Got my tank restarted, though!

Sullyman - FIsh have been known to all the sudden start nipping, sometimes after several years. I've heard of that with angels, blennys and more. I'm no expert, but that Bi-color is a red-flag to me. No way to know for certain until caught in the act.
Click to expand...

im glad you made it through ok. that must have been a nightmare! Post some pics of your tank when your ready.
 
I guess I'll round up the bi-color and have him spend a few days in the fish corral.
If that doesn't change the situation, any other ideas?
 
The bi-color is in custody. I moved my gigas and he's opened up a bit so it won't take long to see if the blenny is the assassin or not.
I hope it turns out this easy, because I've taken a big hit already.
Bob
 
2 hours and the Gigas and Crocea are both still open and look fine. Looks like it's a case of Blenny gone Bad.
Man he killed some nice clams.
What other fish are not clam safe or even questionable? Can't/don't want this to happen again.
Bob
 
Day 2, the blenny must have been the one. He's on his way out, the 2 clams are both open and looking very good.
When I take him to his new home, I may pick up a large squamie, 12- 13" big boy, will have to check it out, can't put into words how mad this has made me, but if it's over............
Going to take a long time to replace my losses, part of this hobby, but I hate it when you keep everything right and you loose things for a reason like this.
 
Isn't it amazing. Those little guys are terror for clams.

What really get's me is that even though the clams don't have "vision" like we know it, it's almost like they can specifically see the problem fish is gone!
 
Peabody, good you see your still looing in and hey good call! BTW people, I had a GSM clown that killed a few clams before I caught him!
 
Thanks for the kind words! It's nice that life is getting back to some small sense of normalcy after Katrina.

Now I just needsome clams for my new tank! :)

Sullyman, please keep us updated!
 
The Killer blenny is gone, the clams are back to normal. I did pick up that Squamie, not as large as I was told, but a nice clam.
Not sure of the razor wrasse's species. I got him for the tank based on Mucho Reefs thread about a fix for Zoo eating Nudis.
I had him on my suspect list, he's always around my clams, but he has been cleared in this case. He actually sleeps between a couple of the clams many nights. I think he'd eat any pyramid snails should I ever be unlucky enough to get some in my tank.
I really do need to find a safe grazing fish for some turf algae I've got on some of my rocks.
Here's a pic of my tank.
tank1285001.jpg
 
Sorry for your loss friend ... that's a beautiful tank by the way! Bi-Color Blennies are to say the least clever. They are like kids ... when it's quiet they are up to something! Mine will not be making his way into my new tank with clams :D ... you saved me from a possible disaster as well ... thanks sullyman
 
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