I have a new reef that is about 2 months old I added a crocea clam about a week ago. yesterday there were about 4 Nassarius snails inside the clam. I moved tha cleam and removed the snails from the inside. The clam is still alive but not opening all the way. Is this normal? Any Ideas. I moved the clam higher onto the rocks and the snails are back inside it today. The clam is not opening very far but is alive.
Crocea clam question
- Thread starter Zamski
- Start date
phishcrazee
Member
Hmmmm, doesn't sound too good....... nassarius snails scavenge on things and I haven't heard of them acting as predators towards a living creature or coral, unless it was already dying. If you can isolate the clam so that the snails can't get to it, it may have a chance, but my thoughts are that it was already on it's way out. Does it close in response to touch or the shadow of your hand waving over it? A healthy clam should close-up if you do this. It may have been too early /too immature/too unstable of a tank to have added a clam, imo. I would have waited at least 6 mo. to make sure water parameters were stable. BTW, what are your water parameters? What kind of lighting do you have?
Thanks for the info. The clam does close. I have Metal halides 15K XM's. I was thinking about putting it into my refugium but I am worried about the Hermit crabs. My water perameters are good.
Temp 78
calcium 500
dkh 11
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
There are only two corals in the aquarium now and two fish. It has been a slow start but I always liked the color of the clam and could not resist!
Temp 78
calcium 500
dkh 11
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
There are only two corals in the aquarium now and two fish. It has been a slow start but I always liked the color of the clam and could not resist!
phishcrazee
Member
Alk? Salinity? Wattage? I would think putting it in the fuge would be just as much a risk....... scarlet hermits might be fine, blue legged ones are aggressive litle suckers though and if the clam is failing........... How did you acclimate the clam to the tank? Was it shipped or bought right from the store?
phishcrazee
Member
double post 
Specific gravity 1.025, Light is three 250w metal halides and two VHO Actinics. I purchased it at a local store. I was told not to acclimate and place it right into the aquarium. I am going to leave it high on the live rock and hope for the best! I thought the Nassarius Snails are to stay on the bottom in the sand. It is amazing how they will go up high to get anything they might think will taste good.
phishcrazee
Member
Yeah, they usually do, that's what worries me about your clam's condition
Sounds like you have enough light, although if I had purchased it outright from a LFS, I definetly would have done a slow acclimation. Was it under poor lighting at the LFS? I know acclimation can be a sticky subject, but if you got it from the store, I would have acclimated it. That may have caused it some stress......
Do you have a picture? It may have pinched mantle brought on by all the stress.
Don't know how handy you are or how clever, but this might give you an idea of a way to isolate your clam. Maybe you could rig something up similar?
http://www.melevsreef.com/pics/0504/baby_maxima.html
Do your snails look like the ones in the link? Apparently he had a real problem with them preying on his clam, or attempting too anyways.
Here's a brief reference to nassarius snails. They should be safe, if that's what they really are, but many similar species are sold under that name and are not safe:
http://www.reefpedia.com/index.php/Nassarius_Snail
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