Dead Deresa

[bill37]

My Deresa clam is dead and I do not know why. About two weeks ago I noticed that a snail shell was wedged in where the clams foot normally is. The clam was forced to lie on its side with its "shell" off set. When I picked up the clam it looked as though its foot was in the snail shell. After a couple of days the snail shell was dislodged and it was empty. the next day my clam was sitting upright perfectly closed. It was like that for about 3 days and then I saw some fleshy material coming out. I opened the clam the clam itself was unattached from the shell and I believe dead. Has anybody seen this before or any ideas waht happened. My other two clams are doing fine.

 

[mbbuna]

how long have you had the clam?
how long has the tank been up and running?
Ca/Alk,Ph,Sg,temp?
how big is the tank?
what lighting(please tell all,Type,watts,K rating)
what fish do you have?

 

[bill37]

The 55 gal tank has been running for about 3-4 years. The clam is about 2 years in the tank. I have the Orbit Extreme with 520 watts of PC lighting. 260 act and 260 Dual daylight. I have one skunk clown and one lawnmower blenny in the tank.

Cal at least 400-450
temp 80
Sg 1.025
Ph 8.2

Thanks

 

[mbbuna]

was the clam just holding on to the snail shell with its byssal threads or was it a live snail? i know you said that the snail shell was empty but?

 

[bill37]

It looked as though the bissel threads were in the snail shell? Have you ever heard of a whelk?? Someone suggested that.

 

[mbbuna]

some Whelks will pray on clams, but im not sure that that was a live snail. do you have empty shells in your tank? what is your substrate?

 

[bill37]

I have empty shells. the substrate is CC

 

[mbbuna]

I have empty shells. the substrate is CC

im guessing that this is where the shell came from, i know that it dosent help with how the clam died. im not an expert on snails, but what i do know about Whelks is that most of them will drill right thru the clams shell and feed that way.

you wouldnt happen to still have the snail shell, and could post some pics of it?

 

[bill37]

How do I find the little %$#%$%$% and get rid of him?