Derasa clams and shrimp

[dattack]

I have 2 peppermint shrimp and 2 cleaner shrimps in my 110 G reef. I have also a 6-7" Derasa clam that has been doing well. It has open up everyday but in the last two days one particular cleaner shrimp has been picking at the mantle ? and where the shell meets. The clam doesn't try to open because the shrimp is always hovering around it. When it tries to open, the shrimp comes and starts picking at it?
Should I try to get rid of the cleaner and does anybody know if there is a way to trap it? Or is it signs that my clam is dying. My water conditions are fine and I have it about 20-24" from the metal halide bulb 250W Iwasaki. Should I move it closer onto the rocks.
Thanks

 

[Overboard]

I had the same problem with a cleaner shrimp on a maxima. I finally moved the shrimp.

Mark

 

[GH Sniper]

Take the shrimp out and fast. I had the same situation and the shrimp caused the clam to stay closed so much that to started to bleach. I had to remove the shrimp and reposition it to better light within the tank and it still took 6 weeks for it to finally regain color back.

If you need something as a cleaner then use a six-line wrasse or convict blennies. I stay away from the shrimp now.

 

[dattack]

Thanks for the advice. I tried moving the clam to different positions in the sand bed but the shrimp followed.
I tried catching the shrimp but it was all but impossible in the rockwork.
The only thing that worked was I placed the clam on the highest point in the rockwork and the shrimp hasn't been able to find it or wanted to disturb the clam there. The clam now has open up and doing well for the past week.
Thanks.

 

[GH Sniper]

You still may want to consider removing the shrimp sometime in the near future because you can't see what he does at night :eek2:

 

[ClamLover]

better remove the cleaner shrimps, they will surely find your clam, that is certain.

i took my 2 cleaners out recently when my favorite green crocea showed signs
of being disturbed.

the method i used:
use a transparent (or close to transparent) plastic box, preferably perforated.
feed the shrimp with your palm (finger holding a dried prawn etc ).
the stupid shrimp will come bite the prawn (you'll have to just hang your hand there for a few minutes to tempt the shrimp to come out and swim to your hand).
after a few seconds i notice the shrimp forgot that there was actually a plastic box lurking from it's back.
Just swoop the irritating shrimp out at one go!

Hope this helps. I read somewhere (think it's Delbeek and Sprung v1) that even cleaner shrimps will bite croceas when the shrimp is hungry. and it is true. for peppermints I haven't tried them but I would want to avoid them for good
.

 

[Pepito]

Does anybody know of some good shrimp to keep with clams??

 

[GH Sniper]

Cocktail !! LOL

Seriously, shrimp will go after your clam with a vengence unless they have a better meal. Now, this is a good/bad type thing. Your tank is being maintained very well and should be fairly clean however, (the bad thing) they will go after the next easy meal. Normally the next easy meal is the mantle of the clam.

You could TRY to feed the shrimp in hopes it would leave the clam alone but this seems to be a loseing effort. I would recommend a six line wrasse or neon gobies with snails that will do basically the same thing for your tank and are safer to the clams.