Help!

[reef4me2]

I just got home from work, and found my one of my two Skunk Cleaner Shrimp picking at my Blue Maxima Clam! I have never observed this behavior before in my tank (I have had the shrimp for a little over a month, and the clam for over a year), and as of last night, the clam looked very healthy. Now, the clam is either receeded very far into it's shell, or has been mostly eaten! Is there hope for my clam if I am able to separate it from the shrimp, or is it too late? Should I just get rid of my shrimp this weekend and hope for the best, or go ahead and start saving for another clam? My clam is my favorite invert in my 30g reef!

 

[reef4me2]

Okay, I have the clam in a mesh net inside the tank to separate it from the shrimp the best way that I can right now. If I get rid of the shrimp Saturday (the next chance that I'll have to get somewhere to give 'em away, because of work), and with some TLC could the clam recover, or are they too delicate?

 

[mbbuna]

when clams recede all the way into there shells, most of the time there isnt much hope for them. most shrimp wont attack a clam so the clam must have had something else going on.

can you tell us more about your tank, filtration and lighting.

dont leave anything out, include recent changes, fish, everything

 

[reef4me2]

30g, sg 1.024, temp 77F, pH 8.4... 1x 150w 20000K HQI & 2x 96w 03 Actinic (Coralife fixture)... Aqua-C Remora skimmer & weekly water changes. No fish. No other new additions. I have had the clam for over a year and its shell is about 5" across. It has always fully opened up, and had vibrant colors (it's color still looks okay). Other inverts include a Scarlet Reef Hermit (which was a LR hitchhiker), feather duster worms, various soft corals (including leather coral, xenia, green-star polyps, zoanthids, mushrooms, gorgongians, and yellow polyps), an acropora frag, cerith snails, and two large turbo snails... Along with all the usual LR hitchhikers (brittle stars, pods, forams, etc).
The last (and only recent) change in the tank was the addition of the two skunk cleaner shrimps about a month ago. I have heard that Lysmata sp. sometimes pick at the mantles of Tridacnid clams, but, I didn't expect this behavior to suddenly show itself after a month of being introduced into the tank... Well, those little bastards are finding a new home very soon.
Thanks for the reply!

 

[mbbuna]

150watt 20k lighting is a little low for a high lighting clam. try moving the clam up closer to the light

 

[reef4me2]

Thanks.

 

[Omar H]

I would switch the 20k for 10k.

Can you post a picture of how it looks now and how it looked before?

Omar