nassarius and clams

[bugbdon]

well i checked on my tank tonight and one of my new clams was being "inspected" by one of my larger nassarius snails!!! the clam looks pretty P.O'ed right now, it's partially open and the mantel is retracted. has anyone had this problem? i don't think the snail was eating it because it was dead, it was expanding fine this evening before the lights went out.

if part of it was infact eaten....do you think it will live? or should i pull it before it fouls my water?
thanks

 

[a4twenty]

a whelk looks very similar to a nassarius snail, here's a page to help tell the difference. whelks are a clam predator.

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html


if the snail was just on the shell, he was probably just grazing but if he is inside the shell you have a problem. nassarius snails will usually only show up if the clam is dead or dieing.

can you post a pic of the clam??

 

[johnnybravo234]

+1

 

[Krazy]

I have both large and small nassarius snails with both of my gigag clams in my 210, I have no issues with them.

You may have a whelk as mentioned by 420.

 

[bugbdon]

The clam is already dead. When I saw the snail on the clam it had a tube in the clam as if it was feeding. Thanks for the info all.

 

[Apercula]

I have a half dozen of what is being sold as large Nassarius snails. I had a 2in maxima that went from being fine to dead in less than 24hrs a few months ago, and when I found it dead one of my "nassarius" snails was on the shell with its feeding tube in the clam.
I just read this thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1422262 where the snails I have are being IDed as Babylonia sp, which are predatory scavengers known to eat clams.

I intend to remove those snails before I try a clam again.

 

[jkhchris]

I had a Derasa clam that was not doing to good in one spot in my tank. I moved to another spot where it had alot of space beside my large Sqamosa clam. The next day when the lights went on it did not open. I left it for about an hour and decided to check it out. I looked at the foot that was missing and noticed something inside moving around. It turned out to be three large Tongan nassarius that were in the clam. Believe the clam was not healthy and didn't react fast enough and let the snails in. Have not had any problems since then or before then with them.

Chris

 

[TOYTEK]

I bought a 2" crocea Sat. Sun. morning before lights on I noticed the clam shell was knocked over and two "Large Nassarius" were feasting on it.

 

[bugbdon]

yeah seems either snails are being mis-identified...or nassarius are like vultures and begin to swarm when something is "not right" and on it's last leg. we may think the clam is doing fine, however the chemical signals the nassarius' are picking up say otherwise. tough call......either way my snails went into the freezer!