Question on clam death?

[FishPharm]

Crocea mantle pulled back into it's shell. I assume its already dead. Just pulled it from the tank.

My tank is 1 1/2 years old. Tank parameters are inline and have been very stable. I take chemical readings every day on Ca and Alk......Mg once a month. Ph is measured by meter. I have croceas, dersas and maximas, which are all fine with mantles fully extended. A total of 4.

I had this clam for well over 4 months.

Can anyone provide some reasons as to why this may have occured?

I felt I practiced good husbandry. I don't know what to look for as a reason? Would like to learn from this.

Thanx

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

was it being shaded...any possible predators/pyramid snails

 

[FishPharm]

No Matt. Clams all out in the open. No predators.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

could it have been sick when you got it and the fact that your husbandry is good extended their fate?

 

[FishPharm]

I don't know...the clam behaved fine, meaning it reacted to shadows of fish overhead and reopened just as quickly. Had great color and was fully extended. Then in the last two weeks or so, did not open as much.

So what kind of sickness/illness can clams be exposed to?

One thing that may have changed was the postioning of one of my tunzes, which rearranged my sand and as a consequence blew some sand grit onto the clam mantle. I was thinking this was more an irritant and the situation was remedied by moving the clam to a less turbulent position from blowing sand.

 

[mbbuna]

there are many disease' that can kill a clam, unfortionatly we might never know what caused your clam to go.

the first thing i look at is the inhabitants (fish, shrimp, crabs).then chemistry swings. clams are very sensitive to changes in PH and ALK. Then lighting, Croceas and 20k dont mix well IMO,in the wild you will NEVER find a Crocea at a depth that is close to 20k lighting.

But then again the clam could have been sick when you got it.

 

[critterkeeper]

There are LOTS of potentially deadly bacteria and protozoans that can attack tridacnids. Unfortunately, very few studies have been done to find them all (if that's possible). But, lots of work has been done on the diseases that affect species that are big parts of the seafood market (like oysters).

Take a look here:

http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/shelldis/toc_e.htm

If other clams can get all this stuff, I see no reason to think that tridacnids wouldn't have a lot of microbial enemies too...

 

[mbbuna]

great link critterkeeper, ill have to read through it soon.

 

[FishPharm]

Thank you all for your input. Well I have to stay with 20k as I like the color they give the tank's sps. If my other clams go, I will not replenish their population, as SPS is what I really want to keep. It just seems odd, that all the other clams are fine. I guess it will have to remain a mystery.