Raccoon butterfly and clams?

[delphinus]

I have a feeling I'm about to ask an incredibly dumb question.

I recently picked up a raccoon butterfly to help deal with an excessive majano anemone problem in my 115g cube tank. This tank had 14 clams in it, with my oldest clam being around 6 or 7 years now.

Anyhow, I never see the raccoon pick at the clams. I try to observe a lot, and I just haven't seen him show interest in the clams. To wit, I DID notice he was doing damage to a brain coral (which subsequently got moved into a different tank and recovered.) So I'd like to think I'd notice if he was doing something to the clams. But just I don't see any evidence of it.

BUT ... since his introduction, I have lost 4 clams. Well .. 3, the 4th though is just a matter of time. Fish was introduced around 2 months ago, and the clam losses started around 3 weeks ago. Clams that were otherwise doing really well until recently. 2 perished when I was on vacation (found the empty shells when I came back), and one perished in the last 24 hours. The last one is showing some fairly significant gaping, and I don't think I will be able to save him.

So. Raccoon butterfly in the tank. 2 + 2 = ?

I really hate jumping to conclusions without evidence .. but I hate losing clams even more. Would the safer assumption be, in this case, it may be the butterfly and I should consider rehoming him?

Would love some advice either way. Thanks..

 

[mastershake72]

O man, hate to hear about losing that many clams that you've had for a long time. While I've never had butterflies in a system with clams I would certainly think that it is the raccoon. Any evidence of pyramid snails or any other possible agitator? Raccoon butterflies are some of the most likely to pick at corals and clams so I would assume that. Schedule extra time just to watch your tank and keep an eye on what he is doing, try to monitor him at night as that might be a time for a late night snack. Moving him certainly can't hurt your clams whereas keeping him could certainly lead to the death of all your clams.

 

[OrionN]

When fish bother clams you see the evidence- mantle with pieces of flesh missing. When a blenny bother my clams he attack one or two clams at a time, not all of them. My clams would have these perfect semi-circles junk of flesh missing from the mantels. I got him out before any of my clam died.

 

[a4twenty]

sorry to hear delphinus,


they are not considered reef safe, as you've found out, they go after corals and invertebrates.


often you can tell if a fish is bothering your clams by watching the clams behavior. if a usually open clam is staring to keep closed a lot more often, you can try covering the clam with a clear container ( pop bottle with holes, for flow ) and watch if he relaxes.


do you still have any clams in the tank??

 

[delphinus]

Still have 8 clams in the tank. There is one that is not looking good right now, a small (1.5") squamosa. I've never really had a lot of luck with smaller clams but I've had this one about a year and had been doing really well until this summer.

I don't see bite marks or evidence of other pests but it's just rather suspicious that declines started happening after he came into the tank. Surely it's not coincidence, but it's hard to say. There could be other things going on. To me it's the worst case scenario to leave a dead clam in the tank to be scavenged and coming home from vacation to find two empty shells makes me fearful that a cascading effect has begun and it has nothing to do with the raccoon.

For what it's worth he did a bang up job of clearing the tank of what was literally hundreds of majano anemones. Didn't seem to show any interest in the corals except the one brain coral (which I knew was a risk). I figured I would keep an eye on him and I would notice if he was picking at the clams .. I think I'll just jump to the conclusion and move him out anyhow.

 

[a4twenty]

have you checked for pyramids snails? or flatworms??

are they growing??

when's the last time you added a clam??

post a couple pics of the clam you're still worried about and what other fish / inverts do have in that tank??


you're right it may not be the fish but if you have another tank to banish him to, better safe than sorry.