snail stuck inside the clam shell

[fishreefoctobreed]

i just got my first clam and i have a local fl. snail that is practically immortal. well this snail climbed into the clam shell and the clam shut on him and he has been tight against the snail since. what should i do? also on the top rim of the sheel it looks like there are flakes coming off of the shell? is my calcium too low and thats why?

thanks for any help!

 

[fishreefoctobreed]

dont all respond at once! the clams dead today well atleast hes gaping wide open and has a hint of dead invert smell. were the snail was the flesh was receded from the shell and in the morning there was the other snail i had (same type) on top trying to get in. i think they were trying to eat it. and i think they were also the larger part of why it died.

had my water tested and everything was good?
not like anyone is actually going to respond but any thoughts would help me figure it out!

thanks

 

[James Yeung]

Sorry to hear that the clam didn't make it. How long did you had it for?

I'm a clam newbie myself, but I'll ask anyway since someone more experienced may want to know. What kind of snails are those? You have pic? Certain species of snails are known to eat clams. If the snails are considered harmless, it could be possible that the snail may have detected that the clam was going kaput the day before to scavenge. From what I read, a dead or dying clam may still have reflexes. If it was a recent purchase, let's say a few days or less, maybe the clam was already stressed big time at the LFS and the extra stress from the LFS to your tank ended it. Well, I need a little more info (date or purchase, type of snail), that is all I can come up with. Anyway, let's wait and see what else can be said to solve the mystery.

Caclium should be at least 400ppm. I keep mine at 450ppm.

BTW, you're really breeding octopuses? If so, very cool! Wouldn't mind seeing some images, if you have some!

Thanks,

James

 

[Dustin]

What kind of snail was it? Was it a tulip snail?

 

[fishreefoctobreed]

hey thanks for posting. yes it was a new purchase and ive thought that maybe it was on the way out but i picked it from the wholesalers and it was the best of all the others there. calcium was at 400 had it tested the same day it was still in there. parts of the mantle were turning brown and the mantle had come away from the shell where the snail was which makes me believe the snail was eating it. (and the brown was decay from whatever saliva/ toxin the snail was using?) this was my first clam

(james)
yes i am eventually going to try breeding octopusses but i would have to find a cost effective way because they need to eat A LOT. but there are types that have large enough babies that i could sell them soon after. but thats not going to happen for a little. my breedings gonna start in about a year and a half. so for now just adult octo's.

(dustin)
hey whats up. this is skylar. we met on a trip i took to ora last weekend. my girlfriend was so impressed by the beautiful clams in your systems that she wanted one. i have no idea about the snails but im searching. i dont think i will find anything because they are ugly and would never be sold for an aquarium. i actually got them from a rock beach here in miami. they survive among thousands of hermit and mythrax crabs so i know they're tough. their shell slightly resembles a conch. fat at one end and taipered at the other. they have a dark brown semicircular plate that they use to cover themselves when they retract. whitish shell with grayish points. (from what i remember) the points were rounded and not sharp. very hard shell. also kind of like a nassarius (shape) but with points coming out from the shell. not a tulip snail! just white and gray.

tried to be as helpful as i could do you think they could have been predatory?
the clam was open just fine until the snail went inside.

thanks for any help!