Something Ate My Clam!!!

[Micki]

I am so bummed! Today I noticed my clam was turned side ways and the mantle wasn't out like normal. I went to turn it around and when I picked up what little was left inside the shell fell to the bottom! I pulled it out and the entire byssal gland was gone and the mantle looked melted down inside. There was hardly anything left of the inside! I noticed the large bristle worm (over 12 inches) backed away from it after I lifted it out.
What would have done this??? I really don't think the worm did it or it would have happened a long time ago. I've had this clam since I got the tank in July. It had lived in there for at least a year prior to my owning it.

My tank stock:
1 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint shrimp
2 clowns (false percs)
3 chromis
1 yellow tang
1 hippo tang
1 lawn mower blenny
various crabs and snails

You can see the clam in my gallery pictures that it was a fairly big clam. Last night it was fine when I went to bed.

Any ideas???

 

[Absint Reefer]

a bristle worm would not have killed it he was probably just eating the already dead clam are you sure it was a bristle worm

 

[Micki]

Hey Carson, yes I'm sure it was a bristle worm. It is at least 12 inches long. I agree, it probably did not kill it. I think it was just cleaning up the dead clam. But what would have killed it? It really looked great 12 hour prior.

 

[acroconut]

Wow, I've heard that clams can go fast when something goes wrong. Any possibility of some kind of big change in your tanks chemistry......ph, alk, calc.? Sorry about your loss.

 

[Micki]

Thanks, not that I'm aware of. I am getting ready to do a water change right now. The fish and coral look fine. I would think if something was really off it would have an effect on the other tank creatures as well...

 

[Micki]

acroconut, checked my water before my water change. CA and Alk. are what they always are. CA. I think was 460 and Alk. 11.8? Alk is always high. It has been like this since last September. I just want to find out what happened before I transfer to the new tank next weekend! If I can catch the large bristle worm I'll put it in the fuge, I may put the pepps in there too if I can get them.

 

[acroconut]

Did you ever check your clam for Pyramid snails? They usually won't kill a larger clam overnignt, but over a period of time, they can and do kill clams?

 

[Micki]

Hmmm, nope. Never hear of them actually. I'll some research.