Sudden Clam Death?

[falconut]

I had a 2" Blue Maxima, which appeared to be doing fine. Opened up every day, closed when fish swam too close. I had it for a few months.

I also have a 5" Blue Crocea which I've had for almost a year. I really didn't feed my tank any phyto, until I got the 2nd clam.

When I got the 2nd clam, I started adding about 10ml of DT's 1st a week to my tank. I was told they shouldn't need it, but they would benefit from it.

On Thurday night I moved both clams a little. I have them on my sand bed. About an hour after moving them, my Crocea started spewing a whitish crud out of the syphon for a few hours. The Maxima seamed to be OK, but the Crocea was open, just not as much as usual.

Saturday night it looked fine and was open, but on Sunday morning it wasn't expanded and its shell was opened. The intake and syphon were both open really wide. When I picked it up it didn't move and smelled really bad. It was dead.

Now I'm worried about my Crocea clam. I checked aound the inside and bottom for any preditors and didn't see any. Any idea what happened? Should I be worried about my Crocea?

 

[a4twenty]

were they attached to the bottom when you moved them?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9626759#post9626759 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by falconut
About an hour after moving them, my Crocea started spewing a whitish crud out of the syphon for a few hours. The Maxima seamed to be OK, but the Crocea was open, just not as much as usual.

just so i have this right, the crocea spawned but it was the maxima that died?

sounds like stress induced spawning. you should make sure your skimmer is running @ 100%, run lots of carbon if you are not and prepare a water change.

small maxima's ( 3" or < ) are very delicate and have a high mortality rate. the spawning incident may have fouled the water to bad for the little maxima to survive.

could you post a pic of the surviving clam?

 

[falconut]

No, neither was attahced to the bottom.

I thought that it was spawning, baecause the fish were eating the stuff. It did make the water look cloudy, while it was doing this. I had moved the Maxima so it was next to the Crocea. About 2" - 3" from it when it spawned.

I do run carbon, but the bag that's in is kindof old. So, I guess I'll change it out. My skimmer is running as usual. Small strands of the stuff was hanging on the corals that night, but I don't see any remaining.

So, you believe that the Croceas spawning may have killed the Maxima?

Here are photos of both before the spawning:

Maxima

Crocea

I don't have any photos of the Crocea afterwards. It has it's mantles extended, just not as far as shown and the opening has been closed during the day, but open at night.

 

[WayneY]

The spawning probably fouled the water so I would do a good water change to help remove.Thats a shame that was a beautiful little maxima.

 

[Krazy]

That blue maxima was indeed a very beautiful clam...

Sorry about the loss...