Suicide or Murder??

[cdangel0]

Get home from work yesterday to find my new clam shell laying on the bottom of the tank behind a rock - completely empty.

I picked him up about 2 weeks ago, he immediately found a comfortable home in my tank, was opened up with beautiful colors. I got home from vacation on Sunday, he was still looking gorgeous but was on the next ledge down the aquascaping, I checked and he was firmly attached to the rock (I did not pull hard enough to hurt or damage the foot).

Now last night he was on the floor of the tank - well at least the empty shell was. Now what I don't know is if he jumped, or got pushed, if he was gone before he hit the bottom or if the hermits got him when he landed.

Possible culprits:

Yellow Tang
Sailfin Tang
Hippo Tang
Cuban Hogfish
Tomato Clown
Percula Clown
Royal Gramma
Misc. Damsels
Snails
Damn hermits

Any thoughts, ideas, or opinions?

I personally think the hermit crabs are working in cahoots with the Mexican Turbo snails. I think the hermits are letting the snails live as long as they knock off the big meaty food items from the rock so they can belly up on the bottom under the rocks :mad2:

Leave it to me to get mafia hermit crabs :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

 

[firecrackerbob]

Do you have any green emerald crabs? ive had problems with them lately...
im not a clam expert, but two weeks in still seems like it could have been sick when you bought it. maybe lighting, food, etc? seems to me more likely that the clam was sick or nor in the right conditions than hermits attacking... JMHO.
Cheers
Eric

 

[a1amap]

Re: Suicide or Murder??

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10170167#post10170167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cdangel0


I personally think the hermit crabs are working in cahoots with the Mexican Turbo snails. I think the hermits are letting the snails live as long as they knock off the big meaty food items from the rock so they can belly up on the bottom under the rocks :mad2:

Leave it to me to get mafia hermit crabs :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

Somebody needs to stop staring it to the tank lights and get some sleep.. A wise man once said there is a fine line between hobby and mental illness.


PS the crabs are watching!

 

[cdangel0]

Come to think of it I do have 1 emarld crab left. I always forget about him becasue I never see him, he stays inside the rocks. All I ever see is a random claw pop out, pull something off the rock and go back inside.

I bought the clam from another reefer so I do not think it was sick, had it under T5 lights - which was a step up from the PCs he was under before, put him low enough in the tank so not to shock him with the new lighting.

Oh well - guess I'll blame the crab.

Still think the hermits are orchestrating it though!!!

 

[firecrackerbob]

You are probably right then about it not being sick, maybe the stress of the change, different foods.. who knows... sorry to hear of the loss none the less. I know its always frustrating when something in the tank you liked goes...
GECs can be nasty little buggers. in the right conditions im sure they are pretty chill if they have enough of the right food, but I blame my two for wipping out a few dozen snails since I put them in... because of them my tank hasnt had a snail in it for about 6mo.
As I plan for setting up my 55, the GECs as well as my DAMNsel will not be going into my new 'peaceful' reef...

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Ahh my clam! That thing was a monster! I got him from a lfs who was there for a month under PC lights! I had him under PC and non HO T5 lights, had him for 4 months or so, no problems what so ever. Sorry to hear about the clam craig, he was a hardy one, must have been something in your tank that ate him. I guess no more clams from now on. How is the frogspawn doing?

 

[cdangel0]

Frogspawn is doing great - was a very nice addition to the tank - opens up very nice during the day, has one whole corner of the tankt o himself and seems to be enjoying it nicely.

Do you still have that toadstool available?

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Glad to here the frogspawn is doing good, he opens up pretty big! Yes, I still have the toadstool and neon leather. Looks like I am going to be forced to get out of the hobby anyway. I have been trying and trying to hang on, I really don't want to let my angels go, but I don't think I have a choice. Once I am done school and actually have money again, I am coming back with a 250-400g tank with very aggressive fish, reefs never have been my thing.

 

[cdangel0]

Well let me know if you need a good home for the leather and the toadstool.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Sure, no problem, if my brother can't take them, there yours.

 

[wds21921]

Crabs (any type) don't belong with snails or clams. I've soon to many empty shells from even tiny crabs that decimated my snail population. For the little bit of detritus a crab eats, to me they aren't worth the risk, ever. What a snail eats in a day isn't even comparable.