Think Clam is Dying

[johnstires]

From reading up on the forums, I think if a clam begins to die there isn't much one can do for it.

I have had a healthy and happy 5" crocea for about 2 years now under T5s. About a week ago he wasn't opening up as fully as usual. I checked the foot and it was still fastened tightly to the rubble rock he has always been to and there was no sign of decay.

Today I came home to find my cleaner shrimp picking at him, half hour later my emerald crabs and hermits were on top of him doing the same. His foot is still healthy. The mantle hasn't shown any decay either.

I transported him to a 5G nano with no cleaning crew in it. He is under 36Ws of compact flourescents.

Is there anything I can do for it or is it a lost cause. I am in need of a lighting change so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. I changed my lights today on my large tank, but i can't put him in there due to the feeding frenzy.

 

[a4twenty]

can you post a picture??

also list your fish and inverts?

and test parameters??

he may no do very well under 36W of power compacts either, how old were the old lights??

 

[quicksilverq]

Have you done anything new.... NEW fish New anything changing in your water maybe. Clams can live years 30+ in some fish tanks you might have done something different.

I had a Squamosa come in And it's bag was cut open by his shell and he was almost dry and I used DT's plankton and nuked my tank for days and he came back from death.

but all clams are different what saves one could kill another or save it...

 

[johnstires]

The lights were only 1 year 3 months old so they were overdue, but nothing showed signs of low light. I have a 48" T5 system on a 33L so he was under some pretty powerful lights that were only 12" above him.

I purchased about 8 sps colonies and frags and another clam about a month ago. I was away on vacation over thanksgiving and the new clam died while under the care of my sitter. I was able to remove it before it degraged much. Maybe that had something to do with it. Could it have had a disease or something?

Also the guy who sold me the clam said not to put clams on the sand bed as worms can eat at thier foot. I've never heard of this and never had a problem. I've always seen the RC tanks of the month with big clams in the sand bed. I thought that was where they were meant to be so that they wouldn't fall and tear thier foot.

Fish and Inverts
2 False Percs
2 Bangali Cardinels
Arrow Crab
Cleaner Shrimp
2 Pep Shrimp
Hermits (red and blue)
4 Emerald Crabs

All have been in the tank for months/years an don't bother anything.

Tank Params are fine as usual. Everything else is happy and healthy.

Not sure if this does much, but here is a pic when he was being eaten by the crabs. I'll probably buy a container and put him in a container in the main tank so he can get light.

 

[quicksilverq]

umm by the looks of it them crabs are cleaning all the crap off the shell. ITs possible that might be stressing the clam out having them on it all the time.

 

[a4twenty]

you can cut a pop bottle in half and cut a some holes in for flow, then place the clam on a small flat rock and cover with the bottle. this should keep the CUC away, then post another pic when he opens back up.

 

[johnstires]

The hermits never went by the clam even though he has a bunch of algae on his shell. They are definitely picking at the clam specifically.

Should the clam be on a rock or is it okay to have him in the sand bed?

I'll post another pic when I get home.

 

[a4twenty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13976906#post13976906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by johnstires
Should the clam be on a rock or is it okay to have him in the sand bed?

with sufficient light, healthy clams can be kept on the sand bed. with the unknown condition of your clam, i would keep him up on a rock to prevent any interest from bristle worms, they'll be attracted by the same smells as the crabs.

 

[johnstires]

if it was a lighting issue is it possible that he could rebound considering that his mantle and foot still look healthy. He just was regressing into his shell more.

 

[quicksilverq]

I am just guessing with less light there is less alagee to eat in the rest of your tank so your crabs and what not are going where its left at. replace your blubs.

 

[a4twenty]

i doubt it's a lighting issue but a good look at the mantle will help diagnose.

 

[quicksilverq]

O yah I have had clams for years and they never get that much stuff on there shells...

 

[johnstires]

I moved him back under new T5s yesterday. When moved him only half of his foot was attached to the rock (vs full contact the day before) The part that was attached looked healthy (circled in blue) the part not attached didn't (circled in pink).

I can't even get a shot of the mantle he's been closed up. I placed a 2L bottle over him with some small holes in it to protect him. I woke up this morning to fine an emerald crab had some how lifted the bottle or dug under to get to him.

The mantle is still really purple and colored up, just receded and not has some chunks taken out of it due to the crabs and shrimp feast.

Should I target feed it since it isn't opening?

 

[a4twenty]

at the very right of the red circle, are those tiny snails??

have you checked for pyramid snails??

they are a small snail that lives under the clam during the day and come up at night to feast on the clams mantle. this damage may be attracting the CUC.

its best to check a few hours after lights out as they are nocturnal. unfortunately if they are pyramids, the only cure is to manually remove the snail and any egg sack found on the shell.

heres a thread with a a pic of the little buggers.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=489644

 

[johnstires]

thanks for the suggestion, I introduced a new clam (which died about a week putting him in) so that is feasible. I just checked the foot thoroughly and didn't see anything. I'll check again after lights are out.

 

[johnstires]

Well the clam is officially dead, his foot, while still attached to the rock became detached from the shell bottom. That is where all the flesh was dying. Not sure why it degraded in that area. Sad to see it go, it was a really pretty clam. Thanks for all the help to try to figure out what it was.

 

[a4twenty]

sorry to hear


is it possible you ( or he ) damaged his foot recently??

 

[quicksilverq]

some times there is nothing we can do its like one of them unknown things the clam could have caught anything and we just dont know about it.

 

[johnstires]

yeah my assumption is it happened because I placed a new clam in the tank. Maybe it caught a disease. I hate it when things die in my tank, makes me feel like a bad reefer.