Greg I totally sympathize. Imagine how I felt when I lost my >5 year 14" squamosa last fall in the same manner. I can conclusively say it was not bristleworms: I checked. I removed brittlestars and copepods but the worms hadn't moved in yet.

The thing with scavengers is that they move in when they sense opportunity. I guess a dieing clam must smell like food. I'll tell you, I've seen all manners of critters move in on clams in the last moments - shrimp, fish, etc. Entirely possible that the clams might be saveable at certain points before the scavangers deal the final blow, but generally there's something else that pushes them to the edge first.

The basic layout of clam physiology/biology can be summed up as follows: mantle, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, then the shell and the muscles to open and close. Some of these operate in more or less complete independence of the others - meaning that internally there could be something wrong before the mantle (generally the only part we really see) starts to show any signs of distress. This could potentially explain part of the "it looked fine yesterday but now it's just an empty shell" phenomenon.

Two books I highly recommend if you're interested in learning more about clams: "Giant Clams in the Sea and the Aquarium" by James Fatheree, and "Giant Clams" by Daniel Knop. The Knop book is a little old now and translated into English so gets a little awkward at time but it is still current and basically the defacto Tridacnid bible so is still worthy of a spot on your bookshelf if you're into tridacnids (and hippopus for that matter). I WAS going to say "if you're into clams" but why give Brett/Kien/Doug/etc. an opening like that.

Sorry if the tone regarding the Bristol vs bristle wasn't obvious as lighthearted, was only intended as a razz. :)

Anyhow I realize this doesn't explain anything and it's frustrating and I really do sympathize. Clams are hugely vexatious parts of the hobby: nothing screams "tropical Pacific reef" more than giant clams and here are they are teasing us and causing us stress when they check out en masse like that. Believe me, I'm conflicted, they drive me nuts and yet I can't stop lovin' them and wanting more. :lol:

cheers

So let me get this straight. What you're trying to say here is that in a Brett and Doug sandwich I would be the filler? I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Riddle me this then......... if BRISTEL worms ( and thanks to Tony for correcting my spelling :lol:) are scavenger's and we all know they are, how come then not one of my dieing clams had a BW inside the clam amongst all the goo when I have taken them out of the tank. I pulled the latest one out today and there where none in sight and the lights had not come on yet.

Tony we all know you where just :razz: us bad spellers :biggrin:

Have you ever watched a bristle worm feed on a dead organism before? Most reach out from the little hiding hole that they live in to feed. They don't all jump right in and wallow in the corpse like pigs in mud. Most also spook and retract right away when discovered.

:lol:

LMAO!!!!!

Any thing that has died or was dying in my tank had a bristle worm in it, on it or under it. I moved some of my zoas around the other day to do some frags and under most of the big disks like you and some were your there were a couple little bristle worms. I don't like them even though most people do, I don't and will remove everyone I see.

I like samages........but that sounds to me like too much meat for my liking......I would more prefer more of a Laurie/Doug/Girly samage....more bun than meat:wink:

DOUG!!! I thought this was a PG rated forum, my ears...I mean my eyes.....I mean........never mind thanks for the visual mind torture :twisted:

Keep dreaming there bud! Besides what's wrong with meat :lol: :razz: Anyways you should think more like a steak sandwich, only one "bun" needed :twised:

<sigh>

:p

:lol: That's bristLE not bristEL your getting closer though Grizz, we'll give ya points for tryin :razz: :lol:

Oh damn it anyways, I will get it right sooner or later :lol:

Well I am DONE with clams!! 2 more down this morning and only 2 left. From now on I am going to spend my money on figuring out how to grow SPS.

Ouch. :( I'm sorry to hear that Greg...

Thanks Tony, I am a little frustrated with the tank ATM. Going to get the 250gal figured out with some bad a$$ flow, I have 4 - 250w MH with 4 - 54w T5's and adding 4 more T5's. I would like to add a couple MP40's as well. Then maybe just maybe I can keep SPS alive & growing.

Ah Greg, sorry to hear of the losses, so mine are gone now... that sucks!

Hope you can get the tank in order.

Ya the ones I got from you where the latest casualty.

Tank might have to be a total teardown :sad:

Ya, my tank still suffering from the 8" guy going Kappoot.. SPS wont fully extend polyps, softies are up and down like a old man on viagra.. up down up down down down up.. its sad.. I hope the 4 water changes ive done so far start to show signs of pepping things up.. I wouldnt mind as much if I felt somthing in my tank did it.. but I got chewed out on reefcentral for buying it.. I was told cause I put it in my tank it was my own doing for not being a smart buyer.. opps.. (pretty hardcore peeps on reefcentral)

have all of you checked your phosphates?

Reason I ask is because as many of you know I have had my troubles with my coral. I never tested phosphates and everything else was spot on, even had LFS do the testing and couldn't see an issue. But as I said I never tested phosphates and the LFS didn't either.

Well recently I thought of this and bought a phosphates test kit, and voila I had phosphates... Not high, but probably high enough to cause problems. Corals do not like phosphates.

Well in combination with the BioPellets and water changes, I am now doing vodka dosing with the pellets. I am still in the ramp up stages, but I can tell you my phosphates are almost undetectable. Also my corals are happy, seeing lots of growth and polyp extension, especially in ones that I thought were done for.

Also I haven't dosed MG, Str, Cal for 5-6 months, and now I have done some big doses over the past 2 weeks, and I am now doing my daily dosing to keep up. What this means is the corals are now eating. YIPPPEEEE!!!!

So, check your phosphates for your clams, maybe that is the problem. For my corals, I think it was also.

I check my Phos on a weekly basis, had been running NP pellet's for better then 6 month but switched to Vertex Bio Pellet's about a month ago. Have not had so much as a hint of phosphates in sometime. Now that I have a new MG test kit I am going to do a major WC and get all my levels back up to par this weekend.