[DJ88]

I am gonna throw this out there for everyone to chew on. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Ok.. something has happened to a number of clams.

now.. IF and I stress IF it was some kind of a disease/virus, what have you, it would be something that could possibly have a massive effect on the actual wild stocks of clams.. Right? Imagine if this got out in nature and was a killer. Wiped out.. With the death tolls we are seeing in just the small percentage of people that post on the boards we frequent that would be horrible in nature.

We all know that there is pretty much a Dr. in marine Biology out there for everything you see in the ocean. Especially the pretty things that catch our eye like clams, corals, fish etc.

Now those Dr's, that we know are out there are, going to immediately look into something possibly destroying the thing they love and work for. Right? Well I am betting they have already done so. You know that every major supplier of Clam's has contacts in the research end of the world. When I say suppliers I am talking about on the actual islands. The guys who grow them or pick them. I'd bet even some major stores and wholesalers have contacts that they can check in with.

Don't you think that something that could possibly wipe out a major source of food for millions would grab immediate attention? And secondly have an effect on small percentage of hobbyists like us? This "disease" could theoretically do a lot of damage.

I am betting that as soon as the word virus or disease popped up phones started ringing in many a research office. Clams were sent. Clams were tested.

Now if there was something it would make news in the hobby before the TV shows could get it out.

I'll bet there are many a Dr out there that is laughing his or her collective a$$ off at a bunch of hobbyists making a diagnosis with NOT a single one of them having the qualifications or experience to make it. Remember.. we are hobbyists.. We keep pretty things in a miniature copy of what we think nature is. We don't do that good a job at imitating nature in reality. We try but it's not nature. If these Dr's are out there, I would not be surprised if NONE of them posted a word on any board. Remember when Dr Bingman used to post? Where is he now? He had rank amateurs with none of the education or training he has telling him he was wrong when he would say something. So he doesn't post. Do you think someone is going to get into what will certainly become a ****ing match? Someone who has been on the board longer than some Dr joining in with today's date will feel he knows more and tell him so. It always happens.

Your clams died. Clams died last summer. Clams will die next summer. They died before we had our little episode and will most certainly die in the years to come. Are you going to know what killed them? no. It is as easy or as hard as that.

It could be salt, it could be reactor media, food, soap on your hands, smog in the air, your breath after too many onions, cigarettes.. who knows.. we aren't going to know what killed OUR clams. Jumping on a bandwagon screaming disease, virus! Is going no where.

We are hobbyists. Plain and simple. In the grand scheme of things we sit very low on the totem pole of knowledge about our tanks and systems. We muddle through it. Looking to the ones higher up to throw us scraps of knowledge from the table. Only people who aren't in the hobby are lower. I say get used to it. It isn't going to be the first time something dies in your tank. It won't be the last. I guarantee it. Fish, coral, clam whatever. All we can do is the best we can to ensure the optimal environment in our tank.. I will be doing even more in the future. We all know clams are sensitive to changes in our tanks. Read D Knops clams book. He says it there and in sources online. I saw one reply where a guy had asked why his clam died after a water change. Funny thing was it was showing the same symptoms as ours did. Mucus, spewing sperm, gaping, slow reaction to touch or change in light. I have read other articles where they say not to let your tank exceed 82 degrees with clams. I know mine did in this heat wave..

Did yours?????

Nite all..