Clam troubles

[asylumdown]

egads, it sounds like the beginnings of an epidemic. Perhaps we should be asking what the people who are not losing clams are doing differently - ie, are the clams that are not spontaneously melting all living in tanks that haven't had any livestock added since before the Edmonton outbreak?

If you've got clams doing a Jonestown impression in tanks that haven't had any water from the LFS supply chain added since before this became a wide-spread problem, then it's likely not a mysterious new pathogen.

Fingers crossed for my two clams. One of mine sulked for a couple of weeks after I changed my bulbs and ballasts, but it has come back strong.

[Northernseacorals]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

A couple more thoughts. Bristle worms are almost certainly innocent of causing clam death in most if not all cases

I could not agree more, I have had up to 6 clams on the bottom of a shallow tank that was crawling with bristol worms and never lost a clam to the worms.

[michika]

I didn't read any of the posts, but I'll just chime into say that I lost one about 2-3 weeks ago. Had the clam for probably 5ish years.

[whatcaneyedo]

I've lost 6 out of my 7 within the last 12 months. 3 maxima, 2 crocea and a squamosa. The survivor is a derasa. 3 of the clams that I lost I have had for around 5 years the others were 2-3 years. In my case I suspect either a pathogen or a species of pyram snails that prefers snails but will also go after clams. I took this picture of an trochus snail being attacked by them in my tank. The odd thing is that I could never find more than 1 or 2 of these snails going after the underside of the mantle of my clams and none were ever on the bottom opening. I'd see them here and there on the glass and other hard substrates in the tank but only occasionally near a clam mantle. As you can see in the picture they are swarming the trochus snail yet none are going after the derasa which would have been an easier target. Whenever I saw them doing this I'd siphon them out. I guess even a single one of these snails can take down a clam if they attack it often enough.

[doch]

Further to my post, I didn't notice any problems with any corals, nems or fish while this was happening. Also, no abnormal skimmer activity, and the parameters were all good. Thsi all started to happen shortly after I added my blue squammy... which is now my only remaining survivor.

Here's a post I started on the same topic... check it out if you like. Much of the same info in there, but maybe some new stuff?


http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=70898

[fishytime]

thanks for the link doch.....just re-read the thread and I think my case is different from the vast majority of everyone who chimed in and described what happened to them.....most peeps are losing them over monthes or a year.....I have lost 8 in three weeks....Funky Fish said the he knew of a few others that had multiple deaths, but no one else responded after that....

[The Grizz]

Hey Doug, I really think this clam is on a one way trip out. It has recessed even further into the shell no snail or worms in sight in the QT

[michika]

For the pyram snails you can use a filter sock to catch them over time.

[silentcivilian]

My clam is gone. Removed it last night. Got a bad case of the tank stink when I got home from work.. so less than 36 hours and he was gone. Should I have been worried from the start when I was transfering him from the bucket to the tank after acclimation.. he didnt move at all or respond to the light? I didnt think anything of it till last night talking to a friend.

[Skimmerking]

i had the same trouble lost a crap load of clams from
5 crocea's
2 baby derasa's
2 Maxima's

and now that you mention it I remeber seeing thou little snails on one of the snails and i used filter socks and now the 3 squamos'a are doing excellent.