R.I.P. Tahiti Maxima (1 Viewer)

[Tankster101]

Went to bed at midnight last night and my clam was on my rock and seemed healthy. Woke up at 5:30am and his shell was on the sandbed completely cleaned out. I have Giant Tongan and a couple Butterscotch Nassirius Snails which are the only culprits that could have cleaned it out that fast. I have been reading that even the stresses of adjusting to a new tank and lightning can cause these snails to attack and eat clams? Then others say they will only eat something that is dying? Was wondering if anybody else has any experience with this? I can speak from experience that when I acquired my Exquisite Wrasse and first introduced him he would lie on the sand and play dead. The snails would go to him and the Wrasse would move....the snails would follow. I moved the Wrasse to my refugium for about a week. It's been about a year and he is happy and healthy.

 

[ReefMaster32787]

In my experience snails/clean up crews have made a b-line for any unhealthy additions even the ones with minor tissue damage. While they have helped me with cleaning the decaying tissues I had to monitor so they didn't keep agitating the corals. It is hard for me to believe that they could clean an entire clam out in a matter of hours though. You did mention you had a wrasse, mine will take small clams that come in on live rock in his mouth and smash them against the rocks until he gets them open and cleans them out. While I am sure that your clam is much to large for your Wrasse to pick up maybe he had a Hand in it. Although I have read the same as you about lighting, acclamation, and other stresses. Sounds like your clam was stressed and they cleaned it up before it really had a chance to adjust.

 

[ReefMaster32787]

Tried to edit my original post wouldn't work for some reason. But I might also mention that my wrasse is a Hoevens wrasse reef-safe with caution not the exquisite wrasse.

 

[madehtsobi]

im pretty sure it was your wrasse. i had a red coris and melanarus wrasse that went after my baby clam but didnt bother with the larger 5" one

 

[Tankster101]

???........Never saw my Wrasse pick and it has always gone to his hiding spot right after lights out and cocooned. Maybe the fresh clam was too enticing for him to pass up though?? As far as the snails eating.....I have seen them devour a 1"x1" chuck of shrimp my rose bubble didn't eat in about 30 minutes. I have about 10 of these snails ranging from 1" to 2" in a 90 gal. The clam was only about 2". The clam was very responsive when I shined the light in the tank before I went to bed so I would think it would have closed if something was bothering it. Which makes me think something ate it through it's foot hole?? Don't want to jump to conclusions but if I get another clam I will definitely consider removing the Nassirius and possibly the wrasse as a precaution.

 

[ReefMaster32787]

How new to the tank was this clam? If you could quarantine (the new one)him in your sump(if you have one) and let him adjust a bit and let the others know he's there, so to speak it may help. If not you could cut a cleaned coke bottle and place it over him and watch what happens when light go out. Assuming all parameters are good of course

 

[Tankster101]

I bought the clam at Reef Currents so 2-3 days. Yes, I have a refugium but only have 2-24" t5's over it. Enough light to safely acclimate? As for as I understand the Wrasses yall mentioned are not reef safe or with caution. The Exquisite Wrasse is supposed to be reef and invertebrate safe. Would be just my luck to get a mean one though

 

[madehtsobi]

yeh u never know with wrasses.. the clams mantle flapping in the waves makes it tempting. lol

i made small acrylic cube box and zip tied eggcrate around the top to keep the wrasse out back then and it worked.

 

[madehtsobi]

U can see my lil box up top.

 

[Tankster101]

Nice setup and good idea! May be the route I take next time. How long did you keep the clam in the box?

 

[madehtsobi]

its been in there for a few months...itll stay there for awhile...its easier to feed too since i mix food and pour right there at the top.

 

[inigomontoya]

The acclimation box is a good idea. I would actually disagree on the wrasse. The other wrasses all mentioned are more predatory than the fairy wrasses, like an exquisite. Real small clams are very sensitive so it may be hard to determine a true cause. I'm sure it was the snails that finished the job, question being whether they caused the problem.
I'm sure you acclimated but it might have simply been a stress thing and then the snails finished it off...

 

[Tankster101]

Thanks for all the advice and replies! Yep, drip acclimated for about 2.5 hours. Placed on rocks 12" below water under 8X54 watt T5 Tek Elite. I think it was kept under LED so the transition may have been a stress factor? Alk 9.35, Cal 400, Mg 1300, PH 8.2 <---Salifert. Nitrate .75ppm <--- Red Sea pro. Don't have a accurate Phosphate kit. I just Question the point at which the snails determine something is food....is it really past the point of no return? Or is it just stressed? When my Wrasse was introduced it played dead on the bottom and my snails acted like they were going to eat it, but it lived and is healthy today. This is the first clam I have tried to keep so I don't really know any other signs of stress other than it closing up or not being responsive.

 

[reefboi16]

Any chance that you have a good amount of bristleworms? I lost a clam to bristleworms that ate it. Started from the foot and it all went downhill from there. They might not of killed it completely but they munched on it enough to attract others like other clean up members to munch on it and stress it out.

 

[Tankster101]

Yes, I have a healthy population of them. I chipped away a small pocket in a rock for him to sit in for protection with the hope he would attach but he never did. Only had it 3 days though.

 

[reefboi16]

Clams are such a mystery to me. Ever since that one I have yet to try another one.

 

[inigomontoya]

I've gotten pretty lucky on my clams, only lost two, currenlty have 3 maximas - one is about 6-7" and two Derasa 8-9" or so. One loss was a crocea that kept jumping off the ledge and the other was a real small maxima. Had it for a month and then looked in the frag tank and it was an empty shell. Other clam was sitting next to it, happy as a ... well - you know.
I really think the main variable you can control is size, I've heard to not buy them much under 3".