Clam dying once again

[rhudgins]

I have maintained a successful reef tank for five years with a wide variety of fish, inverts and corals. Over the past year I have bought 3 clams, two derasas and one maxima. The two derasas died within weeks of adding them to my tank and three weeks ago I purchased a maxima and it is slowly dying also. All of my corals and fish are perfectly healthy and my tank parameters are fine. I am scratching my head once again wondering why another clam is dying. Does anyone have any clues? Are there certain kind of tank parasites that could be killing them?

 

[Mattl22]

Pyrimid snails I've heard

 

[jetthril]

Other than the snail, it also could be the way you acclimate the clams. I had a similar experience with a maxima clam dying on me. After you float the clam bag in the tank and acclimated the clam to the tank water condition, try to keep the tank light off for the day.

If you have high power lights like MH, you also may way to keep the new clam away from right under the light in the first week or so.

In the long run the clams need strong light to thrive, you can move the clam slowly and eventually directly under your tank light.

Hope this helps!

 

[NYreefNoob]

how about what fish do you have and your levels ? cal alk and mag saying good and knowing the numbers are different, and did u acclimate the clams ? or have them out of water for long ?

 

[ming]

Do you have a full tank shot?
Also, do you have a list of parameters? What type of lights?
Usually tanks full of SPS will have similar success as Clams as the requirements are the same, so I'm wondering if you have SPS or a tank full of softies. pictures sometimes help answer some questions.

 

[rhudgins]

I have 234 watt T5 fixture on a 45 gallon tank that is about 20" deep. I acclimated the clam for about an hour and placed it on the substrate at the bottom of the tank. I did not turn the light off during the acclimation process. My calcium is 400ppm, alk 9dkh and magnesium 1300 ppm. I have a coral beauty angel fish, christmas wrasse, damsel, clown and a mandarine. I have sps and lps corals and one colony of xenia.

 

[DEL]

Hey. Everyone here knows I love clams. At one point I had 6 for about a year. 2months ago, 4 just died. 2 survived. I tool out the last dying clam, and the 2 survived. From what I heard, whatever killed te first one, goes to the next an so on. Sometimes there really is no way to find out why they died. Clams are just strange. IMO there was a little critter that was attacking them, and he was still on the dying clam when I tool it out. Good luck as hope u solve your problem.

 

[phaedrus1]

I do not believe placing the clam on the substrate is the right answer. Often they have had some dammage to there byssal gland or foot and when placed on substrate they can't attach and bacteria can invade. I always put my clams on rockwork, and I have yet to lose one. On the other hand I have issues now with the darn things outgrowing my 34G small reef....
I have a bigger 230G.. but it has some aggressive Wrasses I worry would attack the clams.
Also clams LOVE light. I personally believe they need to be higher in a tank....

 

[Mattl22]

I put a small clam on a sm rock ledge on the bottom of my tank I figured if he wanted to move to sand he could just push himself of the ledge onto sand bed now he's doubled in size and he's not going anywhere tried to move him I would have tumbled all my rock work he was attached so tight but I worry if he gets much bigger he will be toching front glass