maxima clam problem

sittnon18s · 11/21/2009, 05:57 PM

i just got a 2" maxima clam and it was up in the upper part of my tank on a good rock and one day later it got home and found it on the sand with nothing in it. like something killed it and ate it. what could this be..... kinda mad spent $50. on it and it only lasted one day.... any input on this?????

Luiz Rocha · 11/21/2009, 05:58 PM

What else do you have in your tank? If it was a completely clean shell in one day yes, something ate it.

luther1200 · 11/21/2009, 06:02 PM

What else is in the tank with it?

sittnon18s · 11/21/2009, 06:11 PM

a powder brown, wrasse, damsel, maroon clown, mandren goby, 6 pepermint shrimp, cleaner package, brittle starfish, and a dozen or so corals..

sittnon18s · 11/22/2009, 05:29 AM

???

Cozmo4 · 11/22/2009, 06:19 AM

Is it possible that the clam was on the way out when you bought it? Depending on what makes up the "cleaner package", it doesn't look like you've got any clam eaters in there, but the peppermints and any nassarius (if they are part of your cleaner package) would make short work of a dead/dying clam that small.

Was the clam opening and closing normally - i.e. closing in response to movement overhead? Was the mouth gaping at all?

Hookup · 11/22/2009, 07:35 AM

Did you burp the clam when you put it in? You should always do this to get any air out of them. They will die exactly as you describe if they get air stuck inside them. Looks good for a few days then, there it was, gone... (clean up crew dependent)

This is something your LFS should have told you...

sittnon18s · 11/22/2009, 07:51 AM

i got it from saltwaterfish.com. i never knew u had to burp it. it was opening and closing just fine when a fish swam over it

Mentat · 11/22/2009, 07:53 AM

Sorry for your dead clam. If you want to try and narrow down what could have gone wrong, maybe reading these articles will help: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume.../Clam_care.htm; and http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009...archterm=clams.

Also, can post in the forum's clam section all information regarding your acclimation and introduction to tank, water parameters, illumination, and all other livestock down to species or common name; i.e. not "wrasse" but which wrasse?

sittnon18s · 11/22/2009, 08:24 AM

tank is 75gal with 40gal sump. All perameters are in check. not sure what wrasse it is thinking 12 line id have to check on the exact name. T5 lighting 6x54w. I put the clam in the upper 1/3 of the tank. Cleaner crew is snails blue leg crabs emerald crabs brittle star coral banded srimp 6peppermint . Tank is 80*

Hookup · 11/22/2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sittnon18s

i got it from saltwaterfish.com. i never knew u had to burp it. it was opening and closing just fine when a fish swam over it

Yes, this is normal. Right up until the day it dies.... In my experience anyhow. Air pockets get stuck inside the clam. You need to roll it, like a summersalt to get the air out... burp it... In many cases there is not any air in the clam so people who do not burp also do not see the issue.

Obviously it could have been other things... but from my experience with clams, and from talking at length with my LFS about this, it seems to be a highly probable cause.

11/21/2009, 05:57 PM	#1
sittnon18s josh Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: freedom wi Posts: 290	maxima clam problem i just got a 2" maxima clam and it was up in the upper part of my tank on a good rock and one day later it got home and found it on the sand with nothing in it. like something killed it and ate it. what could this be..... kinda mad spent $50. on it and it only lasted one day.... any input on this?????

11/21/2009, 06:02 PM	#3
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	What else is in the tank with it? __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

11/22/2009, 07:35 AM	#7
Hookup Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,281	Did you burp the clam when you put it in? You should always do this to get any air out of them. They will die exactly as you describe if they get air stuck inside them. Looks good for a few days then, there it was, gone... (clean up crew dependent) This is something your LFS should have told you... __________________ Spellking is an art form to which I have no brush. I'm not sure FOWLRs actually exist, I think they're like unicorns or platonic girlfriends. A FOWLR is just a reef tank that doesn't yet hold any coral. Current Tank Info: 180g display, 150gallon sump in-wall 4-side viewable sps dominated tank, ATI Powermodule, MRC MR-4 skimmer, GHL controller, Baling Method, Ultralith Reactor, Carbon & Phosphate Reactors, and general time consuming money pit that I live for.

11/21/2009, 05:58 PM	#2
Luiz Rocha Salty Dog Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 818	What else do you have in your tank? If it was a completely clean shell in one day yes, something ate it.

11/21/2009, 06:11 PM	#4
sittnon18s josh Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: freedom wi Posts: 290	a powder brown, wrasse, damsel, maroon clown, mandren goby, 6 pepermint shrimp, cleaner package, brittle starfish, and a dozen or so corals..

11/22/2009, 05:29 AM	#5
sittnon18s josh Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: freedom wi Posts: 290	???

11/22/2009, 06:19 AM	#6
Cozmo4 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 583	Is it possible that the clam was on the way out when you bought it? Depending on what makes up the "cleaner package", it doesn't look like you've got any clam eaters in there, but the peppermints and any nassarius (if they are part of your cleaner package) would make short work of a dead/dying clam that small. Was the clam opening and closing normally - i.e. closing in response to movement overhead? Was the mouth gaping at all?

11/22/2009, 07:51 AM	#8
sittnon18s josh Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: freedom wi Posts: 290	i got it from saltwaterfish.com. i never knew u had to burp it. it was opening and closing just fine when a fish swam over it

11/22/2009, 07:53 AM	#9
Mentat Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA USA Posts: 1,173	Sorry for your dead clam. If you want to try and narrow down what could have gone wrong, maybe reading these articles will help: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume.../Clam_care.htm; and http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009...archterm=clams. Also, can post in the forum's clam section all information regarding your acclimation and introduction to tank, water parameters, illumination, and all other livestock down to species or common name; i.e. not "wrasse" but which wrasse?

11/22/2009, 08:24 AM	#10
sittnon18s josh Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: freedom wi Posts: 290	tank is 75gal with 40gal sump. All perameters are in check. not sure what wrasse it is thinking 12 line id have to check on the exact name. T5 lighting 6x54w. I put the clam in the upper 1/3 of the tank. Cleaner crew is snails blue leg crabs emerald crabs brittle star coral banded srimp 6peppermint . Tank is 80*