Clam died for no apparent reason

billdogg · 07/11/2019, 06:12 PM

Like the title says - One of my two maxima clams died and I con't figure out why.

I've had both of them for at least 3-4 years and they've always done well and grown considerable. About 3 days ago the smaller of the two was very withdrawn, and by the next morning was beginning to gape. I pulled it today although the outcome was obvious yesterday. I took it outside and inspected it as closely as I could. I found a single very small snail that might be the culprit but could no others like it on either the dead clam or the one that is still seeming to thrive.

The tank - 120DT/40 sump setup since 2013 but some of the sand and much of the rock date to the late 80's/early 90's - it is without a doubt a well cycled tank :-)
Skimmer - RO150sss
2 x AI Sol blues set to 45W/65B/65RB 12hrs on/off
2 x 250 gyres at about 60% and a couple koralia 1500gph for those pesky dead spots in back.

Water parameters are as follows: All test kits are Salifert
Ammonia/Nitrate undetectable
Nitrate - just a very slight color change, barely detectable
Phosphate barely detectable
Calcium - 400
Alkalinity 8.9
Mag 1350
Salinity 1.024
temp 78

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Reef noob_ · 07/11/2019, 08:32 PM

Were they low in the tank? Clams can be slowly suffering from low or poor lighting then die and be consumed quickly.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

OrionN · 07/11/2019, 09:33 PM

Are there white new growth on the shell? Both clams?

MondoBongo · 07/12/2019, 06:46 AM

are your AI Sols functioning properly?

i lost my Derasa clam a few months back. i had it for several years. turns out my AI Vegas were having a problem with their driver board and shutting off pucks for long periods of time, probably due to overheating or something as near as i can guess?

i hadn't noticed soon enough, because it was only happening intermittently, but often 2 - 3 of the pucks would shut down.

billdogg · 07/12/2019, 11:57 AM

The lights seem to be fine. No oddities growing a n either clam that I can see. The surviving clam, the larger of the two, seems to be fine.

They have been on the sandbed since day one, fully expanded and growing nicely.

Uncle99 · 07/13/2019, 05:27 PM

Is there anyone who might have had lunch?

Some Angels, wrasses and peps have been known to nip, and once tasted.....clam meat is very tasty.....you have a settled clam in an on point consistently stable water....should not have gone so suddenly....

07/11/2019, 06:12 PM	#1
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	Clam died for no apparent reason Like the title says - One of my two maxima clams died and I con't figure out why. I've had both of them for at least 3-4 years and they've always done well and grown considerable. About 3 days ago the smaller of the two was very withdrawn, and by the next morning was beginning to gape. I pulled it today although the outcome was obvious yesterday. I took it outside and inspected it as closely as I could. I found a single very small snail that might be the culprit but could no others like it on either the dead clam or the one that is still seeming to thrive. The tank - 120DT/40 sump setup since 2013 but some of the sand and much of the rock date to the late 80's/early 90's - it is without a doubt a well cycled tank :-) Skimmer - RO150sss 2 x AI Sol blues set to 45W/65B/65RB 12hrs on/off 2 x 250 gyres at about 60% and a couple koralia 1500gph for those pesky dead spots in back. Water parameters are as follows: All test kits are Salifert Ammonia/Nitrate undetectable Nitrate - just a very slight color change, barely detectable Phosphate barely detectable Calcium - 400 Alkalinity 8.9 Mag 1350 Salinity 1.024 temp 78 Any ideas? Thanks in advance for your help! __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

07/11/2019, 08:32 PM	#2
Reef noob_ Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: holmdel, NJ Posts: 555	Were they low in the tank? Clams can be slowly suffering from low or poor lighting then die and be consumed quickly. Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk __________________ ________________________ New Build in progress http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2528685 90 gallon DT, 65 Gallon Fuge, Chinese LEDs, LPS and Soft coral reef

07/11/2019, 09:33 PM	#3
OrionN Moved on Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Coastal Texas Posts: 16,000	Are there white new growth on the shell? Both clams? __________________ Minh My homepage is my album here at Reef Central Current Tank Info: Reboot 320 anemones reef. Angels: Yellow Chest Regal(2), Flame (2). Copperband But. Tangs: Yellow, Purple. Wrasse: about 20 wrasses various species. Anemones: Giantea X4 (Breen, Blue, Purple and Multicolors), Haddoni X1 Red, Magnifica X1 Purpletip

07/12/2019, 06:46 AM	#4
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	are your AI Sols functioning properly? i lost my Derasa clam a few months back. i had it for several years. turns out my AI Vegas were having a problem with their driver board and shutting off pucks for long periods of time, probably due to overheating or something as near as i can guess? i hadn't noticed soon enough, because it was only happening intermittently, but often 2 - 3 of the pucks would shut down. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

07/12/2019, 11:57 AM	#5
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	The lights seem to be fine. No oddities growing a n either clam that I can see. The surviving clam, the larger of the two, seems to be fine. They have been on the sandbed since day one, fully expanded and growing nicely. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer Last edited by billdogg; 07/12/2019 at 12:05 PM.

07/13/2019, 05:27 PM	#6
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Is there anyone who might have had lunch? Some Angels, wrasses and peps have been known to nip, and once tasted.....clam meat is very tasty.....you have a settled clam in an on point consistently stable water....should not have gone so suddenly....