It's gone....

[stuntkiteflyer]

I got a clam five hours ago, a Derasa. Anyway I dripped it for a couple hours, and placed him in my sand bed, and he seemed happy as...well...a clam. He was opening up already and was doing fine. Well I went to check on him and there were three of the Nassarius snails inside his shell , so I start pulling them out and *poof* the clam is gone.....what happened?!

In the tank: 1 blue-green chromis, 1 purple firefish, 1 Yasha Hasha, 1 mithax crab, Nassarius snails, astrae sails, blue legged hermits.

It was my first clam and I was so excited and he's been sucked out. I'm attaching a picture of what's left. Any help or ideas would be great, thanks!

 

[chris&barb]

sorry to hear this. can you post clear close up photos of the snails that you found eating the clam

 

[stuntkiteflyer]

I don't know if they were eating in, but they were in the now empty shell.

 

[matts125]

surely the clam was already dead or dying, it doenst seem at all possible for that species of snails to eat a clams mantle unless it is already dead...

Matt

 

[stuntkiteflyer]

Something happened to it in a span of 3 hours...

It was opening and closing fine, as far as reacting to being moved and such, so I doubt it was already dead.

 

[edwing206]

The insides were probably already decaying. Nassarius have an incredible sense of smell. They were probably just eating the dead stuff.

 

[DonW]

The insides were probably already decaying. Nassarius have an incredible sense of smell. They were probably just eating the dead stuff.

I agree you were sold a almost dead clam. It takes awhile for them to die off enough to release from the shell. I would be having a talk with the store. Even more importantly I would suggest some reading and actually viewing as many clams as you can. Try to get a better understanding of what a healthy clam should look like.

Don

 

[chris&barb]

a agree that the clam could have been on its way out, however far too often predatory whelks are misidentified and sold as reef safe Nassarius

 

[edwing206]

Whelks are darker and have "tattooed" snouts. Check Melev's reef.

 

[stuntkiteflyer]

I bought the clam from Barrier Reef, I guess the clam hadn't been there long, so they probably didn't notice if it was sick, they did refund me everything (such awsome guys there). All my water checked out fine as well, so something must have been wrong with him that no one noticed.

 

[renoreefer]

Had the same thing happpen to my golden maxima, It was about 1.5" long and he was in my tank for 3 weeks but he never attached to the area that I placed it. Then it started gapping and that lasted about one day, next morning same thing just a clean shell. I have two of these snail also and they do not bother the two other blue maxima or my 4" crocea. they sure know when something is dying, better than polluting the tank. Thanks you to mother nature garbage guys.

 

[james734]

Sorry to hear about the loss, glad BR took care of you. Their good guys down there and I can assure you they wouldn't have sold a bum clam knowingly.