Cleaner Shrimp eating Clam?

Devin_R.

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Hi,
I just picked up a small gold maxima clam today. I drip acclimated it for about 2 hours, and added it to my tank. I watched it a bit and all seemed fine so I walked away for a while. A couple of minutes went by and I went to check on it and that’s when I noticed my cleaner shrimp picking at it. I quickly waved him away and now my clam has a hole in it and I can see straight through it. Does my cleaner shrimp have a taste for clams? I have it isolated in a plastic pet carrier in the tank that’s being held up with a mag float. Please help I don’t want to lose my clam!
 

Retro Reefer

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Sorry about your clam :( shrimp can potentially cause all kind of problems in your tank. Hard to say wether it went after healthy clam or maybe clam already had issues and shrimp was just being opportunistic? I would keep the clam isolated or remove shrimp
 

Uncle99

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I have 6 clams, a cleaner, a fire and a pep.
Never touched any of them in more than 4 years.
I guess in the confines of the glass box, anything is possible.
 

Slawman

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Much more likely that the shrimp was taking advantage of a pre-existing issue with your clam. Can you isolate the clam in the tank (preferable to switching to to a new tank because of the added stress)?
 

Sosuke

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Yep most likely the shrimp was taking advantage of the clam happened to a snail that wasn't moving for days and my shrimp jumped on it I took it out and realized it had died a while ago. As for the clam a giant hole isn't good can you provide pictures?
 

NanoSteam

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I've sworn off cleaner shrimps forever. I know most times they go after what is dying or dead but in my case my shrimp obliterated a perfectly healthy mushroom coral, picking away at my BTA, my duncan, Acans etc... These were perfectly healthy corals. After I got rid of the shrimp they recovered from their wounds and have further grown. Not in a million years would I have trusted that thing around the healthiest clam.
 
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Devin_R.

Devin_R.

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Thanks everyone for the replies. My clam is small, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches, and I’m afraid that it will not survive. If there are any dips or medicine that I can use to help, please let me know. I was having trouble uploading the video directly so I’ve attached a link to a video of it in the little isolation chamber I came up with pretty quick.
Clam Video
 
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Flippers4pups

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Thanks everyone for the replies. My clam is small, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches, and I’m afraid that it will not survive. If there are any dips or medicine that I can use to help, please let me know. I was having trouble uploading the video directly so I’ve attached a link to a video of it in the little isolation chamber I came up with pretty quick.
Clam Video

Unfortunately, that clam is dead. That's why the shrimp was at it. Sorry.
 

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