Maxima death or did something eat it?

ESH

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About a week and a half ago I added 2 , 3" maxima clam's to my tank. Unfortunately, yesterday evening I came home to find one with only its shell remaining, and no critters in the immediate vicinity to try and say they were to blame. Up until yesterday, clams looked healthy, and also looked healthy upon arrival. Only thing I can think of that stood out was one of them appeared like its foot might have came off in transit, though I don't know if it was the bysal threads or the foot. It just seemed to be more than the threads. For a week and a half it was standing up, and appeared to have attached itself to a clam hammock so I thought it was good.

I thought it was still alive in the morning before I left for work. Can't 100% confirm this, though I remember checking around 7am and nothing stood out. So its possible if something went after it, it happened when the lights were on. Lights start to come on around 9am.

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The second Maxima clam appears to be healthy and ok.

My immediate reaction is that it could be something in the tank. There is a small and medium sized brittle star, and a few small (dime size or smaller) gorilla crabs that I still haven't been able to catch. not sure if they attacked it or not. No sign of pyram snails, or anything else described in the books as common issues. Theres a few emerald crabs in the tank, as well as alot of porcelain crabs (which Im not 100% sure are porcelain crabs as they are solid green). there are also 2 peppermint shrimp that only seem to come out at night. No mantis in the tank, though I've seen & heard pistol shrimp. There is a mantis and other display tank refugee's in the refugium.

Since the death, I pulled out all the blue legged hermit crabs, about 40 of them, as I've seen them gang up on anything that appears to be sick and dying, and Ive been suspecting them of tearing apart birds nest and similar types of coral. Ive been thinking of moving them to the refugium anyways for sometime.
I did find 6 of these unknown snails lurking on the rocks near by. No clue what kind of snails they are, but Ive seen them go after dead crabs or meaty food before.
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Tank is a 90gallon, gen4 radions/filters, about 200par on the sand bed (where they were sitting on top of clam hammocks for the last almost 2 weeks), up and running since October, mixed SPS/LPS.

Temps were usually 79f, but got up to 82 the past couple of days due to a heat wave. AC has since been turned on.
ph ranges 8.0-8.3 throughout a 24hr cycle
ammonia/nitrite:0
Phosphate: .04
Nitrate: .25
Ca: 470
Alk: 6.1 (working on increasing up into the 7's, haven't locked on the right dosing)

Fish in tank: 2x Yellow Tangs, 1x Brown Tang, 2x Ocellaris Clowns, 1x Mandarin Goby, 1x Six Line Wrasse.

So not sure if it just died, or something got it. Thoughts?
 
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Crabs McJones

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They look like whelks and will eat the clam so I think you found your culprit. #reefsquad or snail ID experts out there
What is that I see? A whelk I think it be! I agree.....sorry I've had a few :D
 
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Been reading similar statements about smaller clam size. If they can be such a challenge, why are vendors continuing to sell them at that size?
 
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We should start a business selling people the opportunity to buy a 1” clam attached to a dead 2” clam shell. Things you learn by experience. Hopefully my other one makes it. Haven’t seen any more whelks in the tank but will be checking this weekend once the lights are out.
 

reefwiser

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When talking to the experts in the field of raising clams the younger ones rely on plankton more than zooxanthellae. One of the reasons the farms use natural saltwater.
 

Xanthurum

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I question the thought that small clams are tough. Maybe I just got lucky but I bought a stunning crocea that was at best 1.25 inches. I mean it was tiny! I know croceas are probably the hardest clams to keep due to their lighting demands plus this one was the smallest I had ever seen. I have never dosed phyto or any other food source specifically for clams just good old fashioned fish poo. It’s now approaching 4 inches and still stunning, good water quality and strong lights is my secret.
 

Sarah24!

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Hello,

Was curious to know what is a whelk, I have a nice 7 inch clam and want to make sure they are never in my tank. When I tried to search for it, I couldn’t get anything to show up.

Thanks
 

DeniseAndy

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Whelks are a class of snail and technically not all are bad. I believe the nassarius snails we use are in the whelk family.
 

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