Dead Clam. Need Answers

[Aulonocara]

So, I thought I did everything right.

I did my research on getting a clam. I took my time, and waited about 10 months for my tank to mature. (using live sand/rock from an established tank).

 

It is a 20H tank, with a 150w 14K MH.

 

Water Params are all normal.

 

So, I went to the LFS and purchased a 1.5-2" Maxima clam yesterday. I brought it back home and temp-acclimated it. I put it on a rock (as the LFS guy told me I had to) and left it alone. As with every new addition to the tank, my blue-leg hermits were ALL OVER the clam when i put it in-- eating and exploring the shell. I came into the room about an hour later and the clam was down on the sand, with the hermits still all over it. I set it back up, making sure it was secure on the rock, and left to do homework.

Later that night I came in to find the clam on the sandbed again. with the hermits all over it. The clams shell had opened a crack the the hermits were devouring it from the outside.

 

I found it kinda funny later when i realized how much anger I had focused on 5 mindless hermit crabs.

 

So, did I do something wrong? I had no idea that hermits would work for hours to crack open a clam shell.

 

Just an all around sad/frustrating experience.

 

Thanks for any answers,

Aulo

[fraggle rockette]

So, I thought I did everything right.

I did my research on getting a clam. I took my time, and waited about 10 months for my tank to mature. (using live sand/rock from an established tank).

 

It is a 20H tank, with a 150w 14K MH.

 

Water Params are all normal.

 

So, I went to the LFS and purchased a 1.5-2" Maxima clam yesterday. I brought it back home and temp-acclimated it. I put it on a rock (as the LFS guy told me I had to) and left it alone. As with every new addition to the tank, my blue-leg hermits were ALL OVER the clam when i put it in-- eating and exploring the shell. I came into the room about an hour later and the clam was down on the sand, with the hermits still all over it. I set it back up, making sure it was secure on the rock, and left to do homework.

Later that night I came in to find the clam on the sandbed again. with the hermits all over it. The clams shell had opened a crack the the hermits were devouring it from the outside.

 

I found it kinda funny later when i realized how much anger I had focused on 5 mindless hermit crabs.

 

So, did I do something wrong? I had no idea that hermits would work for hours to crack open a clam shell.

 

Just an all around sad/frustrating experience.

 

Thanks for any answers,

Aulo

 

how did you acclimate it to the water? temp helps, but with clams ive heard you need to drip-acclimate them as well so they can accustom themselves to the pH, salinity, etc. it may have gone into shock and died and that's why the hermits went after it- because it was dead so quickly? was it reactive when you put it in the tank or sluggish? my hermits only have pulled some algae off mine... but not messed with anything else. strange.

[lgreen]

it may have gone into shock and died and that's why the hermits went after it- because it was dead so quickly?

 

Very possible.

 

I don't even keep hermits anymore. They are cool, but are reef terrorists sometimes.

[Hoobahans]

That is very strange. I have a crocea and two baby maximas, and they both are more hardy than almost anything in my tank. Even when it nearly crashed over thanksgiving break and I lost half my corals, the crocea pulled through better than ever. My guess is that is was dying before you got it. Usually scavengers don't attack until the animal is dying. Maybe it was too close to the light, too much of a shock. Sorry for your loss, I hope that things go better in the future.

[ezcompany]

one fact you did not know: baby clams are notorious for their extremely poor survival rate, even with perfect water parameters and lighting, especially maximas.

maximas are the least hardiest of all tridacnids, and baby ones have a very hard time with transfer stress. its just you're luck, sorry for the loss, but try to get clams that are at least 3 inches.

[Helfrichs Chick]

^Agreed with EZ on this one. Also a GOOD acclimation is required with clams, as well (IME) once in the tank setting them with intake facing up, as to allow air bubbles out... as air pockets can lead to tissue necropsy. Again the CUC was probably starved and a nice meal was literally put in front of them. Lemme guess were they blue legged hermits? Ditch em and get scarlets. Sorry to hear your loss thou. Try a derasa... lately there have been some nice blue rimmed ones in the trade. Good luck.

[Aulonocara]

Yes, they are blue legs.

I've never had any problem with them before now... They pretty much seem to mind their own business (unless there is something new and exciting in the tank...). I may be in for some house cleaning.... little jerks....

[dangeroo2]

Smaller clams cannot support themselves photosynthetically. (yes i know i can't spell). Their mantle is not big enough to support the amount of neccesary zooanthelle. Therefore, a good portion of their feeding comes from feeding. Most liekly, the clam was on its way out at the fish store. When purchasing a clam, you should run your hand over it in the water or by the glass if possible. The clam shouold react to the shadow your casting by closing its mantle. if it doesn't, don't buy it. Sorry about your loss!

[Chupacabras]

^^That whole mantle size theory has pretty much been debunked.

 

Otherwise, I agree with EZ, little maxima's are known for their quick acclimation deaths.

 

Edit: By acclimation deaths, I mean just getting used to a new environment, not that the "act" of acclimating was the culprit. EZ and I have butt heads before about the importance of acclimation; he asserts it's absolutely vital and I think it's completely overrated beyond temperature acclimation.

 

I guess what I'm saying is, it probably wasn't either your fault or the hermits fault... if anything, the hermits got right to their jobs.

[Helfrichs Chick]

How anyone can say acclimation is useless is beyond me. Its pure physics. Changing the chemical makeup of an animals surroundings. You have 2 completly diffrent chemical make ups of water. ie. you tank water and you LFS water. And NO were not talking about just nitrates lol. There are so many elements that make up sea water... here are a few http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/seasaltmi...l/aa012003b.htm and I think its in Basench Marine Atlas they have a complete list. Its amazing the loads of tiny little keys that make the ocean water do what its supposed to. Shifting these elements so rapidly for any fish or coral just cant be good..... I dont see how tossing an animal into a completly new chemical world can be good. Dunno just me and my thoughts.

[Chupacabras]

I said overrated. My opinion is that a sensitive creature needs to get into its new environment quickly, without a lot of way points.

 

I keep plenty of sensitive things, including a maxima and they don't get acclimated beyond temperature (*gasp* that maxima was temperature acclimated for ten minutes and introduced).

 

You're militant about the benefits of drip acclimatization, I am skeptical. My experience has shown it to be unnecessary as I haven't had a single death that could be attributed to poor introduction, ever.

[phases]

The hermit crabs went after the algae on the shell of the clam. This stresses it out and the clam seceretes a protective mucus. Problem is it attracts the hermit crabs! They eat the mucus and then go after the clam. Sorry about your loss.

[wheresnemo]

I said overrated. My opinion is that a sensitive creature needs to get into its new environment quickly, without a lot of way points.

 

I keep plenty of sensitive things, including a maxima and they don't get acclimated beyond temperature (*gasp* that maxima was temperature acclimated for ten minutes and introduced).

 

You're militant about the benefits of drip acclimatization, I am skeptical. My experience has shown it to be unnecessary as I haven't had a single death that could be attributed to poor introduction, ever.

I agree acclimation is over rated. You figure they were caught, sent to wholesalers, from wholesalers to LFS, then to your house... Now tell me, what are you acclimating these poor little creatures to? If for in fact they have been taken out of their natural habitat and taken from one place to another? What are they acclimating to? I don't even acclimate unless I am buying from a fellow reefer. If they don't make it, they were just stressed and were going to be goners to be begin with. I have clams, multi-barred angels (mated pair), multi-colored, etc. never acclimated and have had them with success. Just my .02

[Scissorhand]

I also agree that acclimation is overrated. If your water parameters are good, as they should be, it shouldn't be a big problem to just drop them in.