Clam under attack!

1st of all, my clam looked super healthy entire time up to this. Water params are rock solid. I add DTs and zooplankton to my tank 2..3 times a week.

So yesterday I noticed that my beuaitiful healthy clam has snails all over it and was only partially open. I've alos noticed a snail inside of it that crawled in through it mouth. That can't be good. I've read online and learned about some predatory snails, but this really looked like your average nassarius vibex.

I was certain he's a goner. Shook the snails off and smelled the clam, yet he smelled totally fine and still had great coloration and was opening/closing it's shell.

So i left it alone and this moring it's still alive with no snails anywhere near it. I honestly expected him to be eaten by now. My CUC will eat anything overnight.

I suspect he's still a goner tho. His mantle seems to be detached from the shell in several places and does not reach the edge of the shell anywhere.

What the heck happened? Should i take him out or let him die in the tank. Is there any chance he'll pull through?

Thanks.

 

sounds like pyramidae snail - nasty little vampire bastards - very difficult to eradicate once established.

I have them in both of my tanks and therefor will not be buying any clams.

 

Baby Cerith or Pyramid Snail??

scroll down toward the middle of the post - is that what you have?

 

Do not think i've seen a snail like this before. The snails all over the outside of the clam were definitely your usual Nassarius Vibex snails.

The snail inside I do not know. Can't really see well. But i do not believe I saw white cerith looking snails in my tank ever.

 

Your description of the clam does not sound good. Keep track of it and once you do not see the mantle past the shell remove it if you are worried about it causing nutrient problems in your tank.

 

If the clams mantel is shrunken away from the shell, it's a goner IMO.

Any member of a cuc will take advantage of dying clam. Since Pyramids are for the most part nocturnal you may not seeing them during the day because they tend to hide at the base of the clam and in between the chutes, making their way up to the mantel at night to feed.

My second thought Pinched Mantel Disease, did the mantel appear to be ruffled on the edges?

If you post an image of the snails, it would sure help to nail down the issue.

 

it sounds like your nassarius are just feeding on a dying clam.

 

Actualy, one small spot along one of the edges of the clam looked like it was missing. It was like that for a long time and did not appear to grow/change. We are talking 10% of the length of the shell's edge. It went from being perfect except that small spot for month to suddenly detached and covered in snails overnight.

 

I think this link does a good job of providing images and information on different clam maladies.

Troubles with Tridacnids: a Look at Two Common Problems by James W. Fatherree, M.Sc. - Reefkeeping.com

 

Decided to include this one as well being that it's relevant to snails and clams.

Another question please, are running any GFO or carbon?


Dwarf Cerith snails - Clam killers? - Page 2 - Reef Central Online Community